Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Reveals Empoleon Tera Raid Event

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has a new 7 Star Tera Raid starting this week. This time around, Empoleon will be getting the spotlight, in an event that will run from February 2nd through the 4th, and again February 9th through the 11th. As is usually the case with these events, the Empoleon will have the Mightiest Mark, and it can only be caught once. Empoleon is normally a Water/Steel-type Pokemon, but the one that appears in this Tera Raid event will have an Ice Tera type. A Pokemon like Skeledirge might seem like a smart choice to bring in, but Empoleon’s Water-type moves will cause problems for Fire-types; instead, players might want to bring in a Fighting or Steel-type Pokemon. 

Empoleon Moveset

Empoleon first appeared in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and is the final evolved form of the starter Pokemon Piplup. For players that haven’t purchased The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, this Tera Raid event is the only way to get Empoleon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet other than trading or using Pokemon Home. The Pokemon Company has not revealed what moves Empoleon will know, and the only Ice-type move it can learn by leveling up is Mist. However, Empoleon can learn a bunch of Ice-type moves via TM, including Triple Axel, Blizzard, and Ice Spinner. Once players have caught this Empoleon, they might want to consider teaching it one or more of these moves to take advantage of that Tera-type!

The Next Pokemon Generation

Earlier this month, the epilogue for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was released, which featured both a brand-new Mythical Pokemon, as well as a conclusion to the game’s story. Following the epilogue’s release, players have started to speculate about the next Pokemon generation. Scarlet and Violet represents the ninth generation of Pokemon games, and we don’t currently know when the tenth will release. Typically, The Pokemon Company follows a three-year cycle between generations, which means we likely won’t see the next one until fall 2025 or later. 

Even if we don’t see a new Pokemon generation this year, it’s likely we’ll still see a spin-off or a remake of a past generation. At this time, there are no new Pokemon games currently announced for Nintendo Switch or mobile platforms, but that could change in the next few weeks. Pokemon Day is held on February 27th every year, and The Pokemon Company always has a video presentation to celebrate the occasion. These videos outline the company’s plans for the coming months, and typically feature some brand-new game reveals. There’s been a lot of speculation that we could see a remake of Pokemon Black and White announced, or a sequel to Pokken Tournament. 

Do you plan on participating in this Tera Raid event? Who do you plan on using against Empoleon? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!