Overview

Skuntank is a powerhouse in NU and UU. It is actually ridiculous. It has great STAB moves, a nice Attack, an awesome physical movepool, and is pretty cool in general. Aside from the fact it is pretty ugly, there isn't really much to say about it. It is a really effective Pokémon in the lower tiers, but it is pretty bland, I think anyway.

Ability

Stench: shouldn't be an option at all. It has some in-game use, decreases random battle chance or something, but this is from a competitive and battle standpoint, so this is useless.

Aftermath: oh man, this is a pretty cool ability. A potential free 25% damage to the opponent is awesome, and really makes Skuntank a threat even after it bites the dust.

Move Sets

A Band Stench

- Explosion
- Crunch
- Fire Blast / Rock Smash
- Pursuit / Poison Jab
Item Attached: Choice Band
Ability: Aftermath
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef) / Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

A Band Stench. It is like, a quadruple pun. Stench is banned as an ability because it does nothing, Band could be word play for bad or banned, and the set is Choice Band Skuntank! Honestly, I'm a genius. Oh right, the analysis... Explosion because Skuntank is all about power, and it has access to the most powerful move in the game. Absolutely devastating. Use it to remove a threat, or to simply go out with a bang! Get it? Crunch is an amazing STAB move with awesome reliability, as well as a game changing additional effect. That Defence drop is brutal when you get a lucky one in. Fire Blast removes the Steel types from play, which would otherwise wall Skuntank completely. However, you could opt for Rock Smash to take on the Rock/Steel Pokémon better, for the Defence drop, or simply because running Fire Blast would take out of Skuntank's Special Defence, therefore lowering its general survivability. Pursuit is awesome with good prediction, but you could go with Poison Jab for another strong STAB move that hits stuff that Crunch can't.

It Sounds As Bad As It Smells

- Screech
- Pursuit
- Explosion
- Poison Jab / Rock Smash
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Aftermath
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

Well, maybe not quite as bad, but it still has an awful Screech! Actually, it is pretty good. It forces switches due to the big Defence drop, which means Pursuit gets some serious action, removing the weakened and fleeing Pokémon from the game. Explosion will be hurting anything and everything, especially with Screech Defence drops. Poison Jab would be Skuntank's only strong reliable move, as pursuit is pretty weak when they aren't switching. However, Rock Smash is there for some Steel coverage, which, when combined with Screech, it can do pretty nicely.

Forget The Specs, You Need A Nosepeg

- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
- Sludge Bomb / Hidden Power [Ground]
Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Aftermath
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 20 HP / 252 SAtk / 236 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)

Yeah, I included this for the pun. Sue me. Anyway, this could work well as a surprise set. Dark Pulse replaces Crunch as the standard reliable Dark STAB, and it does its job well. Fire Blast sorts out the Steel types willing to take a Dark Pulse, Explosion or Sludge Bomb. Speaking of Explosion, it is great on this set as you can bait out the special wall and then boom. Sludge Bomb is Skuntank's strongest special move, but you could go with Hidden Power [Ground] to hurt the Rock/Steel Pokémon a lot, as well as a certain Poison/Fighting Pokémon.

Stuntank Smelt Itself

- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Payback / Crunch
- Roar / Toxic
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Aftermath
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 216 HP / 40 SAtk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)

Oh dear, the poor thing knocked itself out. Thankfully, this gives it the sleep it needs. Rest recovers Skuntank's health maximum, with Sleep Talk stopping it from being a sitting duck. Payback or Crunch depends on whether you think Skuntank will be hitting last or not, or if you want to get lucky with the Defence drop. Both are good options though. Roar phazes the opponent and racks up residual damage, with Toxic causing amazing residual damage and potentially ending stall wars.

EVs and Nature:

A Band Stench
236 Speed beats out positive 252 base 70s, which isn't too useful a Speed point, but it is still there incase of a surprise Butterfree or something. Max Attack for obvious reasons, leftover in HP.

It Sounds As Bad As It Smells
The same again. Skuntank is an offensive Pokémon and should be used as such, and EVed to support its offensive nature.

Forget The Specs, You Need A Nosepeg
Special version of the other sets. Swap the Attack EVs out for Special Attack and you are set.

Skuntank Smelt Itself
216 HP gives it 401 HP, which is a huge HP number. Also lets it takes five seismic tosses compared to four with just 400 HP. Max Special Defence as Skuntank is primarily taking hits from Psychics and Ghosts. The remainder goes into Attack.

Other Options

Flamethrower, Haze, Memento, Night Slash, Substitute, Sucker Punch, Taunt

Flamethrower is the more reliable, less powerful alternative to Fire Blast.

Haze can be used to remove any stat boosts. Done better with Roar, to be honest.

Memento is a suicide move that can easily lead to a set up for another one of your party members. However, Explosion is a better suicide move.

Night Slash is an alternative to Crunch, but Crunch is better, aside from the increased critical chance.

Substitute could be used with 101 subs, but Skuntank can't really do anything to take advantage of them.

Sucker Punch is another choice you could go with if you wanted a different Dark attack for the Choice Band set.

Taunt is usable because... it is Taunt. It is a great move. Just not too great on Skuntank.

Countering Skuntank

Toxicroak destroys Skuntank. Resistant to both STABs and smacking it back with a Cross Chop makes it an amazing switch in. Just watch out, Toxicroak isn't too bulky. Steel types make great switch ins. Aggron, Mawile, Probopass, any Steel with good Defence works. Drapion resists its STABs and has a nice Defence stat, as well as Earthquake. Bulky Grounds can wreck Skuntank. They have high Defence and STAB Earthquake. Sandslash, Quagsire, Nidoqueen, most of them will work just fine.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Not in Game Colosseum/XD Not in Game Fire Red/Leaf Green Not in Game Diamond/Pearl/Platinum Routes 222 & 229 (Diamond) Trade from Diamond(Pearl/Platinum) HeartGold/SoulSilver Trade from Diamond

Animé Appearences

Skuntank has had a handful of Animé Appearences. Most of its appearances were under the control of Jupiter as she assisted Team Galactic in their attempts to awaken Dialga and Palkia Episode 565: Double Team Turnover! Episode 594: Classroom Training Episode 595: Sliding Into Seventh Episode 618: Unlocking the Red Chain of Events! Episode 619: The Needs of Three Episode 620: The Battle Finale of Legend! Episode 642: Grand Festival! The Art of Flame & Ice!