Piplup

Using Piplup in a Playthrough

The Piplup line develops from a straightforward Water starter into the unusual Water/Steel Empoleon, with Piplup evolving at level 16 and Prinplup at level 36. Empoleon's base 111 Special Attack and 101 Special Defense make it primarily a special attacker and special tank, while Surf or Hydro Pump, Flash Cannon, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, and other coverage allow it to attack effectively without depending on its lower base 86 Attack. Water/Steel gives Empoleon an exceptional resistance profile and a Poison immunity; before Generation VI Steel also resisted Ghost and Dark, while the modern version loses those two resistances but gains a Fairy resistance. Its major drawbacks are base 60 Speed and weaknesses to Electric, Fighting, and Ground, all of which are common enough that Empoleon should not simply rely on its long resistance list to survive every matchup. Torrent remains useful as an emergency power boost, and from Generation IX onward the family's Hidden Ability is Competitive rather than Defiant, allowing opposing stat drops to sharply raise Special Attack; Modest is a natural offensive nature, while Calm is useful when emphasizing Empoleon's special bulk.

Piplup in Competitive Pokémon

Empoleon was firmly DPP OU and filled both offensive and utility roles through its unique Water/Steel typing, strong Special Attack, excellent special bulk, and valuable resistances. Its most famous offensive strategy combined Agility with Substitute, Petaya Berry, and Torrent: repeated Substitutes intentionally pushed Empoleon into low HP, activating both the berry's Special Attack boost and Torrent so that a boosted Surf or Hydro Pump could sweep late-game. Other DPP sets used Stealth Rock, Hydro Pump, Grass Knot, Roar, or Knock Off, and Empoleon's typing gave it unusually strong opportunities to enter against resisted attacks. It became a major UU utility Pokemon in later generations, particularly with tools such as Stealth Rock, Defog, Roar, and strong special coverage, although its lack of reliable recovery historically made it vulnerable to gradual wear. Generation IX improved it substantially by replacing Defiant with Competitive and giving it access to Roost, and Smogon currently lists Empoleon in SV RU, where it can function as a defensive pivot, hazard setter, or offensive special attacker that punishes Intimidate and Defog with a two-stage Special Attack boost.

Piplup in Nuzlockes

Empoleon is one of the safer Sinnoh starters against known neutral or resisted attacks because Water/Steel provides a huge collection of resistances, immunity to poison, and strong 84/88/101 mixed bulk. That safety is matchup-dependent rather than universal: Electric, Ground, and Fighting are all common attacking types, and Empoleon's base 60 Speed means a hidden coverage move will often land before it can respond. Surf and other special attacks fit its base 111 Special Attack well and usually let it avoid recoil, making ordinary offensive play more conservative than strategies built around physical contact or self-damage. Competitive strategies that deliberately reduce Empoleon to low HP for Torrent, Petaya Berry, or Substitute are much less attractive in a Nuzlocke because a critical hit or priority move can erase the planned safety margin. In Generation IX, Competitive can provide free offensive boosts without sacrificing health, while Roost materially improves long-term survivability where available; for permadeath runs, a Calm nature can also be useful when the line is intended primarily to absorb special attacks.

Piplup is insulated by thick down that allows it to live along cold seashores, and it is a much better swimmer than walker. It can dive for more than ten minutes while hunting underwater, but on land it frequently trips and then immediately puffs out its chest as though nothing happened. Pride strongly shapes its social behavior: Piplup dislikes accepting food or unnecessary help from humans and can be difficult to bond with because it resists being cared for. The combination of awkward terrestrial movement, excellent diving ability, and stubborn independence makes its penguin-like biology closely tied to a very specific temperament rather than merely appearance.