One of the rarest Pokémon that players can find and catch in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is Piplup, a Water-type penguin Pokémon that was a starter option in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Piplup is one of the Pokémon that many fans of the franchise recognize the most since it has been a starter Pokémon and a staple character in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl TV series. Additionally, Piplup is the base form of Empoleon, one of the most powerful Pokémon in Legends: Arceus.
Empoleon is a Water- and Steel-type Pokémon, making it exceptionally formidable in a battle against many types of Pokémon. While it loses the weakness to Grass-type moves, Empoleon receives 2x the amount of damage from Fighting- and Ground-types, and gains full immunity to Poison-type moves. For players who want to skip Piplup, they can catch Alpha Empoleon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Piplup isn't accessible to players until they reach the Colbalt Coastlands, and the road to reaching Piplup can be quite dangerous. Piplup is located just west of the Islespy Shore beach by the pond in the northwestern part of the Cobalt Coastlands, and players may want to wait until they can ride Basculegion shortly after arriving, this area can be reached without needing to surf around the coastline. By riding Wyrdeer, players can travel to Veilstone Cape and get up the mountainside closer to Lunker's Lair. From there, continue traveling along the mountain top until Windbreak Stand is reached, then travel north to the pond around Spring Path. Be careful, however, as without every ride Pokémon in Legends: Arceus, or at least Basculegion, players are likely able to fall and blackout on the way to Piplup.
Where To Find & Catch Piplup In Pokémon Legends: Arceus
After players arrive at the pond in Islespy Shore, either one or two Piplups will be around the pond. These Piplups will be around level 16, allowing them to evolve into Prinplup as soon as players catch one. The challenge, however, is sneaking up close enough to Piplup, as the Pokémon will likely run away as soon as it spots a player or is forced into battle. Fortunately, there is a small patch of tall grass that players can slowly make their way to near Piplup. Similar to finding and catching Turtwig in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, players will want to throw a berry for Piplup to eat, then throw a Great Ball or higher while its back is turned away.
As mentioned, players who want to skip Piplup for now and catch Alpha Empoleon can head to the beachhead of Islespy Shore. Alpha Empoleon can be found at level 69, making it one of the toughest Alpha Pokémon in the game. To catch Alpha Empoleon instead of Piplup, players should bring along Pokémon that know Agile Style Mach Punch, a Pokémon that can use Thunder Wave, and plenty of Ultra Balls.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available now on Nintendo Switch.