How to Evolve Applin Into Hydrapple
How to evolve Applin into Hydrapple takes two evolution stages rather than one item use. Applin must first become Dipplin with a Syrupy Apple, then Dipplin must learn Dragon Cheer and gain a level. Both steps are tied to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC content.
That makes Hydrapple different from Applin’s other branches into Flapple and Appletun. A Tart Apple or Sweet Apple takes Applin down a different final path. This guide explains how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple and how to avoid using the wrong apple before you start.
How to Evolve Applin Into Hydrapple

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The full route for how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple is Applin to Dipplin to Hydrapple. Use a Syrupy Apple on Applin to create Dipplin. Then teach Dipplin the move Dragon Cheer and level it up once while it still knows that move. The second level-up is what triggers Hydrapple.
You cannot evolve a normal Applin straight into Hydrapple with Dragon Cheer. Dipplin is the required middle stage. Likewise, a Flapple or Appletun cannot be redirected into Hydrapple later, so choose the Syrupy Apple branch from the start.
Use a Syrupy Apple to Get Dipplin
Syrupy Apples are associated with Kitakami in The Teal Mask. Once you have one, use it on Applin from the Bag. The evolution happens immediately and creates Dipplin. There is no minimum level requirement for this first step.
Do not confuse the Syrupy Apple with Applin’s older evolution items. A Tart Apple evolves Applin into Flapple, while a Sweet Apple evolves it into Appletun. If your goal is how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple, only the Syrupy Apple puts you on the correct branch.
Teach Dipplin Dragon Cheer
The second stage takes place in The Indigo Disk. Dipplin needs to know Dragon Cheer, a Dragon-type support move available as a TM. The story route awards the Dragon Cheer TM after defeating Drayton of the BB League Elite Four, and additional copies can be crafted once the recipe is available.
Teach Dragon Cheer to the Dipplin you want to evolve and leave the move on its current move list. It does not need to use Dragon Cheer in battle. Knowing the move at the moment of the next level-up is the evolution condition.
Level Dipplin Up Once
After Dragon Cheer is learned, make Dipplin gain a level through battle, Exp. Candy, or another normal method. Hydrapple should evolve immediately after that level gain. If you want to make the trigger obvious, save an Exp. Candy and use it after checking that Dragon Cheer is still on Dipplin’s current move list.
This final step is why how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple can look incomplete if you stop after teaching the TM. Dragon Cheer unlocks the condition, but the level-up actually activates it.
You Need Both Parts of the Scarlet and Violet DLC
Hydrapple’s route spans the two Scarlet and Violet expansion areas. The Syrupy Apple that creates Dipplin is associated with The Teal Mask and Kitakami, while Dragon Cheer is obtained through progress in The Indigo Disk. If one part of the chain seems unavailable, check which expansion content you have reached. That DLC split is an important part of how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple on a fresh save.
Why Dipplin Is Not Evolving Into Hydrapple
Open Dipplin’s summary and verify Dragon Cheer is currently one of its moves. If you taught the TM and later replaced the move, the evolution requirement is no longer satisfied. Relearn Dragon Cheer and level Dipplin again.
Also confirm that the Pokémon is Dipplin rather than Flapple or Appletun. The Hydrapple branch cannot be reached from those other Applin evolutions. When troubleshooting how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple, the correct middle form and the correct move are the two checks that matter.
Applin’s Other Evolution Paths
Applin is unusual because different apples lead to different species. Sweet Apple gives Appletun, Tart Apple gives Flapple, and Syrupy Apple gives Dipplin. Only Dipplin continues into Hydrapple, which makes the item choice more important than with a simple form change.
If you are building Hydrapple for battle after the evolution, the usual training systems still apply. Our guides to STAB, Natures, and IVs cover the basics. For how to evolve Applin into Hydrapple itself, remember the order: Syrupy Apple, Dragon Cheer, then level Dipplin.
