Piplup Community Day
January 19, 2020 Community Day. 3-hour event featuring Piplup. Shiny rate boosted to ~1-in-25 during the event. Shiny debut.
The evolved form learned this move during the event window and from Elite Charged TMs after. This is what makes most CDs pull double duty — get the shiny and a hundo with the exclusive move locked in.
Stack each bonus with the relevant multiplier (Lucky Egg for XP, Star Piece for dust, Pinap Berry for candy) for compounded gains.
Shiny Piplup was boosted to roughly 1-in-25 during this Community Day — the standard CD shiny rate. Most shiny hunters expect ~12 shinies across the 3-hour event.
S-tier exclusive — the evolved form became a meta attacker (or a top PvP pick) after this CD. Still worth grinding from Elite TMs years later.
Hindsight verdict — based on how the evolved form aged in the meta. For the live tier rankings see the tier list.
90-damage / 65-energy starter signature — extremely fast-charging STAB. The defining "1-bar nuke that fires every fight" move for the starter trio. Always Elite-TM worthy on a hundo.
Was the January 19, 2020 Community Day worth it in hindsight?
S-tier exclusive — the evolved form became a meta attacker (or a top PvP pick) after this CD. Still worth grinding from Elite TMs years later. Shiny Piplup remains a permanent dex addition either way, so any time spent at this CD wasn't wasted.
What was the January 19, 2020 Community Day in-game?
The January 19, 2020 Community Day featured Piplup. The exclusive move was Hydro Cannon — learned by the evolved form during the event window and via Elite Charged TM afterward. Bonuses: 1/4 hatch distance, 3-hr Lure.
How do I get Hydro Cannon on my Piplup after the event?
Use an Elite Charged TM (or Elite Fast TM if Hydro Cannon is a fast move) on the evolved form. Niantic occasionally re-releases exclusive moves during anniversary events and Community Day recap weekends — the December recap CD is the most reliable second chance.
Can I still get a shiny from this Community Day?
Yes — the shiny form is permanently released after a Community Day. The boosted ~1-in-25 rate only applies during the event, but you can still hunt the standard ~1-in-500 wild rate or use raids / research / eggs after.
When is the next Community Day?
Niantic announces Community Days about 2-3 weeks ahead. Check the events page for the current month's schedule and announced upcoming dates.