Pokémon Alolan Muk

[TURBODERP]

Approved by Celticpride
Name - Alolan Muk
Pokedex Number: #89
Type:

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Weaknesses:

Immunities:

Resistances:

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Base Stats - 105 HP / 105 Atk / 75 Def / 65 SpAtk / 100 SpDef / 50 Spe

Abilities
Poison Touch - The wielder's contact moves gain a 30% chance to poison the opponent.
Gluttony - Consumes pinch Berries at 50% HP or less.
Hidden Ability (Available): Power of Alchemy: The Pokémon copies the Ability of a defeated ally. THIS ABILITY DOES NOT WORK IN SINGLES.


Learn Set (Notable moves will be bolded)

Movepool

Level Up
Start - Venom Drench
Start - Venom Drench
Start - Pound
Start - Poison Gas
Start - Harden
Start - Bite
L4 - Harden
L7 - Bite
L12 - Disable
L15 - Acid Spray
L18 - Poison Fang
L21 - Minimize
L26 - Fling
L29 - Knock Off
L32 - Crunch
L37 - Screech
L40 - Gunk Shot
L46 - Acid Armor
L52 - Belch
L57 - Memento

TMs
TM06 - Toxic
TM09 - Venoshock
TM10 - Hidden Power
TM11 - Sunny Day
TM12 - Taunt
TM15 - Hyper Beam
TM17 - Protect
TM18 - Rain Dance
TM21 - Frustration
TM27 - Return
TM30 - Shadow Ball
TM31 - Brick Break
TM32 - Double Team
TM34 - Sludge Wave
TM35 - Flamethrower
TM36 - Sludge Bomb
TM38 - Fire Blast
TM39 - Rock Tomb
TM41 - Torment
TM42 - Facade
TM44 - Rest
TM45 - Attract
TM46 - Thief
TM48 - Round
TM52 - Focus Blast
TM56 - Fling
TM59 - Brutal Swing
TM60 - Quash
TM63 - Embargo
TM64 - Explosion
TM66 - Payback
TM68 - Giga Impact
TM69 - Rock Polish
TM71 - Stone Edge
TM80 - Rock Slide
TM83 - Infestation
TM84 - Poison Jab
TM87 - Swagger
TM88 - Sleep Talk
TM90 - Substitute
TM95 - Snarl
TM97 - Dark Pulse
TM100 - Confide

Egg moves
Egg - Clear Smog
Egg - Mean Look
Egg - Pursuit
Egg - Imprison
Egg - Curse
Egg - Assurance
Egg - Shadow Sneak
Egg - Stockpile
Egg - Swallow
Egg - Spit Up
Egg - Scary Face
Egg - Spite

Overview: WIP

Sample Sets
Muk-Alolan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 248 HP / 100 Atk / 92 Def / 64 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant/Brave Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Gunk Shot/Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak/Brick Break/Fire Blast

First off, major credit to this set goes to Vengeance417. "Physical bulk prevents Latios's EQ from 2HKOing you, special bulk prevents Latios's Draco Meteor from doing half, keeping you relatively healthy and still dodging the EQ knockout (although you'll most likely die after rocks, so keep those off the field), 4 speed to creep on opposing 50s such as Tangrowth and the rest in Attack."

Knock Off and Pursuit being STAB are amazing, and with Poison Touch you have a 30% chance to poison whatever you're hitting as well, which is excellent, especially versus defensive switch-ins like Landorus-T and Garchomp. Gunk Shot/Poison Jab are your choices of Poison STAB, with Gunk Shot packing significantly more power at the cost of accuracy and PP and most importantly, lack of contact means Gunk Shot only has a 30% chance to poison as opposed to the 51% of PJab. Shadow Sneak is your only form of priority (until hopefully Sucker Punch gets released), but it's still serviceable given your naturally decent Attack stat. If you don't really want the priority, you can run Brick Break to hit things like Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Bisharp on the switch and do good damage to them. If you choose to run Fire Blast in the last slot, use 44 SpA EVs and a neutral SpA nature to 2HKO max SpDef Mega Scizor and standard Ferrothorn, both of which wall you and can set up on you otherwise.

Muk-Alolan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk/SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Gunk Shot/Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak/Brick Break

Simplified EVs if you just want to be a special tank.

Muk-Alola @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot/Poison Jab/Poison Fang
- Pursuit/Sleep Talk
- Shadow Sneak/Rest

PhysDef Muk has a tougher time checking Fairies/Psychics that its AV sets eat up, but has a nice niche in checking Hoopa-Unbound and strong physical Dark/Poison attackers, the former of which is a problem for many slower teams. If you're running Rest, run Sleep Talk.

Teammates: Alolan Muk appreciates having its one weakness-Ground-covered, and also likes any reliable recovery, since some of its better sets (namely AV) have 0 reliable recovery. Predictably, Tapu Bulu is a fantastic partner for Alolan Muk, as it not only covers the Ground weakness of Alolan Muk but also halves the damage of Earthquake (by far the most common Ground coverage) for 5 turns due to Grassy Terrain, letting Alolan Muk not worry as much about that. In addition, Grassy Terrain also gives Leftovers-level recovery to all grounded pokemon on the field, which includes Alolan Muk. This source of recovery-albeit minor and temporary, is greatly appreciated. In exchange, Alolan Muk covers Tapu Bulu's 4x weakness to Poison.

Alolan Muk also benefits from having hazards up due to its ability to force switches and Pursuit trap, while also loving hazard removal since it's grounded and has no reliable recovery. To this end, partners like the Lati twins and Dhelmise/Decidueye are great, since all of these can remove hazards and have decent type syngery (namely resisting or being immune to Ground) with Alolan Muk. Skarmory is a good physical wall that is immune to Ground and appreciates a specially bulky partner, and it can set up hazards/remove them as well.

Generally speaking, Pokemon that don't like Psychic and Fairy types can benefit from having an Alolan Muk on their team.

 

[Kink]

Gluttony's descriptions is off: Consumes pinch Berries at 50% HP or less.

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

I think one of the obvious uses this thing has is an aegislash answer. It's probably a bit gimmicky but a protective pads set with pursuit effectively checkmates it: you under speed, you won't get the -2 attack, aegislash can't really do anything back (flash cannon hurts a bit but doesn't 2hko,) and it takes like 60% when switching out, which weakens it enough to the point where it can't really do much the rest of the match.

Other than that, poison touch knock off is fucking obnoxious and the special bulk is real, and the typing is pretty good with a good movepool. I think it'll find some use.

 

[CQCheck]

although i dont have the most experience, i think that A-Muk will be a really good user of Curse once he finds his place in the metagame

 

[BeardyBennett]

Just to clarify, A-Muk does not learn Ice Punch.

 

[TURBODERP]

Just to clarify, A-Muk does not learn Ice Punch.

Wait, Muk only got that through Move Tutors? NEVER MIND

 

[BeardyBennett]

Wait, Muk only got that through Move Tutors? NEVER MIND

Yep, so A-Muk doesn't really have much of an answer for Ground types. Will probably just have to try and make reads

 

[TURBODERP]

Yep, so A-Muk doesn't really have much of an answer for Ground types. Will probably just have to try and make reads

Yea. I think the best option is to Knock Off on the switch and hope you get that nice 30% Poison chance, because that really hurts Lando-T and Garchomp since they don't get any reliable recovery.

 

[ProjectTitan313]

Yep, so A-Muk doesn't really have much of an answer for Ground types. Will probably just have to try and make reads

One does not make reads, you simply spam Knock Off until everything is itemless, mega, or Z-crystals.
The lack of Sucker Punch and Recover is basically its only flaw in life tbh. CB Muk is a nasty bitch too, +1 Poison Touch Knock Off spam and Pursuit ruin lives, destroy families, and justify riots.
+1 Gunk Shot is also obnoxious to eat if you don't resist.
Standard Poison is shit compared to burns and such yes, but the 1/8th HP chip damage per turn really helps wear things down fast. It actually does more damage than Toxic if they're out 3 turns or less.
Ah and the Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk / Curse shenanigans, its a shame my old Stockpile + PuP set isn't available right now.

Very much on my to-breed list.

 

[Jibaku]

Something worth noting is that Figy Berry and its clones now restore 50% HP if the user is below 25% HP. Muk gets Gluttony, which I believe allows it to trigger the effect at 50% HP, potentially making it even tankier than with Assault Vest and opening a utility moveslot (though it doesn't get much). You do lose the Poison Touch bonus, however.

 

[steviestar]

Doesn't Figy berry have a chance to randomly confuse, though? That sounds like too nasty of a side-effect to be worth using.

 

[ProjectTitan313]

Something worth noting is that Figy Berry and its clones now restore 50% HP if the user is below 25% HP. Muk gets Gluttony, which I believe allows it to trigger the effect at 50% HP, potentially making it even tankier than with Assault Vest and opening a utility moveslot (though it doesn't get much). You do lose the Poison Touch bonus, however.

Figy would be badass on Wishiwashi imo :P
Poison Touch is such a nice cancer though idk if I could give up the residual damage and comedy relief.

Doesn't Figy berry have a chance to randomly confuse, though? That sounds like too nasty of a side-effect to be worth using.

Its based on the Nature, different natures like spicy / bitter / sweet / etc berries. Wrong flavor will confuse, liked flavor won't. iirc.

 

[BeardyBennett]

One does not make reads, you simply spam Knock Off until everything is itemless, mega, or Z-crystals.
The lack of Sucker Punch and Recover is basically its only flaw in life tbh. CB Muk is a nasty bitch too, +1 Poison Touch Knock Off spam and Pursuit ruin lives, destroy families, and justify riots.
+1 Gunk Shot is also obnoxious to eat if you don't resist.
Standard Poison is shit compared to burns and such yes, but the 1/8th HP chip damage per turn really helps wear things down fast. It actually does more damage than Toxic if they're out 3 turns or less.
Ah and the Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk / Curse shenanigans, its a shame my old Stockpile + PuP set isn't available right now.

Very much on my to-breed list.

Yeah STAB Knock Off can put in the finest. Just gotta make the reads if there's Dugtrio because then it's RIP for A-Muk.

 

[BENDIEZ]

What? Those useless confuse berries now restore 50%? That's a bit crazy. Here is a list of Natures and their hated flavors that will confuse Pokemon if a berry is consumed, the favor a Pokemon hates is determined by which stat a nature decreases by 10% if you forgot.


Minus Speed: Hates Sweet

Brave
Relaxed
Quiet
Sassy

Minus Attack: Hates Spicy

Timid
Bold
Modest
Calm


Minus Sp.Atk: Hates Dry

Adamant
Jolly
Impish
Careful
Docile

Minus Sp.Def: Hates Bitter

Naughty
Rash
Lax
Naive


Minus Def: Hates Sour

Lonely
Gentle
Mild
Hasty

Legend:

Attack: Spicy
Defense: Sour
Sp. Atk: Dry
Sp.Def: Bitter
Speed: Sweet

 

[aaditmshah]

Here's a defensive set that I've had decent success with:

Muk-Alola @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Poison Fang
- Sleep Talk
- Rest

Alolan Muk is bulky enough to survive Thousand Arrows from an Adamant Choice Banded Zygarde (proof: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-484038898). Furthermore, due to its respectable base special defense and excellent typing it's able to function as a physical wall as well as a decent special wall.

The goals of this set are threefold. First, get rid of the opponents items using Knock Off. Second, spread toxic and poison using Poison Fang and Poison Touch respectively. Third, out-stall the opponent using Sleep Talk and Rest. It's a good answer to Toxapex as it isn't scared of Scald burns and it can out-stall the critter (replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-482651071). It can also switch in on Mega Alakazam and spam Knock Off. Finally, the 50% chance of badly poisoning the opponent is important to defeat both walls and setup sweepers, and is actually quite reliable. It's also a great alternative to Toxic as it can be used to deal with fairies.

Alolan Muk works best on balanced teams. Mandibuzz is an excellent partner for it as it can switch-in on mons trying to setup on Muk and destroy them with Foul Play. It's also immune to Ground and provides Defog support. Alolan Muk doesn't really mind being burned or intimidated as its primary purpose is to remove items, spread status and out-stall the opponent. Damage output is secondary. That being said, it can definitely hurt a lot of mons. In particular, it's an excellent counter to Alolan Marowak as it can outspeed and deprive the critter of its Thick Club without which its a below average mon.

 

[pika pal]

Sadly for Alolan Muk, it has an Alolan pre-evolution, which as I can tell locks it out of access to moves from prior Gens via evolution (someone posted in the Raichu thread that one-form mons from prior gens could evolve into their Alolan forms after transfer). That Dark typing for STAB Knock Off and a much stronger defensive typing benefits Muk noticeably, but unfortunately I think being locked out of some old tutor moves like Ice Punch will hold it back on an offensive front.

I do wanna say, Alolan Muk is another example of what I like in an Alolan form: adding a little something to a mon that was close to having a niche (maybe not an OU-usage one, but something making it worth considering) to get it there. With this typing, Muk's a pretty decent special tank and a check to quite a few relevant Psychic mons.

 

[Cenamazing]

I'm not so sure this thing will be as successful as it looks. While it's got an excellent typing and a nice attack stat, it's very slow, and ends up facing a lot of competition from Drapion. While A-Muk has a better Attack Stat and can run Curse much more effectively, it lacks the speed and raw defenses of Drapion. And even Drapion wasn't viable in OU, relegated to being above-average in RU. Only time will tell if this becomes a truly powerful mon.

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

I'm not so sure this thing will be as successful as it looks. While it's got an excellent typing and a nice attack stat, it's very slow, and ends up facing a lot of competition from Drapion. While A-Muk has a better Attack Stat and can run Curse much more effectively, it lacks the speed and raw defenses of Drapion. And even Drapion wasn't viable in OU, relegated to being above-average in RU. Only time will tell if this becomes a truly powerful mon.

Alolan Muk is slightly frailer on the physical side, for much higher bulk on the special side.

252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Muk: 416-492 (118.5 - 140.1%)
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Drapion: 302-356 (107.4 - 126.6%)

0 SpA Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Drapion: 148-175 (52.6 - 62.2%)
0 SpA Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Muk: 117-138 (33.3 - 39.3%)

The speed is also traded for two worthwhile options for ability (all of Drapion's are pretty mediocre) and higher attack; it also gets Gunk Shot, which is pretty big. I think Alolan-Muk is strictly the better mon, in that it has a discernible niche (checking certain special attackers) that Drapion simply can't perform, but I won't pretend both are very stellar.

 

[TURBODERP]

Alolan Muk certainly won't be an OU staple, but it's got good enough stats and a decent enough movepool (PLEASE GET SUCKER PUNCH THOUGH) to be viable.

It checks/counters almost every Fairy and Psychic type in the tier.

 

[Tingtitan]

I can totally see this mon being UU or above when bank comes out and you can use the stockpile + swallow + 2 attacks set.

 

[Clair]

I think the complex EV spread is a bit wasteful on a Pokemon running Assault Vest, no recovery and Poison Touch. Just maximise special bulk.

 

[Sunbomb47]

What Pokemon can give A-Muk pursuit as an egg move?

 

[yandaud]

Alolan-Muk is interesting. Its typing and stats make it a reliable check to specially offensive psychic types (like Mega-Alakazam, Hoopa-U etc) as it's neutral to their coverage. However the threats that it deals with (psychic, fairy and grass types) are beaten by better pokemon like Aegislash, Genesect, Mega-Scizor etc so i don't think it's really useful to run it right now. It doesn't help that it's weak to ground types and lost Ice Punch.

 

[StickyRobot]

What Pokemon can give A-Muk pursuit as an egg move?

Currently nothing until Pokebank is released. After which Spiritomb and the Duskull line learn Pursuit and can breed with it.

 

[Dziga]

I want to use this one, even though I don't see it being more then an insignificant niche when the meta becomes stable.