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When I got Platinum (first pokémon game I took seriously) I chose piplup because my best friend had Infernape and I wanted to beat him in battle. I actually played through the game blindly and had no idea what to expect, but I ended up amazed by Empoleon. I loved that penguin so much that my now-deceased grandfather gave me the nickname penguin back then. Comfy memories
And I ended up beating my friend's Infernape because his Close Combat missed somehow