The Pokémon of this week is Empoleon! Empoleon was released in the 4nd Gen (Sinnoh Region) as the final evolution of the water starter, Piplup. It is number 395 in the National Pokedex and is classified as the Emperor Pokémon. Empoleon’s highest base stats lies in its Special Attack and Special Defense, which allows it to take hits. Being a dual type with both Steel and Water type has bumped this Pokémon up to the OU tier. According to the Pokedex in “X“, it says that Empoleon swims as fast as a Jet boat. The edges of its wings are sharp and can slice apart drifting ice. But in the Pokedex in “Y” it states that the three horns that extend from its beak attest to its power. The leader has the biggest horns.
Empoleon’s appearance is based off of an Emperor Penguin and stands at 5’7”. It weighs an impressive 186.3 lbs. It has a simple color pattern with most of its body being a navy blue color with yellow feet, beak, claws, and spikes on its face that give the appearance of a king’s crown. However, the blue rims that are on each of the flippers and that also surrounds most of the face and neck area make the white tuxedo-like torso stand out.
I’ve never had a chance to run an Empoleon in a battle spot, but I do know a few sets you could run by watching Wifi battles on Youtube. One good set is Choice Specs Empoleon with the ability Torrent and a Modest nature. The move set would be Hydro Pump, Flash Cannon, Grass Knot, Hidden Power (Fire), although you could switch out Hidden Power for Ice Beam if you wanted. E.V spread should be 248 HP/ 252 Special Attack/ 8 Speed. A Choice Specs Hydro Pump is enough to do a lot of damage to many Pokemon that don’t have resistance. Plus, the Hidden Power Fire hits most grass types, so they aren’t much of a problem unless they can hit first. Another set you could run is a Toxic Stall Empoleon. Now, this set has Leftovers for an item, Torrent ability, and a Calm nature. The move set is Scald, Toxic, Protect, Defog. Also, the E.V. Spread is 248 HP/ 8 Defense/ 252 Special Defense. Although you’ll notice that people switch out defog for Stealth rocks, and they’ll also switch out protect for Roar.
When I played “Pokemon Diamond” I started out with Piplup and got an Empoleon once it evolved in the end. It was such a powerhouse with my Luxray and it was amazing. Gliscor and Landorus-T work so well with Empoleon. That’s due to the fact that they level out each others weaknesses. You should try them out sometime.
