How to Evolve Prinplup

Prinplup evolves into Empoleon exactly at level 36. The process requires no special items, friendship values, or location-specific triggers.

Players can reach this threshold through standard battle experience, utilizing the passive EXP Share in modern generations, or by feeding Prinplup a Rare Candy or EXP Candies once it hits level 35.

If you accidentally press the B button during the evolution animation, Prinplup remains in its current state. You must level it up to 37 to trigger the evolution prompt a second time.

Holding an Everstone completely prevents the evolution sequence from starting. Ensure Prinplup is holding a combat item like an Eviolite or Mystic Water, rather than an Everstone, as it approaches the level 36 benchmark.

Upon reaching level 36, the evolution fundamentally changes this Pokémon's defensive profile. Prinplup is a pure Water-type, while Empoleon introduces the Steel secondary typing.

This specific combination remains entirely unique to the Piplup evolutionary line. The addition of Steel negates the standard Water-type weakness to Grass, turning it into neutral damage.

• Immunities: Poison (ignores Toxic and Toxic Spikes).
• Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Water, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Fairy.
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Electric.

Trading a Grass weakness for Ground and Fighting vulnerabilities dictates how you position Empoleon in battle. You cannot leave it in against common Earthquake or Close Combat users, requiring careful pivoting.

Empoleon operates best as a defensive utility pivot and hazard manager. Its base 111 Special Attack and 101 Special Defense make it a natural special wall that avoids being passive on the field.

In competitive formats, Empoleon serves two primary functions: setting Stealth Rock and clearing opponent hazards with Defog. Its typing allows it to switch into dominant Fairy, Flying, and Dragon attacks with minimal risk.

The primary flaw holding Empoleon back from top-tier status is its lack of reliable recovery. Without access to moves like Roost or Recover, it relies entirely on Leftovers passive healing or Rest.

This lack of sustain makes it susceptible to being worn down over a long match by entry hazards and chip damage. Despite this, its utility compression makes it an 8/10 choice for bulky offense and balance teams.

Players should prioritize a Calm or Modest nature, investing EVs heavily into HP and Special Defense to maximize its role as a special sponge.

A standard utility moveset includes Stealth Rock, Defog, Surf or Scald, and Roar or Ice Beam. Scald is highly recommended, as the 30% burn chance severely punishes physical attackers attempting to exploit Empoleon's lower base 68 Defense.

For held items, Leftovers is mandatory on defensive sets. Alternatively, a Shuca Berry halves the damage of one super-effective Ground-type attack, allowing Empoleon to survive an Earthquake and retaliate with a STAB Water move.

To maximize its effectiveness, pair Empoleon with Flying or Grass types. Zapdos, Corviknight, and Tangrowth make excellent partners, easily absorbing the Ground, Fighting, and Electric attacks aimed at the penguin. In return, Empoleon tanks the Ice and Rock moves that threaten them.

Prinplup's standard ability is Torrent, boosting Water-type moves by 50% when HP falls below one-third. This carries over to Empoleon and synergizes decently with its tendency to take chip damage over time.

Its Hidden Ability, Defiant, raises Attack by two stages when a stat is lowered by an opponent. While Defiant is excellent on physical attackers, Empoleon's base 86 Attack makes this largely suboptimal for standard special sets.

However, niche physical sets utilizing Swords Dance, Aqua Jet, and Drill Peck can leverage Defiant to punish opposing Defog users or Intimidate pivots. For 90% of competitive play, sticking to Torrent provides more consistent value on utility sets.