If you’ve just arrived in Bubbly Basin and thought the Starmie Doll was nothing more than another cute decoration, think again. This collectible is actually one of the biggest progression items in Pokémon Pokopia’s first Expansion Pass. Sure, you can place it around your town later, but its real value lies in what it unlocks—a brand-new Dream Island packed with rare crafting materials and even a chance to encounter the elusive Phione.

The catch? The game doesn’t exactly hand it to you. Instead of sitting out in the open, the Starmie Doll is buried beneath a hidden pile of rubble deep inside Frillish’s Cave, making it one of the easiest collectibles to overlook. If you don’t know where to search, you can wander around the cave for ages without realizing the treasure is literally hiding beneath your feet.

To save you the headache, here’s everything you need to know—from unlocking Bubbly Basin and starting Frillish’s request to locating the hidden treasure and understanding why this little doll is worth the effort.

Read more: If you’re still working through Bubbly Basin, our How to Get Vine Rope in Pokémon Pokopia guide explains how to obtain another important progression material you’ll use while exploring the expansion.

Everything You Need Before Hunting the Starmie Doll

You can’t grab the Starmie Doll the moment you enter the DLC. Several story milestones need to be completed before the quest becomes available.

Before heading into Frillish’s Cave, make sure you’ve completed the following:

• Own the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass (Wave 1).
• Unlock Bubbly Basin.
• Learn the Dive ability.
• Complete the “Raise the Environment Level!” objective in Bleak Beach.
• Increase Bubbly Basin’s Environment Level to 3.
• Speak with Popplio to continue the area’s storyline.
• Unlock Frillish’s request.
• Bring a Pokémon capable of using Rock Smash.
• Optionally carry the Dowsing Machine to make locating the treasure much easier.

Read next: Building up Bubbly Basin is only one part of the expansion. Our Duckweed Uplifting Habitat Guide walks you through another important restoration objective that helps breathe new life into the area.

A Helpful Tip Before You Start

You can actually discover Frillish’s Cave before the request becomes available, but it’s better to wait.

Once Frillish officially asks for your help, the Pokémon guides you through the cave, making navigation much easier. Several players have also reported that the buried treasure doesn’t become collectible until the request has been activated, so beginning the search too early may simply waste your time.

Looking for more exploration upgrades? Once you’re collecting important progression items, don’t miss our How to Get Tinkagear in Pokémon Pokopia guide, which covers another useful unlock you’ll rely on throughout your adventure.

How to Unlock Bubbly Basin

If you haven’t reached Bubbly Basin yet, you’ll first need to unlock the expansion area.

Here’s how:

• Learn the Dive ability.
• Finish Bleak Beach’s “Raise the Environment Level!” objective.
• Follow Popplio to the underwater gate leading into Bubbly Basin.
• Once inside, continue restoring the region by increasing its Environment Level.

Only after progressing through this storyline can you begin working toward the Starmie Doll quest.

How to Unlock Frillish’s Request

The Starmie Doll is directly tied to one of Frillish’s quests, so you won’t be able to skip this part.

After raising Bubbly Basin to Environment Level 3, do the following:

• Speak with Popplio.
• Continue the area’s construction storyline.
• Head behind the large construction site.
• Enter the nearby cave to meet Frillish.
• Accept Frillish’s request to search for the missing Starmie Doll.

Once the request begins, it’s finally time to dive into the cave.

Read more: Since you’ll soon unlock another Dream Island, it’s also worth checking out our Large Presence Kyogre Guide to prepare for one of Pokopia’s biggest late-game encounters.

Finding the Starmie Doll in Pokémon Pokopia

The Starmie Doll is hidden inside Frillish’s Cave, specifically in the lower minecart section. Unlike many collectibles, it isn’t sitting in plain sight—you’ll need to uncover buried treasure to claim it.

Here’s the complete walkthrough.

Step 1: Enter Frillish’s Cave

Head behind the construction area where Popplio is working and enter the nearby cave.

Speak with Frillish, who will begin leading you deeper inside while explaining the search for the missing doll.

Step 2: Break Through the Blocked Tunnel

Not far into the cave, you’ll encounter a blocked pathway.

Use Rock Smash to destroy the breakable rocks and continue following Frillish further underground.

Without Rock Smash, you won’t be able to progress through the cave.

Step 3: Dive Into the Underwater Passage

Eventually you’ll reach a pool of water.

Use the Dive ability to swim through the underwater tunnel and continue along the lower route until you emerge in the next section of the cave.

This path eventually leads to the area where the treasure is hidden.

Step 4: Reach the Minecart Chamber

Keep moving forward until you enter a massive cavern filled with:

• Minecart tracks
• Minecarts
• Large rock formations
• Multiple piles of rubble

This is the room where the Starmie Doll is hidden—but don’t expect it to be obvious.

Step 5: Locate the Correct Rock Pile

This is where most players get stuck.

The chamber is packed with rocks, but almost all of them are simply decoration and cannot be broken.

Instead, search for:

• A small gray pile of rocks.
• Hidden in a corner beside the minecart tracks.
• The only rubble pile that reacts to Rock Smash.

Break the rocks completely until the pile disappears.

Unlike normal collectibles, the Starmie Doll isn’t visible on top of the rocks. It’s hidden beneath them as buried treasure, so clearing the rubble is only half the job.

Step 6: Collect the Buried Treasure

Once the rock pile has been destroyed, interact with the buried treasure underneath to finally obtain the Starmie Doll.

One mistake many players make is leaving immediately after smashing the rocks. Don’t do that—you still need to interact with the hidden treasure itself before the collectible is added to your inventory.

Need more storage for everything you collect? Our Pokémon Pokopia Storage Upgrade Guide explains how to expand your inventory before you start farming rare materials across Dream Islands.

What Happens After Finding the Starmie Doll?

Congrats—you’ve tracked down one of the trickiest collectibles in Pokémon Pokopia. But don’t head back to town just yet because the Starmie Doll is much more than a decoration.

Once you’ve picked it up:

• Return to Frillish to complete the request.
• Continue Popplio’s construction storyline.
• Unlock the brand-new Starmie Dream Island through the game’s Dream Island system.

This is where the real rewards begin.

Should You Use the Dowsing Machine?

Technically, no—but it’ll save you a ton of time.

Inside the minecart chamber, the Dowsing Machine points you toward hidden buried treasure, making it much easier to identify the correct rock pile among all the decorative rubble scattered around the cave.

During Frillish’s request, the Pokémon also helps guide you toward the hidden treasure. Combining Frillish’s hints with the Dowsing Machine makes finding the Starmie Doll much faster and far less frustrating. Community reports also recommend using the Dowsing Machine if you’re struggling to locate the final treasure spot.

Read next: If you’re planning to customize your settlement even further, our Pokémon Pokopia Washing Machine Guide shows you how to unlock another decorative and functional furniture item for your town.

What Does the Starmie Doll Actually Do?

Like every collectible doll in Pokémon Pokopia, the Starmie Doll serves two important purposes.

Decorate Your Town

First, it’s a furniture item that can be placed around your settlement to customize your island.

While that’s a nice bonus, it’s definitely not why most players hunt for it.

Unlock the Starmie Dream Island

The biggest reward is unlocking the Starmie Dream Island, a brand-new destination themed around Bubbly Basin.

Dream Islands are special locations designed for farming rare materials that are difficult to gather consistently in the main world. They’re also known for hiding special areas where rare and Legendary Pokémon can appear, making them one of the best late-game activities for dedicated players.

Read more: Many of these resources become even more useful once you start rebuilding facilities. Our How to Rebuild the Pokémon Center in Pokémon Pokopia guide covers one of the most important upgrades you’ll unlock as your town continues to grow.

Starmie Dream Island Rewards

If you’re looking to stockpile valuable crafting resources, this Dream Island quickly becomes one of the best farming spots in the DLC.

You’ll be able to collect materials such as:

• Coral
• Sea Grapes
• Grubby Pearls
• Gold
• Iron Ore
• Other Bubbly Basin crafting resources

Many players revisit this Dream Island repeatedly to gather these materials for habitat restoration projects and late-game crafting recipes. Community impressions have also highlighted it as an excellent source of Coral.

Can You Find Phione?

Yes—you absolutely can.

The Starmie Dream Island has a chance to spawn Phione, giving players another exciting reason to keep returning.

There’s one important thing to remember, though.

Phione isn’t guaranteed to appear every time you visit. If your first trip doesn’t include the Mythical Pokémon, simply revisit the Dream Island on another day and keep trying until it eventually shows up.

Interested in finding even more rare Pokémon? Our Peakychu Location Guide walks you through tracking down another elusive creature hidden elsewhere in Pokopia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get the Starmie Doll before Frillish’s quest?

Some players have discovered the hidden location before starting the request, but many report that the treasure cannot actually be collected until Frillish’s quest becomes active. For the smoothest experience, it’s best to wait until the request officially begins.

Do you need Rock Smash?

Yes.

The Starmie Doll is buried beneath a breakable gray rock pile, making Rock Smash completely mandatory for obtaining it.

Is the Dowsing Machine required?

No.

It’s entirely optional, but it makes locating the buried treasure significantly easier.

Can you revisit Frillish’s Cave?

Yes.

Even after finishing the request, Frillish’s Cave remains accessible, so you can always return later if needed.

Is the Starmie Doll DLC exclusive?

Yes.

Since it’s located in Bubbly Basin, you’ll need the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass (Wave 1) to access the area and obtain the collectible.

Read next: If you’re aiming for 100% completion, don’t overlook our Stamp Rally Guide in Pokémon Pokopia, which explains how to earn extra Life Coins while exploring every corner of the world.

Final Starmie Doll Tips

Before wrapping up your adventure, keep these tips in mind:

• Wait until Frillish’s request becomes available before searching for the doll.
• Bring a Pokémon that can use Rock Smash.
• Ignore the decorative rocks in the minecart chamber—they can’t be broken.
• Destroy the small gray rock pile hiding the buried treasure.
• Don’t forget to interact with the treasure after clearing the rubble.
• Use the Dowsing Machine if you’re having trouble locating the correct spot.
• Return to Frillish after collecting the doll to continue the storyline.
• Keep revisiting the unlocked Starmie Dream Island to farm Coral, Sea Grapes, Grubby Pearls, Gold, Iron Ore, and other valuable Bubbly Basin resources while watching for a chance to encounter Phione.

The Starmie Doll may look like a simple collectible at first, but it’s actually one of the most rewarding items in Pokémon Pokopia’s Bubbly Basin expansion. Complete Frillish’s request, unlock the exclusive Dream Island, gather rare crafting materials, and keep exploring—you never know when your next visit might finally reward you with a Phione encounter.

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Image Credit: The Pokémon Company / Nintendo / YouTube (PerfectParadox)