QC: Meru / dingbat / dodmen
GP: frenzyplant (Stamped Psywaves's amcheck) / P Squared
Overview
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Krookodile is a great Pokemon in the UU metagame. It has great Attack and decent Speed along with decent bulk. It also has a decent movepool, both offensively and defensively, and it has a very good offensive typing that hits a variety of foes hard. Krookodile has access to useful abilities in Intimidate and Moxie that allow it to play different roles in the metagame successfully, such as that of a Choice Band attacker. However, Krookodile has quite a lot of weaknesses to several common types, such as Fighting and Water, and even though its Speed is decent, it is outsped by a lot of threats in the metagame, meaning that they can easily KO it.
Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Stone Edge / Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Superpower
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Earthquake is a solid STAB attack that has excellent coverage and great Base Power, meaning it hits almost everything that doesn't resist it hard. Knock Off is another a good STAB attack that also has the utility of removing the foe's item. Stone Edge is a powerful move that not only hits the Flying-types that are immune to Earthquake but also has great coverage against other types, such as Bug. Pursuit traps Pokemon such as Chandelure and Alakazam and deals more damage to them if they try to switch out. Superpower can be used over Stone Edge or Pursuit for good coverage alongside Earthquake that hurts Pokemon such as Hydreigon and Blissey.
Set Details
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Intimidate is used to boost Krookodile's staying power as it lowers the foe's Attack stat, and thus its damage output. Choice Band is used because it gives a huge boost to Krookodile's Attack. The investment in Attack and Speed ensures that Krookodile hits very hard and allows it to to outspeed Pokemon such as Lucario. The 4 Defense EVs are invested to give a small boost to Krookodile's Defense, while also letting it hit an odd HP number, which lessens Stealth Rock damage. A Jolly nature should be used alongside Choice Band to boost Krookodile's Speed because it already has enough power, and otherwise it misses out on outspeeding Pokemon such as Nidoking and the aforementioned Lucario.
Usage Tips
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Krookodile is a good revenge killer as well as a good switch-in against most Ghost- and Psychic-types, as it can trap and beat them with Pursuit. Krookodile can also switch into Electric-type attackers such as Raikou and Mega Ampharos, as it is immune to their STAB attacks and can OHKO them with Earthquake. Don't recklessly use Earthquake, though; if the opponent has a Flying-type or a Levitate user, it can come in without problems and forces Krookodile to switch while it uses the free turn to set up. Use Pursuit if you predict that the opponent will switch out a foe that is weak to Dark-type attacks, as it will get boosted power and most likely OHKO the foe. This Krookodile functions as a wallbreaker, so you can send it in to weaken a selection of physical walls, such as Suicune.
Team Options
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Cleric support from Pokemon such as Vaporeon or Florges is really appreciated, as these Pokemon have good synergy with Krookodile and burn will leave Krookodile quite weak. Pokemon that can take care of Fighting-types such as Florges, Crobat, and Mega Aerodactyl make for great teammates, as Fighting-types really threaten Krookodile. Pokemon that can reliably beat Grass-types, such as Arcanine and Mega Beedrill, are fine partners as well. Steel-types such as Bronzong and Mega Aggron make for good partners, as they can beat the Fairy-types that hinder Krookodile. Pokemon that can pass through physically defensive walls such as Suicune and Hippowdon are great partners, as they prevent Krookodile from sweeping. Examples of these Pokemon include Mega Sceptile and Hydreigon.
Non-Choice Attacker
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name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Taunt / Stealth Rock
move 4: Pursuit / Stealth Rock / Superpower
ability: Intimidate
item: Life Orb / Dread Plate / Earth Plate
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Knock Off is a powerful STAB move that cripples most switch-ins by removing their items. Earthquake has great Base Power and good coverage, meaning that it hits a variety of Pokemon very hard. Taunt can be used in the third slot to prevent foes from setting up entry hazards or boosting their stats. Pursuit is an option in the last slot to trap and beat opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types. Superpower can go in the last slot as well because of its great coverage, but it lowers Krookodile's Attack and Defense. Stealth Rock hurts foes on the switch-in and helps Krookodile to KO the foe with greater ease, so it can be used in the third or the fourth slot.
Set Details
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Intimidate lessens the damage output of the foe's physical attacks, meaning Krookodile has better staying power against Pokemon such as Crobat and Lucario. Life Orb is a good option for more overall power, but either Dread Plate or Earth Plate can be used instead depending on if you want to give a power boost to Earthquake or to Knock Off. The EVs maximize Krookodile's offensive capabilities, as they boost its Attack and Speed stats. 4 Defense EVs are invested to give a small boost to Krookodile's Defense, but they also let it hit an odd HP number, which lessens damage taken from Stealth Rock. A Jolly nature allows Krookodile to outspeed maximum Speed base 90s such as Lucario. A spread of 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe is another option that still outspeeds Adamant Lucario and Timid Chandelure and helps Krookodile stand up to Jirachi better. Alternatively, another spread of 252 HP / 96 Atk / 160 Spe still outspeeds Adamant Lucario and Timid Chandelure, but gives a bigger boost to Krookodile's bulk.
Usage Tips
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Use Knock Off when you are unsure of what to do, as most Pokemon don't appreciate having their item removed. When you predict that a foe weak to Dark will switch out, which will most likely happen, use Pursuit to trap and KO it. Switch out of physical walls, as most of them can either inflict status on and cripple Krookodile or just completely outstall it.
Team Options
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Pokemon such as Galvantula and Blissey provide Sticky Web or Thunder Wave support, respectively, which is useful because with this support, Krookodile will be able to outspeed Pokemon such as Mienshao and beat them before they can hit Krookodile. Special wallbreakers such as Hydreigon and Chandelure make for good partners, as they can beat the physical walls that hinder Krookodile from sweeping. Cleric support from Pokemon such as Florges or Vaporeon is very useful, as status such as burn really cripples Krookodile. Fire-types, such as Entei, which beat the Grass-types that resist Krookodile's main STAB move are great teammates as well. Flying-types such as Honchkrow and Crobat are great partners, as they are capable of outspeeding and beating most Fighting-types. Magneton and Jirachi are examples of Pokemon that can beat Fairy-types, which Krookodile struggles against. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Azelf or the aforementioned Blissey is useful too, as it helps Krookodile KO its foes more often. Lastly, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Mienshao and Lucario are good teammates, as they can take advantage of Krookodile trapping Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon with Pursuit.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Stone Edge / Crunch
move 4: Pursuit
ability: Moxie
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Earthquake is Krookodile's most powerful STAB attack and has great coverage along with good Base Power, meaning it hits almost everything that doesn't resist it hard. Knock Off is a good STAB attack that also removes the item of the foe. Stone Edge is a powerful move that hits the Flying-types that are immune to Earthquake and also has great coverage against other Pokemon, such as Bug-types. Crunch can be used for permanent power in the third slot instead and has the added niche of hitting Mega Pokemon harder than Knock Off does. Pursuit traps Pokemon such as Chandelure and Alakazam and deals more damage to them if they try to switch out.
Set Details
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Moxie boosts Krookodile's Attack stat after it knocks out a Pokemon with an attack, and it is the best option on an offensive set like this. Choice Scarf is used as it gives a huge boost to Krookodile's Speed. Maximum Attack and Speed EVs let Krookodile hit very hard and allow it to to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Lucario. 4 Defense EVs are invested to give a little boost to Krookodile's Defense stat, while letting Krookodile hit an odd HP number which lessens the damage taken from Stealth Rock. A Jolly nature should be used on this set because it allows Krookodile to outspeed maximum Speed Mega Aerodactyl, which it wouldn't be able to do otherwise.
Usage Tips
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Krookodile can be sent in to revenge kill a foe after one of Krookodile's teammates has been beaten. Aside from that, Krookodile can also be switched into most Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon, as it can trap and beat them with a Pursuit afterwards. Krookodile can switch into Electric-type attacks from Pokemon such as Raikou and Mega Ampharos, as it is immune to them. Don't recklessly spam Earthquake if the opponent has a Flying-type or a Levitate user, as it can come in, force a switch, and set up that turn. Use Pursuit if you predict the opponent to switch out a Pokemon weak to Dark-type attacks, as its power will be boosted and it will most likely OHKO that Pokemon. Lastly, this Krookodile can be used as a late-game cleaner once physical walls are gone, so try to remove those first.
Team Options
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Cleric support from Pokemon such as Blissey or Celebi is nice, as burns leave Krookodile weak and unable to function well. Pokemon that can get rid of threatening Fighting-types, such as Florges, Espeon, and Mega Aerodactyl, make for good partners too. Additionally, Pokemon that reliably beat Grass-types, such as Arcanine and Mega Beedrill, are fine partners as well, because Grass-types resist Krookodile's main STAB attack and can KO it with their STAB attacks. Steel-types such as Lucario and Mega Aggron are also good teammates because they can beat the Fairy-types that hinder Krookodile. Finally, Pokemon such as Mega Sceptil and Hydreigon, which can break through physically defensive walls such as Suicune and Hippowdon, are great partners for Krookodile, as walls prevent Krookodile from sweeping.
Other Options
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A physically defensive set with Intimidate and a spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def with an Impish nature is an option, but it's generally not worth running as it's mostly outclassed by Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Gligar, which have better Defense and access to reliable recovery. Bulk Up and Hone Claws are options to set up with, but running one of these moves means that Krookodile misses out on a coverage move, which it cannot afford to do. Iron Tail is an option to hit Fairy-types such as Florges and Diancie, but it doesn't have reliable accuracy and most Fairy-types are hit hard by Earthquake anyway. Aerial Ace hits Grass-types such as Mega Sceptile, Chesnaught, and Virizion hard, but it has low Base Power and poor coverage otherwise. Aqua Tail hits Hippowdon and Rhyperior for more damage than Krookodile's other attacks and allows it to 2HKO Hippowdon, which would otherwise wall it. Fire Fang has good coverage and a chance to burn and flinch opposing Pokemon, but it has low Base Power and doesn't have any relevant targets aside from Forretress. Lastly, Dragon Tail can be used to force out a foe if they try to set up and makes the Pokemon that was dragged in take entry hazard damage, but most foes aren't able to set up after Taunt anyway, and it has low Base Power and bad coverage too.
Checks & Counters
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**Hydreigon**: Hydreigon resists Krookodile's STAB combination and can KO it with a Draco Meteor. However, it has to be wary of Superpower.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Mega Sceptile, Chesnaught, and Celebi resist Earthquake and can take any hit from Krookodile, with the exception of Knock Off in Celebi's case.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Florges, Whimsicott, and Aromatisse resist Knock Off, are only 3HKOed by Earthquake, and can stall Krookodile out or beat it with a STAB attack.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls such as Hippowdon, Suicune, and Gligar can all take Krookodile's hits well and stall it out or hit it hard, but they dislike taking a Knock Off.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Mienshao, Machamp, and Infernape can take a hit from Krookodile and knock it out with a STAB attack, though Infernape needs to be wary of Earthquake.
**Faster Attackers**: Faster attackers such as Shaymin and Mienshao can take out Krookodile with one of their STAB attacks.
**Burn**: Burn is threatening for Krookodile, as it halves its Attack, meaning it will miss out on many important KOs.
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