Best Oatchi Upgrades in Pikmin 4 — Pup Drive Priority

Oatchi is the Rescue Pup who carries treasures, opens shortcuts, and fights beside your squad. His Training menu lists skills that cost Pup Drive, a point pool tied to rescues—not Sparklium. This guide separates verified game facts (skill names, costs, unlock rules from Oatchi on Pikipedia, checked 2026-11-03) from our pick suggestions for where to spend points on a first save. For night routes that lean on solo Oatchi control, pair this with the night expedition guide.

How does Oatchi training work?

Training unlocks after Russ is rescued and Oatchi finishes growing up. As the rookie Rescue Officer, talk to Shepherd at the Rescue Command Post to open Training.

The game calls Oatchi’s dash Rush (hold and release to charge). There is no separate skill named “Dash.” Rescue Corps refers to the organization, not a skill tree.

Which Oatchi skills exist and what do they cost?

Every leveled track below is taught by Shepherd unless noted. Costs are per level (Oatchi).

Story-taught skills (0 Pup Drive from Shepherd):

• Jump — Unlocks automatically the day after Russ is rescued (Oatchi).
• Doggy-Paddle Lv1 — Unlocks two days after Oatchi first enters water, once he is full size (Oatchi).
• Swallow — Olimar teaches this after you rescue him, if Super Buff is already level 3 (Oatchi).

What are the best Oatchi upgrades to get first?

Our pick — not official advice. Nintendo does not rank skills; this order keeps exploration gates opening while Pup Drive trickles in from rescues.

Early game (Sun-Speckled Terrace through Blossoming Arcadia)

1. Buff level 2, then 3 — Heavier treasures and fewer Pikmin tied up on carries (our pick).
2. Dig level 2 — Cave entrances and buried loot dig faster; strong return before Super Buff exists (our pick).
3. Command level 2 — Go Here and Go to Base save time when split between Oatchi and the rookie (our pick).
4. Rush level 2 — Break pots, knock down ledge loot, and zip through early combat (our pick).

Keep Chomp at level 1 unless a boss wall appears; damage upgrades are expensive (2 Pup Drive per level) and Pikmin still do most killing.

Mid game (Serene Shores and Hero’s Hideaway)

5. Doggy-Paddle level 2–3 — Level 1 is free, but paid levels remove the swim speed penalty and unlock diving at level 3 (Oatchi). Prioritize before large underwater caves (our pick).
6. Command level 3 — Gather Pikmin helps when scents split your squad (our pick).
7. Rush level 3, then start Mega Rush — Mega Rush levels cost 4 Pup Drive each; stagger them between other buys (our pick).

Late game and 100% cleanup

8. Super Buff — Requires Buff Lv3; needed before Olimar offers Swallow (Oatchi). Train toward Lv3 before postgame mop-up (our pick).
9. Big Chomp — Helps aerial bosses and Dandori stages with ledges; nice for platinum retries, not mandatory early (our pick).
10. Heal and Pluck — Quality-of-life; skip until mandatory tracks are done unless you solo-carry often (our pick).
11. Infinite Rush — Buy last after the side mission confirms all other skills learned (Mission (Pikmin 4)).

If you are routing Pikmin types instead of Oatchi, see all Pikmin types and unlocks. For the full completion checklist that includes all 30 skill levels, see 100 percent checklist.

What should you not waste Pup Drive on?

Facts plus judgment:

• Do not hoard Drive for Infinite Rush while ignoring Buff—you earn Drive from rescues you cannot reach without stronger carries (our pick).
• Super Buff cannot be taught until Buff hits level 3; buying extra Chomp levels first delays Swallow (fact from Oatchi).
• Engage mode in the Piklopedia does not train Oatchi; only Shepherd’s menu spends Drive (fact from Gameplay Guide).
• Training happens at the Command Post; autosave triggers after sessions (Gameplay Guide), so spend points before long cave days if you like clean Rewind windows (our pick).

Switch 2 Edition voice commands (separate feature)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (2026-11-12) adds spoken orders for Oatchi in that hardware version. That feature is not part of the Pup Drive skill tree on original Switch saves. We keep a dedicated list at Oatchi voice commands and will not duplicate unreleased command text here.

Sources

• Pikipedia — Oatchi (accessed 2026-11-03)
• Pikipedia — Castaway (accessed 2026-11-03)
• Pikipedia — Mission (Pikmin 4) (accessed 2026-11-03)
• Pikipedia — Gameplay Guide (accessed 2026-11-03)
• Nintendo — Pikmin 4 product page (accessed 2026-11-03)

What we’ll update

• After 2026-11-12, we will verify whether Switch 2 Edition changes Training costs or adds skills beyond the nine voice commands announced for that version (Nintendo store listing; see Switch 2 Edition upgrade).
• If a future patch adjusts Pup Drive payouts or skill levels, we will reconcile tables against Oatchi and the Train a Rescue Pup mission text.