#40: Empoleon

Empoleon was one of my favorite starter Pokémon to use, and to be honest it still is. Somehow the water-type starters are the most appealing starters to me, mostly because the grass-type starters aren't the best Pokémon to use (with the exception of Turtwig, Grotle and Torterra) and the fire-type starters are a little bit overused (especially Charizard), not to mention the fire starters' second type has been fighting since the third generation. A little bit lame, isn't it? However, Empoleon is the only starter who gains the ever useful steel-type after evolving, giving it resistances to bug, dark, dragon, flying, ghost, rock, normal, psychic, water, ice and steel. Our little emperor penguin is double resistant to those last two types because of its water typing, too. Moreover, it is immune to poison. That absolutely makes Empoleon the most useful starter ever. Does it have weaknesses? Of course, it is weak to ground, fighting and electric, but it makes up for that with its great special attack stat and being strong against ground-types because of its water typing, anyway. That makes it even crazier, period. Empoleon is a boss, and Gamefreak knows that; they didn't give Empoleon (a contraction of 'emperor' and 'Napoleon') its name without knowing it would turn out to be one of the best starters ever, if not the best starter ever. To hell with Infernape; Torterra is alright; but Empoleon is the best. I always find myself choosing Piplup as a starter when starting a new game on Diamond, Pearl or Platinum. And that is not without a reason!