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Moves Scald is a reliable STAB attack and has a solid chance to burn foes. Empoleon is a good user of Stealth Rock, as it is able to pressure common entry hazard removers such as Gligar and Rotom-Heat. If a Stealth Rock setter is not needed then Empoleon can use Defog to remove opposing entry hazards. Toxic stops Latias and Water-immune Pokemon such as Jellicent and Volcanion from taking advantage of Empoleon. Protect lets Empoleon mitigate its lack of reliable recovery by stalling for Leftovers healing. It also has the benefit of providing free turns to rack up Toxic damage. Knock Off can be used instead of Toxic or Roar, as it cripples Pokemon like Primarina and Hydreigon by removing their items and letting Empoleon take their hits more easily. It also eases the matchup versus opposing Empoleon and other bulky Water-types like Tentacruel by removing their passive recovery. Roar allows Empoleon to phaze setup sweepers such as Suicune, Nasty Plot Togekiss, and Calm Mind Latias. Set Details The given Defense investment ensures that Empoleon is never OHKOed by Cobalion's Close Combat or Krookodile's Earthquake, while the rest of the EVs and a Calm nature maximize Empoleon's special bulk, allowing it to switch into the likes of Moltres and Primarina more easily. Leftovers provides Empoleon with a form of passive recovery, improving its longevity throughout the course of the battle. Torrent is Empoleon's most useful ability, as it powers up Scald when Empoleon's HP is low. Usage Tips Empoleon should be used as a switch-in to threats like Latias, Primarina, and Mega Slowbro. However, it must be wary of Electrium Z Latias. It should take advantage of its ability to force out these threats by clearing entry hazards from the field or setting them up. Toxic and Knock Off should be used to cripple Pokemon like Primarina or predicted Water-immune switch-ins like Jellicent and Volcanion. Scald can be used very carelessly throughout the match, as it has a high chance to burn, which wears down foes and cripples physical attackers that try to switch in. However, against foes such as Latias it should be wary, as it needs Toxic to beat the likes of Calm Mind Latias, which can otherwise use Empoleon as setup fodder if it is lacking Roar. Avoid switching Empoleon in on a potential Scald burn or Knock Off because it will be more easily worn down without its Leftovers recovery. Protect can be used to scout Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon and Krookodile, letting you decide whether to keep Empoleon in to use Toxic or Scald, or switch to something that takes the incoming hit better. Roar should be used to prevent Pokemon like Latias and Suicune from setting up, but keep in mind that they can use Empoleon as setup fodder if they're the last Pokemon on the opposing team. Team Options Empoleon should be used primarily on bulkier teams that appreciate its ability to pivot into a number of threats. Wish support from Pokemon like Sylveon, Florges, and Alomomola helps Empoleon by increasing its longevity. Sylveon and Florges can also provide Empoleon with Heal Bell support to cure it of a potential burn, which heavily cuts down on its longevity. Pokemon that are weak to entry hazards, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Rotom-Heat, appreciate having Empoleon to reliably clear hazards. Additionally, Mega Aerodactyl can serve as a check to the Grass-, Electric-, and Fighting-types that threaten Empoleon such as Celebi, Mega Manectric, and Infernape. Checks to strong threats like Celebi and Latias are appreciated, as Empoleon can struggle to deal with Grassium Z and Electrium Z sets respectively, so Pokemon like Mega Altaria, Assault Vest Mienshao, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon make great partners. Hydreigon also appreciates Empoleon being able to check and cripple one of its best defensive answers in Primarina. If Empoleon is not the dedicated entry hazard remover, partners such as Mew, Gligar, and Mega Altaria are greatly appreciated to remove them in order to improve Empoleon's longevity. Pokemon that can sponge attacks from Fighting-types and force them out, such as Latias, Doublade, and Hippowdon, make for good partners for Empoleon. Latias is a particularly good teammate, since it can check Terrakion, Cobalion, and Infernape. Ground-types such as Krookodile, Nidoqueen, and the aforementioned Hippowdon are able to check Electric-types that Empoleon struggles with such as Mega Manectric and Zeraora. Empoleon appreciates having backup offensive checks to Pokemon like Latias and Togekiss, so Pokemon like the aforementioned Choice Scarf Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl make for good partners.

Moves Scald has a 30% chance to burn the foe, making physical attackers hesitant to switch in. Roar phazes out setup sweepers such as Manaphy and Clefable that would otherwise set up on Empoleon despite the type disadvantage. Toxic helps in actually defeating Pokemon such as Latios that Empoleon walls but cannot deal a lot of damage against with Scald. Defog removes all entry hazards from the field, which is useful for teammates such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir that are weak to them. Stealth Rock can be used over either Toxic or Defog depending on what your team needs. Protect grants Empoleon additional Leftovers recovery, racks up poison and burn damage, and can scout moves from Choice-locked Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Keldeo. Knock Off cripples common switch-ins such as Chansey and Ferrothorn, and gives Empoleon a way to deal a lot of damage against some of the Pokemon it walls, such as Latios and Starmie. Yawn can force switches because the opponent does not want their Pokemon asleep, makes Empoleon not a sitting duck against Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and last-Pokemon Clefable's, and grants setup opportunities for teammates. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes Empoleon's special bulk so it can effectively wall a lot of threatening Pokemon in OU, such as Latios, Latias, Sylveon, and Mega Altaria. An alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 SpD with a Bold nature can be used, as it enables Empoleon to live an Earthquake from Landorus-T and a Thunderbolt from Mega Manectric and hit them back with a Torrent-boosted Scald. Torrent is used as Defiant is completely useless, because Empoleon uses no physical attacks, and it can power up Empoleon's Scald in a pinch. Leftovers grants Empoleon passive recovery so it is harder to wear down. Chople Berry is an option as it helps Empoleon against Pokemon such as Mega Gardevoir, Terrakion, Keldeo, and Gengar by reducing the amount of damage taken from a Fighting-type attack for a turn. Usage Tips Switch Empoleon in against Dragon-, Fairy-, and Water-type Pokemon such as Latios, Sylveon, and Manaphy, and set up Stealth Rock or use Defog against them. Empoleon works best as a defensive pivot, switching into common Pokemon such as non-Superpower Azumarill, Heatran, and Clefable, and forcing them out. Empoleon also does great against rain teams as it can check non-Low Kick Kabutops, Omastar, and Kingdra. It is important to avoid Knock Off and burns, because Empoleon has no reliable recovery and is thus not very hard to wear down. It is also favorable to not let the opponent stack too much layers of Spikes, as Empoleon is already worn down easily. Just clicking Scald is almost never a bad idea, as the 30% chance to burn is very useful in wearing the opponent down and crippling physical attackers that might try to switch in. Team Options Clerics, especially Clefable as it has the best type synergy with Empoleon, are great teammates because they can keep Empoleon healthy with Wish and Heal Bell. Pokemon such as Talonflame and Victini appreciate Empoleon's ability to remove Stealth Rock and other entry hazards. Fire- and Grass-types such as Talonflame and Amoonguss can form a Fire / Water / Grass core together with Empoleon that covers each other's weaknesses very well. Similarly, Dragon- and Fairy-types such as Garchomp and Clefable can form a Dragon / Fairy / Steel core together with Empoleon that also covers each other's weaknesses very well. Empoleon also forms a good core with with Tangrowth and Zapdos as they have great type synergy.

Although this set appears to be outclassed by an Empoleon that uses Petaya Berry and Substitute, it makes up for the lack of power with an extra coverage move and less reliance on Pinch Berries. Agility doubles Empoleon's Speed letting it outspeed all of the unboosted metagame and slower Choice Scarf holders. Hydro Pump is Empoleon's main STAB move and is used over Surf as Empoleon needs the extra power when trying to sweep. As Empoleon forgoes Substitute for an extra coverage move, it is no longer walled by certain types and has perfect neutral coverage on the whole tier. Ice Beam chills the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Hydro Pump, and also serves as another way to take out Flygon. Grass Knot trips up Water-types such as Suicune and Slowbro while also reliably OHKOing Rhyperior. Agility Life Orb Empoleon is an extremely capable sweeper and can be used over the Substitute Petaya Berry set if you do not want to eliminate only either Grass- or Water-types. It also has the benefit of not requiring Empoleon to be below 25% of its HP to sweep. The Speed EVs allow Empoleon to outspeed common Choice Scarf users such as Adamant Darmanitan after an Agility, while the Special Attack EVs and Modest nature give Empoleon much needed power. However, a Timid nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Choice Scarf Flygon and Jolly Choice Scarf Heracross. A Life Orb is necessary on this set because Empoleon cannot boost its Special Attack, and the recoil can also help lower Empoleon into Torrent range, letting it fire off insanely powerful Hydro Pumps. As Empoleon struggles to OHKO bulkier Pokemon, entry hazard support is much appreciated. Roserade and Qwilfish can set up Spikes, while Rhyperior and Gligar can set up Stealth Rock. Pokemon such as Snorlax and Umbreon can easily stop Empoleon from sweeping, so a Pokemon such as Heracross is a good teammate. Not only is Heracross a good offensive partner, it also has decent defensive synergy with Empoleon, being able to take Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Lastly, a Pokemon such as Tangrowth that can take Mach Punch and attacks from faster Choice Scarf holders such as Flygon is a good teammate for Empoleon.

With the Petaya Berry finally released in BW2, Empoleon can once again use its signature sweeping set from the fourth generation. Although Empoleon might appear to be outclassed by a whole host of UU attackers in terms of sweeping, the combination of Agility, Substitute, and Petaya Berry quickly turns Empoleon into a terrifying foe to face. Agility lets it double its lackluster Speed in one turn, meaning only priority attackers and the fastest Choice Scarf users will be able to move before Empoleon. After boosting its Speed, Empoleon can then proceed to safely use Substitute. After doing this a few times, Empoleon will be able to lower itself below 25% health and activate Petaya Berry to boost its Special Attack. Coincidentally, Empoleon's health will also be hovering in Torrent range, which further boosts its damage output. After all this has been accomplished, Empoleon will be ready to sweep. Surf is Empoleon's staple attack; after being boosted by STAB, Petaya Berry and Torrent, only dedicated special walls and resists will be able to avoid the OHKO. However, Hydro Pump can be used for its superior damage output at the cost of accuracy. With Hydro Pump, Empoleon can now OHKO Togekiss, specially defensive Zapdos, and specially defensive Escavalier after Stealth Rock while having a chance to OHKO Porygon2 and Cresselia after Stealth Rock! The remaining slot goes to a coverage move to use against Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks. Ice Beam covers Grass-types such as Shaymin and Roserade while Grass Knot takes care of Water-types such as Suicune and Swampert. With maximum Speed EVs, Empoleon will be able to outrun Adamant Choice Scarf Darmanitan and anything slower. The Special Attack is also maximized along with a Modest nature to dramatically increase Empoleon's damage output. However, a Timid nature can be used if Jolly Choice Scarf Heracross is a problem for your team. 30 HP IVs ensure that after using Substitute 3 times from full health, the Petaya Berry will activate. Unfortunately, Empoleon only has room for one coverage move, meaning that it will be walled by certain Pokemon no matter what. If Ice Beam is chosen, then bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Slowking will stop its sweep cold. Shaymin is thus an excellent partner for Empoleon because it threatens Water-types with a powerful Seed Flare. If Empoleon is running Grass Knot, then Victini and Togekiss are excellent teammates due to their ability to take down Grass-types such as Roserade with their STAB attacks. Priority such as Hitmontop's Mach Punch and fast Choice Scarf users such as Flygon will be able to easily finish Empoleon off after it lowers itself into Petaya Berry range. Tangrowth is therefore good teammate, as it easily walls Choice Scarf Flygon and can take priority moves. In return, Empoleon can set up on Ice- and Bug-type attacks directed at Tangrowth.

With Choice Specs, Empoleon eschews the opportunity to sweep for sheer wall breaking power. With its perfect neutral coverage, Empoleon can annihilate common switch-ins. Hydro Pump is Empoleon's STAB attack and hits extremely hard with Choice Specs and a potential Torrent boost; with Torrent activated, Empoleon's Hydro Pump OHKOes Pokemon such as specially defensive Zapdos and Escavalier, and can even 2HKO defensive Roserade after Stealth Rock! Ice Beam pins down common Roserade and Shaymin switch ins, 2HKOing both. It also deals with Flygon, while being a more accurate option against the likes of Rhyperior and Gligar. Grass Knot deals with the many Water-types in the tier, comfortably 2HKOing Slowbro, Suicune, and Kingdra. As Empoleon has perfect coverage in just three moves, the last slot is used for a more reliable STAB move. Scald is useful for its 30% burn chance while Surf has slightly more power. Both have perfect accuracy and should be used when Empoleon can't afford a miss from Hydro Pump. Other offensive Empoleon sets aim to sweep through the opposition late game, but Choice Specs Empoleon seeks to punch holes in the opponents team and clear a path for late-game sweepers such as Raikou and Kingdra. The EV spread is the regular offensive spread; Speed is maximized so that Empoleon can outrun minimum Speed Roserade; Special Attack is also maximized so Empoleon hits as hard as possible. A Modest nature is the best option as it gives Empoleon superior wall breaking power. The Speed boost from Timid is largely irrelevant as Empoleon can already outspeed most walls. However, an alternative EV spread of 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe lets Empoleon outspeed minimum Speed Umbreon while giving it greater bulk. For example, Empoleon can now take a Choice Scarf Victini's V-Create and retaliate with a Torrent boosted Hydro Pump. Flash Cannon is an alternative STAB move that Empoleon can use to hit Pokemon such as Cryogonal and Weavile hard. However, it has largely redundant coverage and should only be considered if you are afraid of Hydro Pump consistently missing. Sleep Talk is also a move that Empoleon can run to act as a sleep absorber, countering Pokemon such as Roserade. As Empoleon can weaken most special walls, Pokemon such as Raikou and Yanmega appreciate Empoleon's presence and can easily sweep once Pokemon such as Snorlax and Zapdos have been significantly weakened. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gligar and Zapdos are good teammates as they can sponge the Fighting- and Ground-type attacks directed at Empoleon.

A specially defensive set makes the most out of Empoleon's unique defensive typing which lets it wall dangerous threats such as Shaymin, Tornadus, and Kingdra. Stealth Rock is a metagame staple that Empoleon can find multiple opportunities to use thanks to the number of switches it forces. Scald is Empoleon's STAB move that scares out Fire-, Rock-, and Ground-types. Even when uninvested, it hits hard coming off a base 111 Special Attack stat. It also has a great 30% chance to burn the target, which makes physical attackers think twice before switching into Empoleon. Ice Beam allows Empoleon to severely dent common switch-ins such as Shaymin, Roserade, and Zapdos. Although it isn't likely to OHKO any of them, it will bring them down low enough so that another teammate can finish the job. Lastly, Roar is used to shuffle the opponents team and to remove greedy stat boosters such as Raikou hoping to set up on Empoleon, while also racking up entry hazard damage on your opponents team. However, Toxic can be used instead to let Empoleon beat opposing walls and win stall wars. Due to Empoleon's Steel typing, the opponent will not be able to poison Empoleon in return. Maximum investment in Special Defense and HP along with a Calm nature maximizes Empoleon's specially defensive capabilities, letting it take onslaughts from Shaymin and Zoroark. However, the EV spread can be tweaked to boost Empoleon's Defense at the cost of some special bulk. 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 SpD lets Empoleon take Technician Hitmontop's Close Combat and reply with a devastating Scald, which hits hard after the Special Defense drop from Close Combat and has a high chance to burn. Leftovers should be the only item considered as Empoleon would otherwise have no means of recovering its health. Instead of Ice Beam, Empoleon can use Grass Knot to obtain a stronger hit on bulky Water-types such as Slowbro at the cost of being unable to damage Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin. Lastly, Empoleon can replace Roar with the phazing move Yawn which forces switches by threatening your opponent with sleep. However, it is useless against Substitute users and cannot be used if Sleep clause is already activated. Yawn should only be considered if your team has no other sleep inducing moves. As Empoleon covers most special attackers, a sturdy physical wall such as Gligar is a good teammate. Not only does Gligar aptly wall most physical threats in UU, it also has perfect type synergy with Empoleon, resisting Fighting- and Ground-type attacks while being immune to Electric-type attacks. In return, Empoleon can take Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Gligar. Zapdos also has excellent type synergy with Empoleon and can be EVed towards Defense. Grass-types in general cover many of Empoleon's weaknesses and can threaten Pokemon that Empoleon is afraid of. Shaymin, Roserade, and Tangrowth resist two of Empoleon's weaknesses while scaring out Pokemon such as Swampert. Some special attackers such as Raikou and Zapdos can beat Empoleon, so Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Krookodile are good teammates.

This set blends Empoleon's decent defensive typing and high Special Attack stat to make it a formidable Stealth Rock setter, as well as allow it to maintain a great amount of offensive presence. Unlike other Stealth Rock setters, Empoleon is able to keep Stealth Rock on the field due to its ability to defeat every common Rapid Spin and Magic Bounce user. Because of this, this set functions better on offensive teams that don't have room for a spinblocker. Hydro Pump functions as Empoleon's main STAB move, as due to its high Base Power and a Modest nature, it is guaranteed to 2HKO relatively bulky Pokemon such as Cofagrigus and Hitmontop. Ice Beam accomplishes two roles on this set: eliminating Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Empoleon's STAB and defeating Xatu. Grass Knot rounds this set off by hitting bulky Water-types, such as Blastoise and Swampert, for super effective damage. With the given EV spread, Empoleon is able to outspeed everything up to standard Hitmontop while retaining a large amount of offensive presence and bulk. An alternate EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe or 108 HP / 252 SpA / 148 Spe can be used, with the former outspeeding minimum Speed base 85s such as Suicune and Gligar and the latter outspeeding minimum Speed Blastoise, but this would greatly detract from Empoleon's bulk, as Choice Scarf Victini now has a chance to OHKO Empoleon after Stealth Rock. Despite Leftovers being the preferred item on this set, a Chople Berry or a Shuca Berry can be useful in certain situations. For example, if Empoleon is up against a Ground- or Fighting-type, such as Nidoqueen or Life Orb Mienshao, the Shuca Berry or Chople Berry will allow Empoleon to take their respective Ground- and Fighting-type attacks and OHKO back with its STAB Hydro Pump. Surf is an option over Hydro Pump on this set due to its perfect accuracy, but it unfortunately lacks enough power to reliably 2HKO Hitmontop. Empoleon can also function as an anti-lead by using Aqua Jet over Grass Knot, a Focus Sash, and maximum Speed, as the combination of Hydro Pump and Aqua Jet is able to defeat leads such as Azelf, Crustle, and Omastar. Finally, Empoleon can use a Life Orb to boost its power, but it unfortunately counteracts its great natural bulk. Defensively, this set struggles against powerful Fighting-, Electric-, and Ground-types, while offensively, it struggles against bulky Water- and Grass-types. Because of this, Zapdos makes an absolutely wonderful partner for this set, as it can switch into the powerful Fighting- and Ground-type moves that Empoleon fears while also defeating a large amount of Water- and Grass-types with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Flying, respectively. In return, Empoleon covers Zapdos's Ice- and Rock-type weaknesses and can defeat Swampert and Rhyperior, two of Zapdos's greatest counters. Crobat is another great partner for this set, as it can keep Grass- and Fighting-types, such as Virizion and Shaymin, in check with Brave Bird while also bringing Empoleon in safely with U-turn; however Crobat does share an Electric weakness with Empoleon. Roserade resists Empoleon's Electric-type weakness and can use Electric- and Water-types to set up Spikes.

Moves Empoleon is one of the best leads in the DPP OU metagame. Its ability to quickly put pressure against both offensive and defensive teams while being able to set up Stealth Rock makes it a tremendous lead. Hydro Pump is Empoleon's primary STAB move, which deals significant damage to almost everything in the metagame, even some Pokemon that resist it like Breloom and Starmie. Thanks to its high Special Attack, Empoleon is able to 2HKO common leads like Metagross, Machamp, Jirachi, and Azelf or weaken a Pokemon that switches in. Grass Knot is a near-mandatory coverage move for Empoleon, as it enables it to hit Water-type Pokemon such as Starmie super effectively, which means Empoleon will consistently maintain Stealth Rock against the best spinner of OU. Swampert, Suicune, Milotic, Gyarados, and Kingdra are other targets Empoleon much appreciates being able to hit. Empoleon is a fantastic Stealth Rock setter; its favorable matchup against a lot of leads helps it get Stealth Rock up easily most of the time, and its coverage moves paired with its powerful Hydro Pump can be difficult to switch into for both offensive teams and defensive teams. None of the leads like Jirachi, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar want to take a Hydro Pump, so they're usually forced to switch out, leaving themselves subject to the opposing offensive pressure and giving up the chance to set up their own Stealth Rock early. On top of that, thanks to its Focus Sash, Empoleon will always avoid any KO while also getting in Torrent range, even against Clefable's Seismic Toss, which is a 4HKO. Aqua Jet serves as an all-purpose priority STAB move that is used to finish off Focus Sash leads like Azelf and Metagross or just getting overall chip damage that might come in handy later on, such as against Heatran and Gengar. Ice Beam is an additional coverage move mainly used to hit Dragonite, Latias, and Grass-types such as Breloom, Shaymin, and Celebi super effectively, which resist Empoleon's Water / Grass coverage. Lastly, Knock Off is another option that helps cripple potential early-game switch-ins like defensive Jirachi, Clefable, Blissey, Latias, and Grass-types like Celebi and Abomasnow. Set Details 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature enable Empoleon to hit as hard as possible, while the remaining 252 EVs go in Speed so Empoleon can outspeed major threats such as Machamp and Speed tie with fast Swampert. While Modest looks like the best nature, Rash is another option that doesn't compromise Aqua Jet's power, which can help get nice chip damage on Pokemon like Heatran and Gengar. Keep in mind that generally it's not worth minimizing Empoleon's Special Defense, though, since it is likely to take one or two hits from the likes of Latias and Suicune. Timid is not an option because Empoleon wants to deal as much damage as possible to Pokemon like Jirachi and Clefable, which wouldn't be nearly as pressured without a Special Attack-boosting nature. Focus Sash fits Empoleon perfectly, as it allows it to tank any hit from the likes of Zapdos, Rotom-A and Flygon and strike back with a Torrent-boosted Hydro Pump. Usage Tips If you're facing a lead that is very threatening to your whole team like Machamp or Zapdos that can be a pain to deal with for offense, you might want to throw a Hydro Pump immediately to weaken or even KO them. However, know that this implies that you won't be able to set up Stealth Rock. In easier matchups, usually set up Stealth Rock turn 1 and throw out the appropriate attack to weaken the opposing lead. Keep in mind the synergy between Focus Sash and Torrent; once Empoleon activates its Focus Sash, it gets in Torrent range, which means it is able to fire off a powerful Hydro Pump that almost nothing can stand. Against offensive teams, if you manage to keep your Empoleon alive against the opposing lead, try to preserve it as fodder, which may turn out pretty useful to regain momentum. Empoleon's resistances also allow it to come into the field multiple times, and it may find opportunities to throw out attacks or set Stealth Rock back up if needed. Against more defensive teams, Empoleon tends to be chipped down much more slowly, so try to manage its health as much as you can in order to use Torrent to your advantage and put pressure on foes like Clefable and specially defensive Jirachi that should typically check Empoleon. If Empoleon is in Torrent range, try to bring it on the field on a predicted switch or once the enemy is forced to use a recovery move. Team Options Thanks to Empoleon's versatility, it pairs well with many different Pokemon. Teammates that benefit from the early offensive pressure and momentum set up by Empoleon are much appreciated. Dragon Dance sweepers such as Gyarados and Dragonite help in keeping up the offensive pressure, especially if Empoleon has weakened the opponent's Latias or Water-types. Jirachi is very useful to those typical offensive teams, since it can run various sets and support its team at its convenience. It's one of the few Pokemon on offense that keeps in check all of Lucario, Scizor, Starmie, and Tyranitar and also takes on Dragon-types and opposing Jirachi well. Tyranitar is very desirable because it traps both Latias and Rotom-A and supplies defensive utility in keeping up against Pokemon like Zapdos and Starmie, which otherwise would be too much to deal with. Latias provides wonderful support on offense, keeping up against Pokemon like Breloom and Infernape defensively without compromising offensive pressure with its Choice sets. Bronzong not only provides a great defensive backbone thanks to its typing and defensive stats but also can act as late-game cleaner with Trick Room, which goes well with Choice Band Tyranitar. Gengar brings immunities to Fighting and Ground to the table and is able to disrupt both offensive and defensive teams with Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, or even Explosion. Kingdra, Swampert, and Suicune are other great teammates more focused on stacking Water-types and overloading the opposing Water-type checks. Finally, because sometimes Empoleon may not be able to set up its Stealth Rock against very specific leads like Machamp and Zapdos, you may want a second Stealth Rock setter in your team like Jirachi or Tyranitar.

Moves This set allows Empoleon to compensate for its low Speed and become a terrifying sweeper. Hydro Pump is the best STAB option due to its high Base Power; Surf is a possibility if you prefer a 100% accurate move, but it might miss out on damage on key targets like Jirachi, Tyranitar, Rotom, Metagross, and Bronzong. Ice Beam covers Dragon- and Grass-types like Latias, Dragonite, Breloom, Celebi, and Shaymin, while Grass Knot deals with Water-types such as Swampert, Starmie, Suicune, and Milotic. Paired with Empoleon's Water-type STAB attack, this move combination provides unresisted coverage in the metagame. Finally, Substitute can be used over Grass Knot, but it should always be used with Petaya Berry. With this move, the idea is to set up Agility and keep using Substitute until both Petaya Berry and Torrent activate, which makes Empoleon more threatening than ever. However, keep in mind that this option is less reliable and will be less consistent overall, since it gives up Grass-type coverage, and if Empoleon is in Petaya Berry range, this means it's also in range of priority attacks. Hidden Power Electric is another option that should be used only if you're really weak to Gyarados and can't afford to let it set up; it's overall worse than Grass Knot, because Empoleon now can't hit Swampert as hard anymore and becomes weaker against Pokemon like Starmie, Suicune, and Milotic. Set Details 252 EVs in Special Attack maximize Empoleon's damage output, and 252 EVs in Speed make it as fast as possible after one Agility. A Modest nature is the way to go most of the time because of the higher power it gives to Empoleon, ensuring it can 3HKO Pokemon like Clefable and Bronzong and do significantly more damage to bulky Jirachi. That said, Timid is also a pretty decent choice because it allows Empoleon to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-A and Adamant Choice Scarf Flygon after one Agility, which can end up sealing a game. Overall, a Modest nature looks better if you have Tyranitar's Pursuit support, while Timid doesn't necessarily require it. Shuca Berry is incredibly useful because it enables Empoleon to take an Earthquake from the likes of Choice Scarf Flygon, Dragonite, Gyarados, Swampert, Tyranitar, and Metagross. On the other hand, Wacan Berry ensures that Empoleon survives a Thunderbolt from Rotom-A, Zapdos, and Magnezone. Usage Tips Generally, because it rarely sweeps teams on its own, you want to scout and weaken the opposing team a bit if you're aiming for an Empoleon late-game sweep. Weakening Steel-types such as Jirachi, Magnezone, Bronzong, and Metagross and Pokemon like Clefable, Tyranitar, and Latias helps in that regard. Try to keep your Empoleon hidden and healthy for the most part of the game, and wait for the ideal moment to bring it out. The best way to take advantage of Empoleon is to bring it on a Choice-locked Pokemon like Outrage-locked Flygon, Crunch- or Pursuit-locked Tyranitar, or Choice-locked Latias. Since Empoleon has good bulk and good resistances, it can also afford to take a hit from anything, which is even more doable if it has a Berry that halves damage from a super effective move. Due to its low Speed, using Agility once will not make Empoleon faster than Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Rotom-A, Latias, and Jirachi, so sometimes it will have to find opportunities to set up a second Agility to outrun those. Team Options Pokemon that help in making Empoleon's sweep easier are more than valued. Tyranitar is a big one, as it is able to Pursuit trap both Choice Scarf Rotom-A and Choice Scarf Latias, which are thorns in Empoleon's side. Heatran and Gengar are both amazing at pressuring Pokemon like Jirachi, Clefable, and Blissey; the former can use Magma Storm and Taunt or Explosion to get rid of Clefable and Blissey, while the latter can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple specially defensive Jirachi or effectively lure Clefable and Blissey and take them out with Explosion. Gengar also can force Pokemon like Flygon to use Outrage, which opens the gates for Empoleon. Breloom, in the same vein, is excellent at taking advantage of special walls like Clefable and Blissey, especially if paired with Tyranitar, which has great synergy with it. Because Empoleon is usually susceptible to priority moves like Mach Punch from the likes of Breloom and Infernape, Chople Berry + Dragon Dance Tyranitar does a good job luring in and removing those for Empoleon. Pokemon like Kingdra and Suicune help as well in forcing Jirachi and Clefable to take serious damage. Lastly, Choice Specs Latias can drop powerful Draco Meteors on opposing special walls while also threatening to shut down a defensive Pokemon with Trick. In case Empoleon gets weakened early or gets afflicted with status, Healing Wish Latias can be used and bring Empoleon back to full health.

Moves Empoleon is taking a different approach with this set, maximizing its raw power with Choice Specs. Hydro Pump is simply devastating; with Choice Specs, Empoleon has a chance of OHKOing maximum HP Metagross, always takes out Azelf leads, and turns the tables against bulky Jirachi and bulky Bronzong by turning a low chance of a 2HKO into a very guaranteed one. One of the main assets that Choice Specs Empoleon brings compared to regular sets shows against Clefable and specially defensive Jirachi; the former faces a guaranteed 2HKO, while the latter gets heavily damaged, which is huge because it can't come in freely on Hydro Pump anymore. Anything that does not resist Water will get swallowed up by a Choice Specs-boosted Hydro Pump, and even Pokemon that do resist it like Breloom, Starmie, uninvested Suicune, and Latias are still taking a ton of damage. Surf is the second best STAB option, which is less destructive but still very good in terms of power thanks to Choice Specs. It's also safer to spam than Hydro Pump thanks to its perfect accuracy and higher PP. Ice Beam covers Latias and Grass-types like Celebi and Shaymin, which resist Empoleon's Water-type STAB attacks, while Grass Knot destroys the Water-types that resist Ice- and Water-type coverage such as Milotic and Suicune. The extra power on Ice Beam and Grass Knot is key in securing the 2HKO on Pokemon like Kingdra and Gyarados. Set Details Maximize Empoleon's power with 252 EVs in Special Attack and a Modest nature in order to hit as hard as possible; it's absolutely crucial to maintain its benchmarks against Jirachi and Clefable and deal as much damage as possible against them. The remaining EVs go into its Speed in order to outrun as many Pokemon as possible. Note that a few EVs in HP may be useful to improve the odds of taking a Thunderbolt from Rotom-A or just to help against the likes of Jirachi and Tyranitar. Usage Tips Every time you have Empoleon on the field, fire off powerful attacks depending on what you are facing. Since this set should be used as a lead, you can use it to throw powered-up Water-type STAB attacks early-game and chip Empoleon's typical checks. If you're facing an offensive team, the first safe switch-in to a Choice Specs Hydro Pump is usually Latias. If you're facing a defensive team, odds are the first switch-in will be Clefable, which gets destroyed by Hydro Pump thanks to the surprise factor that Choice Specs Empoleon provides; the remaining possible best switch-ins are going to be Milotic, bulky Latias, and bulky Suicune. Depending on what foes have been revealed and the state of the game, you might want to click other moves and predict a bit, such as to take out Latias with Ice Beam or Suicune with Grass Knot. Use Empoleon's great typing to switch around resisted moves and find opportunities to throw as many attacks as you can in the middle of the game. Try to manage its health as much as possible to possibly enter Torrent range, which will make it devastating, especially against slow teams that might have a hard time forcing it out immediately. Team Options Tyranitar has very good synergy with Choice Specs Empoleon because it can trap both Latias and Blissey, two of the few Pokemon that are able to switch into a Choice Specs Hydro Pump, and its sand is huge for negating Leftovers from the likes of Milotic and Suicune. Jirachi can spread paralysis with Body Slam very nicely to support Empoleon and compensate for its low Speed, which prevents it from being fully threatening against fast teams. Since this Empoleon should lead, make sure that you have a good backup against Electric-types like Rotom-A and Zapdos; Pokemon like Blissey, Clefable, Swampert, and bulky Tyranitar are all great for that purpose. Empoleon appreciates having a teammate that can pivot at least once against Ground-, Electric-, and Fighting-type moves like Latias, Rotom-A, and Gengar, since this Empoleon has to lock itself into a move and will be easily forced out. Pokemon like Choice Specs Kingdra and Suicune help keep up Empoleon's offensive pressure with more strong Water-type attacks. Finally, Healing Wish Latias can give Empoleon a second life if it gets weakened badly.

Moves Despite being a powerful offensive Pokemon, Empoleon is also a fantastic special wall thanks to its great typing, very good Special Defense, and ability to check Pokemon such as Choice Specs Latias, Jirachi, Heatran, Suicune, and most notably Kingdra. Surf is Empoleon's best move for offensive pressure on this set. Protect enables Empoleon to gain additional Leftovers recovery, which is valuable as its only form of recovery, as well as scouting Choiced Pokemon like Tyranitar, Latias, Flygon, and Rotom. Roar is very useful to phaze Pokemon like Calm Mind Jirachi, Calm Mind Suicune, and Dragon Dance Kingdra and overall allow Empoleon to be less passive. Knock Off is an alternative and like Roar gives Empoleon a less passive presence on the field. Knock Off is excellent in long and slow-paced games; Empoleon can cripple Jirachi, Suicune, Starmie, Clefable, and pretty much anything with Leftovers, preventing passive recovery and allowing its team to start making progress. Empoleon's ability to be a great Stealth Rock setter is improved here thanks to Leftovers recovery and bulk investment. Toxic can be used to chip Pokemon like Starmie, Milotic, Kingdra, and Suicune more effectively. Set Details Investing 252 EVs in HP and Special Defense as well as providing Empoleon with a Calm nature ensures that it can perform its defensive role perfectly, as it wants to combat Starmie, Heatran, Latias, and Kingdra as well as possible. You could put in some Defense EVs to take on Pokemon like Tyranitar and Bronzong better or even some Special Attack EVs to do more damage to the likes of Jirachi, Skarmory, and Tyranitar. Leftovers is the mandatory item here, being the best and only form of recovery for Empoleon. Usage Tips You can lead with this Empoleon, since it performs well for the most part against the common leads; just make sure that you have backup options for Metagross, Machamp, and Zapdos leads. Set up Stealth Rock turn 1 most of the time, since almost nothing really prevents Empoleon from doing that, and Pokemon like Azelf may be reluctant to use Taunt in fear of a Hydro Pump. Switch Empoleon into powerful special attackers like Choice Specs Latias, Kingdra, and Suicune, and use the opportunity to use Roar or Knock Off to cripple the opposing team. Protect should be used relatively often, as it's important to keep Empoleon as healthy as possible. However, try to not use it too much and become too predictable in this aspect, as Pokemon like Tyranitar, Metagross, and Dragonite may come in on a telegraphed Protect and scare Empoleon out. You can use Empoleon to pivot against Gengar's Shadow Ball and throw out a Surf if it's in its KO range; it's also worth knowing that this Empoleon is one of the best defensive answers to Jirachi. Team Options Specially defensive Empoleon does require some support, since it's too passive against setup sweepers and defensive teams. Empoleon's teammates should try to lessen the impact of its numerous weaknesses and the potential setup it would allow while also providing solid countermeasures against defensive cores to compensate for its mediocre matchup against Clefable and the free momentum it can give. That said, for a great defensive synergy, teammates should mainly try covering Fighting-, Ground-, and Electric-type moves, as Empoleon's slowness makes it prone to being exploited by the strongest powerhouses of the tiers, such as Dragonite and Gyarados. Skarmory, which is one of the greatest physical walls, is an excellent option, and setting up Spikes is big for compensating for Empoleon's passiveness. Nidoqueen brings an Electric immunity as well as a Fighting resistance and sets up Toxic Spikes, while bulky Latias provides a ton of resistances and can synergize well with Spikes support and Roar. Choice Scarf Rotom-A gets the jump on dangerous foes like Infernape and Dragon Dance sweepers like Gyarados and Dragonite that Empoleon fears. It also blocks Rapid Spin, while RestTalk variants can absorb Breloom's Spore and Superpower to compensate for Empoleon's slowness. On the other hand, Gengar brings similar defensive utility and threatens defensive teams especially with Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Spikes support. Wish users such as Latias, Jirachi, and Clefable are valuable, as they give Empoleon way more longevity. You also need some sort of pressure outside of entry hazards, or Clefable will just sit on your team all day. Gliscor is an amazing stallbreaker that also provides great defensive utility against Pokemon like Lucario, Dragonite, and Tyranitar. Gengar, as mentioned previously, gives defensive teams a hard time while providing a countermeasure to Infernape and Breloom. Breloom takes advantage of Clefable wonderfully, while Calm Mind Latias and Calm Mind Clefable are both great wincons against defensive teams. Furthermore, Clefable and Breloom can also absorb Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-A, which Empoleon should try to avoid. Lastly, Tyranitar is big because its sand synergizes really well with Empoleon's typing and helps make good progress in the game, while it also helps in the hazard game by trapping opposing Starmie.