How to Find and Evolve Mudkip in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Solving Its Puzzle

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Swampert has now been added to the Hyperspace Pokedex in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, included in the Mega Dimension DLC. The only way to get this Water and Ground type from Hoenn is by finding a Mudkip in a special location and evolving it. To add Hoenn’s favorite starter to your team, you’ll need to use the new mechanics introduced in this expansion.

If you want to collect all three Hoenn starters, like the Grass type Treecko, you’ll follow a similar method—evolving your starter during the DLC story. This guide explains when and where to find Mudkip, how to evolve it into a Marshtomp, and how to Mega Evolve using the Swampertite Mega Stone.

### How To Get Mudkip

The only way to obtain Marshtomp is by progressing through the Mega Dimension DLC until you find a wild Mudkip in two-star Water-type Hyperspace Wild Zones. These zones start appearing on the Lumiose City map after completing ‘Hyperspace Mission 08: Hyperspace Lumiose Survey No.4’. This should take roughly five to seven hours, depending on your story pace.

Once unlocked, these higher-level Hyperspace Wild Zones will randomly spawn in the rotation of Hyperspace Dimension areas, available daily both day and night.

### Spawning The Right Wild Zone

Because the appearance of Mudkip in wild zones is random, you won’t always see it spawn. To increase your chances, you need to keep re-rolling spawns by visiting a bench, choosing “Kill some time here,” and cycling between day and night until Mudkip appears.

In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the best fast travel spot for quick re-rolls is the Nouveau Cafe in Grisham, located near Prism Tower, where benches are close by in the grassy area. When searching, look for Mudkip’s distinctive silhouette—its large, narrow dorsal fin and one of its three-pronged gills protruding from the side. It tends to spawn with other Water Pokémon such as Panpour and Carvanha.

Mudkip and other Hoenn starters generally appear in medium-sized Hyperspace Wild Zones, so using Hoopla to eat a strong enough donut can give you a survey timer of several minutes. This allows enough time to explore and find Mudkip without pressure.

### Catching Mudkip

Once in the zone, explore until you see groups of Mudkip, which will be around levels 111 to 113. They are relatively weak and can be caught easily by defeating them with super-effective moves like Electric types (Thunderbolt) and then throwing Poke Balls. The catch rate is still low, so it may take multiple attempts, but most players have been able to catch several Mudkip in one run.

Each reset of the bench to reroll spawns takes only about 15 seconds, making it quick to try multiple times. Check your map afterward to see if Mudkip has spawned nearby. It took about six tries for some players, but luck varies.

### Evolving Mudkip into Swampert

After catching Mudkip, you’ll find it’s usually between levels 16 and 18, meaning it’s already close to evolving into Marshtomp at level 17. To evolve, simply level it up to level 36 for the final evolution. Feeding it Exp Candies—about four units of ‘Exp. Candy L’—from starting at level 18 can quickly bring it to level 36, unlocking Swampert’s evolution.

### Getting the Swampertite Mega Stone

To Mega Evolve Swampert, you need the Swampertite Mega Stone, which is only obtainable as a reward during Season 6 of Ranked Battles in the Z-A Battle Club, starting from January 8, 2026. Each season of ranked battles lasts about 21 days and offers a different exclusive Mega Stone for specific Pokémon—Chesnaughtite, Baxcalibrite, and others are available in previous seasons.

Since Season Three was the first to introduce Mega Stones in this context, and Season Six will be the next, you’ll need to participate in Ranked Battles during that timeframe to earn the Mega Stone. Note that access to Ranked Battles requires a Nintendo Switch Online Membership.

### Final Steps

To evolve your Mudkip into Swampert, select Marshtomp from your Pokémon list and choose the ‘Evolve’ option once it’s level 36. Then, use the Swampertite Mega Stone in battle to Mega Evolve your Swampert, completing your Hoenn starter collection in the DLC.

In summary, acquiring Mudkip requires patience and some luck with spawn re-rolls, but the process is manageable with quick resets at strategic locations like the Nouveau Cafe. Evolving Mudkip into Swampert is straightforward, and Mega Evolving it hinges on future Battle Club rewards.