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Community POTW #144

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Serebii

And, as if by magic, the webmaster appeared...
Staff member
Admin
Time for the next Pokémon of the Week and after the World Championships we are taking a lazy one

289.png


It's Slaking

https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-s,/289.shtml
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
@Serebii You misspelled the link there in the post.

Anyway, Slaking is unfortunate. Its stats are alright but that ability is terrible, and unlike Regigigas its ability isn't quite as easy to get rid of with Truant being unaffected by either Simple Beam or Entrainment, so no easily giving it a better ability. It can still be affected by Skill Swap, however that moves Truant to Slaking's buddy which isn't ideal either.

Slaking @ Life Orb
Ability: Truant
EVs: 252 Attack, 4 Special Defence, 252 Speed
Jolly nature
- Return
- Stomping Tantrum
- Fire Punch
- Protect / Slack Off

Probably one of the best ways to run Slaking is in doubles next to a Skill Swap Alakazam, which can give Magic Guard to Slaking and outspeeds it. Alakazam can then mega evolve on the following turn to get rid of Truant and Trace something else. Magic Guard makes Slaking immune to Life Orb recoil. Unfortunately Slaking doesn't get access to Double Edge for some reason (which would be preferred with Magic Guard preventing recoil), so Return will have to do as the primary STAB move. Stomping Tantrum is nice coverage to hit Rock and Steel types and works well in doubles with Fake Out being common, and Stomping Tantrum hitting for double damage after a flinch. It also serves another use in that it doubles in power after a Truant turn for the case you don't get the Skill Swap off. Fire Punch hits some more pokémon like Celesteela, Kartana, and Ferrothorn for super effective damage, and finally Protect is always valuable in doubles, although Slack Off is an option as recovery given that Slaking has impressive bulk on the physical side.

Slaking still has several downsides. It is incredibly reliant on getting rid of Truant. Doubles is filled with Protect users that can easily predict when your Truant turn is so it's very easily played around. Slaking being reliant on a setup also means its offensive power can get worn down by repeated Intimidate usage, forcing it to either retreat to reset its attack stat and thereby regain Truant or stay in and not deal significant damage any more.
 
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SwiftGrovyle

Official POTW Fact Checker
Two things(why else would I be here unless there was a recent mistake?)
#1 “Kyogre itself only shines on an Ubers Rain team similar to Groudon with Drizzle, but the bigger difference is Primal Groudon will render those teams mute due to Primordial Sea, and Rain has other good setters unlike Sun teams.”
(You might want to fix this statement as it makes it sound like Groudon has Drizzle/Primordial Sea. This website does have an integrity to keep)

#2 Slaking Other options
Going Special- Slaking does have access to Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt(if you hate Pelliper that much) This is usually an old surprise tactic that can work.
Status moves- Slaking having access to Roar, Yawn, and Encore as possible moves to utilize if your opponent gets too cocky and tries to setup on the big guy. Roar in particular goes through Protect, which people do tend to use against the turns that Slaking’s Truant isn’t hindering it.
Items- Assault Vest does help with Slaking’s lesser Special Defence, bringing it up to par with its really high Hp and Defense. The only negative is that you have to use attacking moves- of which Slaking has an abundance of.
 

Mestorn

Wandering Battler
Slaking, Pokémon's answer to Donkey Kong, if Donkey Kong wasn't motivated by anything. Nothing motivates Slaking beyond Mummy, Worry Seed, Simple Beam, Skill Swap, and Neutralizing Gas. And that alone wrecks Slaking's viability. Being able to only act every other turn enables Slaking's opponent to freely play around Slacking, from Protect utterly walling Slaking out to numerous setup opportunities, Slaking is brought down to the lowest lows by its ability.

One Big Punch
Slaking
Ability: Truant
Item: Normalium Z
-Giga Impact
-Return/Retaliate
-Earthquake
-Hammer Arm/Night Slash
Nature: Jolly (+SPE, -SATK) or Adamant (+ATK, -SPE)
EVs: 252 ATK/252 SPE/4 SDEF

Slaking Possesses one of the most destructive attacks in the game, a Breakneck Blitz powered by Giga Impact hits 300 base power, after STAB and no normal type in the game has as great of Attack as Slaking.

252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 244 HP / 52 Def Gliscor: 301-355 (85.5 - 100.8%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zygarde-Complete: 324-382 (56.5 - 66.6%)
252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Toxapex: 264-312 (86.8 - 102.6%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 248 HP / 212+ Def Tangrowth: 243-286 (60.2 - 70.9%)
252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 112+ Def Landorus-Therian: 336-396 (87.9 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
-1 252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 112+ Def Landorus-Therian: 223-264 (58.3 - 69.1%)
252 Atk Slaking Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 200+ Def Rotom-Wash: 273-322 (89.8 - 105.9%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO

Several Pokémon known and relied upon for their defensive abilities, and all of them are maimed by Z-Giga Impact. Any tank that is weakened and doesn't possess a resist and anything else not packing an immunity to Normal moves is going to be swiftly KOd (bar Sturdy/Focus Sash). Return/Retaliate is for reliable STAB. Slaking makes a great revenge killer and a base 210 power after STAB is nothing to joke at in regards to Retaliate, while Return is more stable. Earthquake wrecks Steel and Rock types, while Hammer Arm hits those that Earthquake doesn't, and Night Slash hits Ghosts.

Don't ever use Giga Impact without the Z-Move. Any gains you get from knocking out a 2nd pokémon go away when you just gave your opponent a free turn to do anything they want (as you can't even switch unlike normal Truant).

Other Options
Encore -Force your opponent into a move for a few turns and prevents Slaking from being utter setup fodder
 
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Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
Slaking, Pokémon's answer to Donkey Kong, if Donkey Kong wasn't motivated by anything. Nothing motivates Slaking beyond Mummy, Worry Seed, Skill Swap, Entrainment, and Neutralizing Gas. And that alone wrecks Slaking's viability. Being able to only act every other turn enables Slaking's opponent to freely play around Slacking, from Protect utterly walling Slakingout to numerous setup opportunities, Slakingis brought down to the lowest lows by its ability.
Entrainment doesn't work on Truant.

Several Pokémon known and relied upon for their defensive abilities, and all of them are maimed by Z-Giga Impact. Any tank that is weakened and doesn't possess a resist and anything else not packing an immunity to Normal moves is going to be swiftly KOd (bar Sturdy/Focus Sash). Return/Retaliate is for reliable STAB. Slaking makes a great revenge killer and a base 210 power after STAB is nothing to joke at in regards to Retaliate, while Return is more stable. Earthquake wrecks Steel and Rock types, while Superpower hits those that Earthquake doesn't, and Night Slash hits Ghosts.

Slaking doesn't get Superpower.
 

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Probably one of the best ways to run Slaking is in doubles next to a Skill Swap Alakazam, which can give Magic Guard to Slaking and outspeeds it.

If you're going to be Skill Swapping Magic Guard to it anyways, isn't Double-Edge better than Return?

EDIT: Ah, you mentioned it, but yes it does get Double-Edge via move tutor in Emerald. Might be a bit of a hassle to get one transferred all the way to US/UM but it's possible, and if you can track one down it's better than Return.
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
EDIT: Ah, you mentioned it, but yes it does get Double-Edge via move tutor in Emerald. Might be a bit of a hassle to get one transferred all the way to US/UM but it's possible, and if you can track one down it's better than Return.
Huh, I wonder how I completely missed that when I looked yesterday. I suppose Return is preferred for environments that don't allow transfers from that far back like rated battle spot, while Double-Edge would be preferred when they're not banned, provided you can transfer of course and still have that move tutor open (I think it's once per save file for that one).
 

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Huh, I wonder how I completely missed that when I looked yesterday. I suppose Return is preferred for environments that don't allow transfers from that far back like rated battle spot, while Double-Edge would be preferred when they're not banned, provided you can transfer of course and still have that move tutor open (I think it's once per save file for that one).

To be fair, Serebii doesn't actually have it listed as a possible tutor move from Emerald. I assume this is a mistake as every other source I checked confirmed that it can indeed learn it (as can Slakoth and Vigoroth), but if you only checked Serebii you might not realize it learns it.
 
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