Empoleon

Author Update 10/16/2018: This will be changing rapidly, with the advent of moves being available now in the Game Master, as well as the CP re-balance being announced and implemented. 

Pokemon GO Empoleon is a Water and Steel type Pokémon, that evolves from Prinplup and is the final evolution of the Generation 4 Water starter Piplup. Stats show it will have a max CP of 2900, an Attack of 210, a Defense of 186, and a Stamina of 197.

Empoleon’s typing is amazing! As a Water & Steel type, it has weaknesses to

• Fighting, Ground, and Electric

while boasting resistances to several types, including:

• Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel (51%), Water, Psychic, Ice (51%), Dragon, and Fairy.

Finally, it has an immunity tier resistance to Poison types. Take that typical water starter! Take that peasant Blastioise! All hail the penguin king!

Empoleon will be a interestingly typed addition to the meta, and certainly a worthy Water starter, being about on par with Feraligatr and slightly worse than Swampert. Of course it will not be enough to compete with the likes of the Sea Basin Pokémon Kyogre, nor the current king of non-Legendary Water Pokémon, Gyarados, however the eventual expected addition of Hydro Cannon and its Steel typing eliminating Grass weakness is something to consider.

It takes 100 candy to evolve Prinplup into Empoleon.

Empoleon Comparisons

Here, we will have our charts to compare this prideful emperor to other [Steel] and [Water] types both current and future:

Steel Types:

Pokemon	Type	Max CP	Attack	Defense	Stamina	Original Generation
Empoleon	Water Steel	2900	210	186	197	IV
Excadrill	Ground Steel	3134	255	132	220	V
Scizor	Bug Steel	2801	236	191	140	II
Steelix	Steel Ground	2439	148	333	150	II
Kartana	Grass Steel	4362	355	253	118	VII (UB)
Solgaleo	Psychic Steel	4791	280	219	274	VII
Metagross	Steel Psychic	3637	257	247	160	III
Registeel	Steel	2261	143	285	160	III
Magnezone	Electric Steel	2996	238	217	140	IV
Dialga	Steel Dragon	4654	302	242	200	IV
Heatran	Fire Steel	3521	251	213	182	IV
Cobalion	Steel Fighting	3009	192	260	182	V
Normal Genesect	Bug Steel	3056	252	199	142	V

Water Types:

Pokemon	Type	Max CP	Attack	Defense	Stamina	Original Generation
Empoleon	Water Steel	2741	210	193	168	IV
Kyogre	Water	4074	270	251	182	III
Palkia	Water Dragon	4559	308	247	180	IV
Keldeo	Water Fighting	3468	260	192	182	V
Volcanion	Fire Water	3460	252	231	160	VI
Sharpedo	Water Dark	1986	243	83	140	III
Gyarados	Water Flying	3281	237	197	190	I
Vaporeon	Water	3157	205	177	260	I
Manaphy	Water	3090	210	210	200	IV
Primarina	Water Fairy	3095	232	215	160	VII
Cloyster	Water Ice	2475	186	323	100	II
Wailord	Water	2258	175	87	340	III

Empoleon Potential Moves

These are the moves that Empoleon can possibly have, basing it on what moves it learns in the main series. Bold will indicate STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus).

As of 10/16/2018, Empoleon is live and has access to the following moves: Waterfall and Metal Claw for Fast Moves, and Hydro Pump, Blizzard, and Flash Cannon for Charge Moves.

Empoleon in the Meta

As these comparison charts show, the unfortunate part is that everything that Empoleon can do, will be done better by what is either currently available, or will eventually become available in its own generation.

As a Water type, Empoleon will already have to compete with Kyogre and Gyarados, which it simply cannot do. The only benefit it can receive is that it would hopefully get a Community Day and get Hydro Cannon, a fantastic water charge move that can only be learned by Water starters. Not to mention it, unlike Swampert, is at least thankful it has access to the best Water moveset of Waterall and Hydro Pump, making it the premiere water starter as of right now. Hydro Cannon might not have had a significant effect on Blastoise, but seeing as how Empoleon has the highest attack stat of Water type starters up to Generation 4, it might make a significant impact. Although there is one thing to consider, that Kyogre is and for the forseeable future will be the greatest Water type to grace the game. Even Palkia, a Generation 4 Legendary that would surpass Kyogre easily, as of now cannot compete as it, as predicted, was not given a Water fast move as it has no access to any water fast moves currently available.

As for its Steel typing, despite having access to a potential bevy of good Steel type moves, the likes of which the current king of Steel types Metagross can only dream of such as a combo of Steel Wing and Flash Cannon, it simply does not have the stats to back up the good moves. This on top of the fact that Metagross is getting Meteor Mash, which is slated to be a monster of a move that will propel Metagross to being a great generalist and Steel type. Simply put though for the time of Generation IV’s release, A 210 attack stat with better moves does not surpass a 257 attack stat, not to mention the current king is much better in defense, and is only -8 in Stamina. This goes together with two indisputable facts: that Steel typing does not have that much usage in the meta, and that Dialga in Generation 4 will put both Empoleon and Metagross to shame. Empoleon will not be a bad Steel type at all, and since it was given the right moves, it will see some decent usage once Fairy types make their way into raids like Kirlia has. However, there will be better options, especially once Dialga hits the scene.

Weather Influences

Shiny Empoleon

While regular Empoleon has a mostly navy blue body, with a lighter blue to accent on its fins and yellow horns and claws, a shiny empoleon, as seen below, takes on a odd teal for its main body. It then has a icy light blue for its fins and tie, while taking a almost slight green tint to the yellow horns.

Regular Empoleon	Shiny Empoleon

Empoleon Pokédex and Fun Facts

• There is currently no other Pokémon that has a typing like Empoleon: Water Steel.
• Diamond entry: “The three horns that extend from its beak attest to its power. The leader has the biggest horns.”
• Heartgold and Soulsilver Entry: “It avoids unnecessary disputes, but it will decimate anything that threatens its pride.”
• It can swim as fast as a jet boat, and its fins can slice through ice, making it slightly scary when you threaten its pride and it decides to fight.