Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: Niantic, Niantic Labs, piplup, pokemon, pokemon go

Poké Spotlight: Getting To Know Piplup Outside Of Pokémon GO

Part of the fun of the main series Pokémon games is the lore of each species, which Pokémon GO recreates with short descriptions in their Pokédex entries. However, looking into the roles these Pokémon play in other games, and even the anime, can enrich the experience of hunting these creatures in Niantic's mobile game. In honor of this weekend's Community Day event recapping all of 2020's spotlight species, let's take a deep dive into Piplup's lore.

Dex entry number 393, Piplup is a pure Water-type species from the Sinnoh Region, introduced into the world of Pokémon with Generation Four. This starter Pokémon can be encountered as male or female. Referred to as the "Penguin Pokémon" for obvious reasons, this is what Piplup's Dex entry says:

Because it is very proud, it hates accepting food from people. Its thick down guards it from cold.

Piplup's evolutionary line has an interesting quirk. The first two Water-type starters, Squirtle and Totodile, retain their pure Water-typing through their evolution. The Hoenn Water-type starter Mudkip takes on a dual Water/Ground-typing as it evolves. Now, Piplup and its second stage of Prinplup remain pure Water, but their ultimate evolution of Empoleon takes on a dual Water/Steel-typing that adds some spice to this family.

For fans of the anime, Piplup is, like most starters, featured prominently. One of the main characters of the series during the Diamond and Pearl era, Dawn, chooses a Piplup as her starter in Following A Maiden's Voyage. Like Pikachu for Ash, Piplup likes to kick it outside of his Pokéball. Other Piplups appeared in the series such as the notable and adorable appearance of the tiara-wearing Pippy. Could that be a future costumed release in Pokémon GO?

Other Pokédex entries offer new information about Piplup:

• Pearl: It lives along shores in northern countries. A skilled swimmer, it dives for over 10 minutes to hunt.
• Black/White: A poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care.
• X: It doesn't like to be taken care of. It's difficult to bond with since it won't listen to its Trainer.

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