Pokemon GO: Best attacks for Empoleon

Since Piplup will see an uptick in appearances not only for the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl event, but also Pokemon GO's upcoming Ed Sheeran crossover, it's worth taking a look at the Water-type starter Empoleon.

Possessing solid capability in both PvE and most PvP environments, Empoleon's abilities will only be further boosted if Pokemon GO trainers supply it with the right moves. However, picking the right move is the tricky part, as Empoleon's moves will shine in different circumstances. Once players know the top moves for the Emperor Pokemon, they can select a moveset that suits it depending on what role they want to use it in.

---

Pokemon GO: Breaking down Empoleon's top moves

With moves like Waterfall and Hydro Cannon, Empoleon is far from helpless in battle (Image via The Pokemon Company)

With a total of two Fast Moves and five Charge Moves, Empoleon has a slightly larger learnable move pool than most Pokemon in Pokemon GO. With a larger collection of moves, comes a need to understand which of these moves are worth teaching and which are not when it comes to Empoleon. A breakdown of the evolved starter Pokemon's moves can be found below:

Fast Moves

• Metal Claw - Though somewhat inferior to Waterfall for Empoleon, bringing along Metal Claw and a Charge Move like Hydro Pump or Hydro Cannon can provide a little extra type coverage thanks to Metal Claw's Steel typing.
• Waterfall - Empoleon's bread and butter Fast Move in Pokemon GO. Like Metal Claw, it receives a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) due to matching its type with Empoleon's, and paired with Hydro Pump or Hydro Cannon, Waterfall can make Empoleon a solid Water-type attacker.

Charge Moves

• Hydro Pump - It isn't Hydro Cannon, but it still hits hard and receives STAB, making it a great option for Empoleon if Pokemon GO trainers don't have the elite version of this move.
• Blizzard - Although it doesn't receive STAB, Blizzard is still a strong and serviceable Charge Move for Empoleon to utilize while also giving it more utility in type matchups.
• Flash Cannon - Apart from using it to damage Fairy-type Pokemon, Flash Cannon is dwarfed by Hydro Pump/Cannon and Blizzard, even with STAB.
• Drill Peck - Receives no STAB and outside of dealing improved damage against certain Pokemon types (Fighting, Grass, Bug, etc.) it doesn't have much use for Empoleon.

Elite Charge Moves

• Hydro Cannon - Empoleon's best move by far in just about any moveset in Pokemon GO, Hydro Cannon isn't readily available like its other moves but is well worth the effort to obtain. It provides high DPS, receives STAB, and rounds Empoleon out as an efficient Water-type fighter even if it limits the Emperor Pokemon's type utility when paired with another Water-type move.