What it does
Vacuum Wave is a Fighting-type special move with base power 40 and priority +1. Priority means it moves before most normal moves in a turn. That alone sets it apart — priority Fighting moves are almost exclusively physical (Mach Punch being the most familiar), so Vacuum Wave fills a genuinely narrow niche for special attackers who want to finish off low-HP targets before they can act.
Base power 40 won't break records. But that's not the point. The value is the sequence control: something gets chunked down by your partner's attack, then Vacuum Wave ends it before it can fire back. In doubles, removing one opponent cuts the opposing side's action count in half for that turn.
Who runs it
Empoleon runs it at 12% in the Champions format. Empoleon is Water/Steel, not Fighting, so this isn't STAB — but the coverage and priority together justify the slot. Its Special Attack is solid enough that even at 40 base power, Vacuum Wave lands meaningfully against weakened targets. The real appeal is Empoleon's bulk: it can take hits, survive long enough to see targets get worn down, then step in with the priority cleanup.
How to use it
The playbook is straightforward: let your partner deal the heavy hit first, then Vacuum Wave finishes the job before the target moves. You're not looking for clean knockouts with 40 base power on a fresh target — you're looking for the 20-35% HP range where this priority move turns a 'maybe' into a confirmed kill.
Priority +1 beats priority 0 moves comfortably. It does not beat priority +2 or +3 moves like Extreme Speed or Fake Out — those will still land before Vacuum Wave. Know the ceiling.
Tips & strategy
Ghost-types are immune to Fighting. Vacuum Wave simply fails against Gengar or any Ghost-type target — don't waste the turn. Flying and Psychic types resist Fighting at 0.5×, as do Bug, Fairy, and Poison types. Check the opposing team composition before leaning on this as your cleanup plan.
If Empoleon is running Choice Specs, Vacuum Wave hits noticeably harder and the priority becomes a more reliable KO tool. The tradeoff is being locked into it, which can be punished if the opponent reads the pattern.