Toxicroak
QC Checks: 2/2
GP Checks: 2/2
[Overview]
<p>With poor defenses, above-average Attack, and mediocre Speed, some may wonder why Toxicroak should be considered at all. However, Toxicroak's Dry Skin ability allows it to recover some of its HP every turn rain is falling. In addition, Water-type attacks heal Toxicroak up to 25% of its original HP. Add Toxicroak's array of useful priority moves to this mix, and you got yourself a great rain abuser.</p>
[SET]
name: Fake Out Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Protect / Taunt
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Fake Out Toxicroak gives its partner time to set up a move such as Tailwind, or eliminate something that can threaten your team. Drain Punch gives Toxicroak a reliable STAB as well as additional healing, increasing Toxicroak's lifespan by several turns. Low Kick, however, generally has a higher damage output, the few notable Pokemon that Drain Punch does more to include Blissey and Chansey. Sucker Punch gives Toxicroak a fantastic priority move, allowing it to pick off weakened foes or damage Choice-locked opponents before they can attack. If used in combination with Taunt, Sucker Punch forces Trick Room users with a Dark-type weakness, such as Dusclops, to attack, letting Toxicroak whack them with a super effective Sucker Punch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Utilizing a Focus Sash allows Toxicroak to stay alive for an additional, crucial turn. If one finds Toxicroak's attacking power lacking, a Life Orb can be used to boost its damage output, at the cost reduced longevity. Toxicroak does not benefit from a Speed-boosting nature, allowing it to boost its Attack with an Adamant nature.</p>
<p>Dry Skin is the basis for using Toxicroak, so naturally a teammate who can set rain up is needed. Politoed is the best Pokemon for this, as it receives Drizzle through the Dream World, an ability which brings rain to the field every time it switches in. Additionally, Politoed can utilize Surf to both deal damage and heal Toxicroak. Parasect is an ideal partner for Toxicroak as well, drawing off Psychic-type attacks with Rage Powder, and dealing damage back with its STAB X-Scissor.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Fake Out / Rain Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Substitute / Protect
item: Black Sludge / Focus Sash
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Toxicroak is able to stay on the field for an extended period of time, and act as a counter to opposing rain teams. Fake Out buys time to get in an auto-rain Pokemon such as Politoed, but if you want additional rain support, Rain Dance is a satisfactory alternative. While Low Kick may have been viable on the former set, Drain Punch is too good to pass up on a set revolving around recovery such as this one. As before, Sucker Punch gives Toxicroak a strong priority move to damage Ghost- and Psychic-types who give Toxicroak trouble. From behind a Substitute Toxicroak is difficult to stop, recovering HP from rain, Drain Punch, and Black Sludge, as well as teammates that utilize Surf. This allows Toxicroak to wall opposing rain teams to no end, as well as take on some of it's more dangerous counters, such as Cresselia.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Black Sludge allows Toxicroak to recover some of its health every turn, which works well in concert with Drain Punch and healing from Dry Skin. If for some reason this is found to be undesirable, a Focus Sash is a viable alternative, as the constant healing allows for multiple uses.</p>
<p>252 EVs are invested in in both HP and Attack to power up Toxicroak's moves and increase the amount of damage it can take. Toxicroak has little to worry about in terms of Speed, however, and as such is able to run an Adamant nature with no worry.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Due to the trouble Toxicroak has with Flying-types, Ice Punch can serve as a viable option to hit them for super effective damage; it also gives coverage on Grass-types. Poison Jab provides Toxicroak with a secondary STAB move, although it gives little additional coverage and leaves Toxicroak without a way to significantly damage Psychic-types. If one is looking for priority, Fake Out / Vacuum Wave / Sucker Punch / Bullet Punch will almost always allow Toxicroak to go first, though the damage output may leave something to be desired. One may look to Swords Dance or Nasty Plot to boost Toxicroak's stats, but the fast-paced VGC metagame leaves little time for stat-boosting moves such as those.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>One of the main counters to Toxicroak is not a Pokemon; in fact, it is a weather condition. Dry Skin actually depletes Toxicroak's health every turn that sun is in effect, while also increasing the amount of damage taken from Fire-type assaults. This allows Sunny Day teams to give Toxicroak a lot of grief. Flying-type Pokemon such as Tornadus and Togekiss can push around Toxicroak lacking Ice Punch, hitting it hard with a super effective Flying-type move and taking little from its counterattack. Additionally, Psychic-types are often hard counters to Toxicroak, especially in the case of Cresselia, who tanks even a super effective Sucker Punch with ease and fires back with a 4x super effective Psychic. Pokemon such as Garchomp both outspeed and OHKO Toxicroak with Earthquake, making its life difficult</p>
