Shadow Skuntank
Attack
Defense
Stamina
Fast
Best Movesets
Analysis
Even with the Shadow boost, Skuntank still doesn't make many waves.It can work as a Dark or Poison attacker, but it's out-classed on both sides.
Offense
- Poison Jab should be paired with Sludge Bomb for decent Poison-type DPS.
- Bite should be paired with Crunch to counter Psychic- and Ghost-types.
- Flamethrower and Trailblaze shouldn’t be used offensively.
Defense
- Poison Jab is superior to Bite on defense.
- Crunch is arguably the best move due to high damage post-STAB, 3-bars, and great neutral coverage.
- Flamethrower and Trailblaze are solid options on defense as well
- Sludge Bomb is good, but when combined with Poison Jab it leaves Shadow Skuntank far too easy to wall.
Poison Jab is usually preferred over Bite due to its significantly greater energy gains, though both gain STAB.
Crunch is required most of the time due to its lower 45 energy cost, in addition to its respectable STAB damage output. Trailblaze offers fair power and Attack boosts on use, making it a great move for Skuntank. Sludge Bomb takes advantage of STAB to outperform Flamethower from a stats perspective, but the latter can possibly offer more meaningful coverage, such as against Steel-type Pokemon or in the mirror match.
Skuntank gained attention relatively early in the PvP scene as a Pokemon with decent bulk, a relatively quick and strong moveset, and only a single weakness to Ground-type attacks. This made it quite popular in the Silph Arena's Twilight Cup in the early months of the PvP scene. Since then, Skuntank has seen a few uses here and there, although it's rarely at the top of the meta. It can sometimes find itself competing with a fellow Poison/Dark Pokemon, Drapion, as the latter is spammier and packs coverage against its sole weakness. However, Skuntank still holds a niche thanks to its strongest Fast Attack pressure and different coverage options with Flamethrower or Trailblaze.
