Stats & Training
Piplup's stats barely vary. None sit in respectable range with no real gaps. It's a blank slate for EV investment. Worth 1 Sp. Atk EV, 1.06M XP medium-slow curve to max.
It doesn’t like to be taken care of. It’s difficult to bond with since it won’t listen to its Trainer.
Because it is very proud, it hates accepting food from people. Its thick down guards it from cold.
Piplup Weakness
Electric and Grass moves hit Piplup for super-effective damage. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
In X & Y, Magnezone threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (191-225%). Raikou's Thunderbolt also KOs at 175-206%.
 Whimsicott GrassFairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPrankster ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves View Whimsicott builds →
| ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Piplup View Magnezone builds →Flash Cannon43-50% Volt Switch 2x149-175%KO Thunderbolt 2x191-225%KO | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Piplup View Raikou builds →Volt Switch 2x136-160%KO Thunderbolt 2x175-206%KO Shadow Ball52-61% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemMiracleseed NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Piplup View Breloom builds →Bullet Seed 2x57-67% Mach Punch44-52% | ||
X & Y Evolution
Piplup is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Prinplup first, then eventually reaches Empoleon. For breeding, average hatch time with a massive partner pool via two egg groups. The evolved forms gain up to 216 total stats over Piplup. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Piplup easily with 200 breeding partners from the Ground and Water1 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Agility, Aqua Ring, Bide and 10 more to offspring.
X & Y Piplup Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 6.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Don't skip the egg moves. Piplup picks up Agility and Aqua Ring only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Hydro Pump and Surf while coverage across 8 types adds range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Piplup in X & Y
Piplup doesn't appear in X & Y. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Piplup is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Receive as a gift in:
Then trade to X & Y.
Also found in:
Piplup Guide
Level 16 gets you Prinplup. Quick enough that Piplup barely slows you down.
In X & Y, Piplup does the job early-game if you need a Water type on your team. Evolve it into Prinplup before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
You can find Piplup in X & Y. The Locations section has the full breakdown of routes and encounter details. It also appears in 11 other games across the series.
Game Availability
Piplup first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 12 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves