No Choice
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return / Double-Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Night Slash / Sucker Punch
move 4: Pursuit
item: Choice Band
ability: Truant
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With the highest Attack stat in ZU, a wide offensive movepool, and a great Speed tier, Slaking stands out as a dangerous wallbreaker. Double-Edge can be used over Return for extra power at the cost of wearing Slaking down more quickly. Earthquake crushes Steel-types like Lairon and Pawniard and significantly damages Graveler. Night Slash targets Solrock and Ghost-types like Frillish and Gastly. Sucker Punch picks off faster Pokemon like Simisear, Emolga, and Persian with enough chip damage. Pursuit traps frail attackers like Persian, Pikachu, non-Protect Grumpig, and Mr. Mime. Pursuit can also remove sufficiently weakened defensive Pokemon, such as Frillish, specially defensive Clefairy, and Solrock.
Slaking best fits on balance teams due to its hit-and-run nature: it provides great offense, but it needs bulkier teammates to come in and tank hits if Truant forces it out. Staryu stands out as a great partner, pressuring Rock- and Steel-types with Scald and Frillish with Toxic, as well as removing entry hazards to improve Slaking's longevity. Pivots such as Emolga and Vibrava allow Slaking an easier time entering the field safely. Pokemon that commonly carry Protect, like Grumpig and Muk, can be especially problematic for Slaking; teammates like Emolga and Arbok can check them with their faster Speed or super effective coverage, respectively. Ground- and Fighting-types like Mienfoo, Hippopotas, and Whiscash can check Steel-types, while Grass-types like Meganium and Ivysaur can check Frillish and Solrock. Once Slaking has sufficiently damaged teams, offensive partners like Muk and Simisear can clean up late-game.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return / Double-Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Night Slash
move 4: Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Truant
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Scarf Slaking outpaces the entire unboosted metagame, serving as a strong revenge killer. Double-Edge provides higher damage output at the cost of recoil. Earthquake allows Slaking to revenge kill Rock Polish Lairon and the uncommon Pawniard. Night Slash targets Solrock and Ghost-types like Frillish and Gastly. Pursuit picks off weakened foes like Mr. Mime and non-Protect Grumpig.
This Slaking set fits better on bulky offense and balance teams, providing a revenge killer and Pursuit trapper. Pivots like Emolga and Pelipper allow it to hit the field more safely. Ground- and Fighting-types like Hippopotas, Vibrava, and Mienfoo check the Rock-types that switch in on Slaking, while Grass-types like Meganium and Ivysaur can pressure Frillish and Solrock. In return, Slaking can take on naturally fast Pokemon like Emolga and Simisear, as well as Choice Scarf users like Grumpig and Mr. Mime.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Giga Impact is Slaking’s strongest move, and Truant means Slaking would skip the next turn anyway, but it's situational since it forces Slaking to stay in. Hammer Arm on the Choice Band set punishes physically defensive Clefairy while retaining coverage for Rock- and Steel-types, but it is less accurate than Earthquake and lowers Slaking's Speed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Protect and Substitute**: Pokemon sporting Protect like Grumpig, Muk, and defensive variants of Leafeon and Shelgon can block every attack from Slaking, using it as setup fodder when Truant activates. If Substitute users like Simisear and Whiscash can set up a Substitute while Slaking is loafing around, they can automatically beat it.
**Ghost-types**: Frillish stands out as one of Slaking’s worst matchups, stomaching a Night Slash even after Stealth Rock. Frillish can cripple it with status or switch to a different teammate as Truant activates. Other Ghost-types like Lampent and Gastly can also switch into Return, but they must be much more careful with Slaking’s Dark-type coverage, and Earthquake for the former.
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Pokemon like Graveler, Lairon, and Pawniard can come in freely on anything but Earthquake, and they can retaliate by either setting up Stealth Rock or freely pivoting to other teammates. Solrock instead can come in on Earthquake but fears Night Slash. Wormadam-S particularly stands out, comfortably tanking any attack Slaking commonly runs and regularly running Protect.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Hippopotas and Gloom can stomach even a Choice Band-boosted Return, recover the damage off, and freely use their utility moves when Truant activates.
**Faster Pokemon**: Although Slaking sits at a good Speed tier, naturally faster Pokemon like Emolga and Simisear, and Choice Scarf users like Mr. Mime and Glaceon, can pick off Choice Band Slaking with enough chip damage. However, they must be aware of Slaking boasting a Choice Scarf of its own—note that, if Slaking KOes a foe with a move that didn't require Choice Band to KO, opponents may not discover Slaking's item.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[5Dots, 543866]]
- Quality checked by: [[Gangsta Spongebob, 535530], [Monai, 482455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Adeleine, 517429]]
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