Pikmin 4 introduces Oatchi, a very good Rescue Pup who will help players throughout the game in every way he can. While Oatchi works well enough on his own to help the players fight, defend, and traverse the land with their Pikmin in tow, he can also learn and upgrade new skills that will allow him to grow stronger.
Some upgrades can even allow players far more freedom in how they want to play the game, with certain options giving Oatchi the opportunity to take control of things like plucking new Pikmin or collecting lost Pikmin from around the map. For an explanation of how to unlock Oatchi's ability upgrades and which options are best throughout Pikmin 4, read on.
How To Unlock Oatchi's Ability Upgrades
To be able to access Oatchi's skill upgrades, players will first have to rescue one of the lost Rescue Officers lost on the planet. The Rescue Officer to look for is Russ, who can be found in the first cave players explore by themselves.
Thankfully, Russ is one of the earliest castaways players will find, so being able to access ability upgrades isn't time-gated behind too much gameplay. Similarly, players will know that Oatchi can learn ability upgrades once he grows bigger and becomes ridable by the player and their Pikmin.
Best Ability Upgrades To Get
After finding Russ and unlocking his Lab, players will have to save up enough currency to unlock the ability upgrades they want. Luckily, every ability can eventually be upgraded, so there's no worry about having to hoard Pup Drive until players know what's best to unlock. That being said, it can still be hard knowing what to prioritize first.
Buff and Super Buff
Since Buff focuses on Oatchi's ability to push boxes and carry treasure, it's useful regardless of whether players are in the early game or the late game of Pikmin 4. It allows Oatchi a lot more leniency in how much he can carry. Since Pikmin 4 is all about multitasking, being able to use Oatchi to carry something back to the ship while the rest of the Pikmin focus on other things can be a huge help.
Additionally, putting enough time and effort into Buff and Super Buff will allow players to unlock the Blue Onion earlier, which will grant access to Blue Pikmin and make previously cut-off areas easier to reach. On top of this, maxing the Super Buff skill will also allow access to Swallow in the post-game, opening up players to another useful ability upgrade.
Doggy-Paddle
Even if players already have access to Blue Pikmin, having Doggy-Paddle as a backup is a lot of help. After learning Doggy-Paddle, Oatchi will learn to swim, meaning he can make it across the water to areas that may otherwise not be accessible. Oatchi can also carry the player and their Pikmin on his back, meaning teams of Pikmin outside of Blue Pikmin can be carried across the map to help in areas that may need specific Pikmin for puzzles.
What's more, upgrading Doggy-Paddle will allow Oatchi to attack enemies while in the water, effectively transforming him into a giant Blue Pikmin. This will make traversing areas far easier and will keep Pikmin safer than they otherwise would be, taking a lot of stress off the player.
Rush and Mega Rush
Rush will likely be one of the abilities that players will use the most when they first start playing Pikmin 4, as it's very effective in both exploring and attacking enemies and defending Pikmin. It's a good idea to put plenty of time into upgrading the Rush skill, since it makes Oatchi's Rush ability stronger, and he'll be able to defend against enemy attacks better.
Upgrading Rush enough to make it Mega Rush is also a great idea. Mega Rush stuns enemies for longer, giving players more time to come up with a good strategy of attack (or to run if they find themselves in an especially dangerous predicament). Plus, if the player upgrades Mega Rush enough, it will turn into the Legendary Skill, Infinite Rush. Infinite Rush allows Oatchi to Rush without needing to pause, allowing him to zoom around the map for as long as he wants.
Command
Command is a decent skill that allows Oatchi to find even more things by tracking a scent, with the ability to find more items increasing the more Command is upgraded.
Another huge benefit is that Command allows Oatchi to track down any Pikmin that players might have forgotten throughout their day. After finding them, Oatchi will round them up and take them back to the Onion. This is super helpful for players who easily lose track of their Pikmin or who don't want to leave anyone behind at the end of the day, especially with how spooky nighttime in Pikmin 4 can be.
Swallow
Though players must complete the main story to unlock Swallow, it's worth it for how useful it is. Swallow allows Oatchi to carry defeated enemies or objects in his mouth that would usually take 100 Pikmin to carry, meaning that players can let Oatchi take over the often tedious task of carrying things back to the ship while they focus on exploring or fighting with their full Pikmin party.
In a way, it's a little like Buff and Super Buff, but focused entirely on carrying treasure instead. This skill is an especially good option for completionists or late-game players, since it will especially be helpful in later parts of the game.
Pluck
While Pluck isn't necessarily the most useful ability to have, it can be a massive help for players who struggle with multitasking or who plan to do a lot during the day, and is a good match with Command. Pluck will allow Oatchi to pluck Pikmin out of the ground after the Onion spits them out, meaning that players won't have to waste time gathering them or waiting for them to sprout.
Again, since the act of plucking Pikmin is automated, it isn't that much of a timesaver, but for players who need a lot of a certain type of Pikmin fast or who need to build up their party quickly, it can be a good option.