Empoleon

Empoleon has access to a variety of utility options such as Stealth Rock, Defog, and Roar, enabling it to support its team in various ways. Its incredible defensive typing and natural bulk allow it to check a multitude of common threats in the tier, including Latias, Primarina, and Mega Pidgeot. Additionally, Empoleon's ability to force out these threats provides it with a ton of opportunities to either set up Stealth Rock or clear entry hazards from the field. While Empoleon faces competition as a hazard remover from Tentacruel, which has access to Toxic Spikes, its fantastic secondary Steel typing and greater mixed bulk give it an edge. However, its typing also leaves it weak to common offensive types such as Electric, Fighting, and Ground, making it easily exploited by Pokemon like Mega Manectric, Cobalion, and Krookodile. Furthermore, Empoleon lacks reliable recovery, which makes it prone to being worn down, although moves such as Protect can be run to mitigate this. Empoleon struggles to fit all of its great status options on one set, which can leave it hurting in some matchups.