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Moves Pursuit lets Alolan Muk trap and remove Psychic- and Ghost-types like Latias and Chandelure as well as reliably weaken other special attackers like Nihilego, Moltres, and Rotom-Mow. Gunk Shot is Alolan Muk's strongest attack, and it lets Alolan Muk OHKO Pokemon such as Mega Pidgeot after Stealth Rock and 2HKO Pokemon such as Hydreigon. Gunk Shot is also capable of pressuring Blissey more easily. Alternatively, Poison Jab can be used as a more accurate and more reliable Poison-type STAB attack that takes full advantage of Poison Touch with a combined 51% chance to poison foes. Knock Off is a general utility move that is also Alolan Muk's strongest Dark-type STAB attack; it can remove items from common switch-ins like Swampert and Rhyperior to punish them. Fire Punch lets Alolan Muk threaten Steel-types like Scizor and Klefki on the switch. Shadow Sneak is an alternative option over Fire Punch that lets Alolan Muk reliably switch in and beat Calm Mind Dragonium Z Latias, and it also can be used to pick off severely weakened threats more easily. Fire Blast is an alternative over Fire Punch that can deal more damage to Cobalion, but it does less damage than Fire Punch to Scizor and specially defensive Klefki and is also less accurate. Focus Punch lets Alolan Muk hit Terrakion, Cobalion, and Krookodile on the switch and deal heavy damage to Blissey if it uses a status move. However, the move is very tricky to use, so it's rather niche. Set Details Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature lets Alolan Muk deal as much damage as possible. Maximum Special Defense EVs with an Assault Vest give Alolan Muk a very respectable amount of special bulk to check threats such as Celebi and Gengar more effectively. A Brave nature should be used if running Fire Blast so Alolan Muk's Special Attack is not decreased. Poison Touch gives all of Alolan Muk's contact attacks an additional chance to poison foes. Alolan Muk's spread is extremely customizable depending on the needs of the team; for example, it can run a bulkier spread of 252 HP / 112 Atk / 112 SpD / 32 Spe with an Adamant nature, which allows it to outspeed Swampert, take physical hits like Swampert's Earthquake and Cobalion's Close Combat better, and overall take less chip damage. Usage Tips Keep Alolan Muk healthy in matchups where it can Pursuit trap foes such as Latias and Chandelure, as they can break through it easily if it takes too much damage beforehand. On the other hand, if there are no Pokemon that Alolan Muk will be particularly useful against, it can either be used as a sacrifice or attempt to spread poison and remove the items of foes with Knock Off until it is taken out. Alolan Muk needs to predict carefully against foes such as Calm Mind Latias and Calm Mind Chandelure; for example, if the foe has a boost from Calm Mind, Alolan Muk may want to consider using Knock Off rather than Pursuit for the increased damage output. Be aware, though, that +1 Dragonium Z Latias is capable of breaking past Alolan Muk anyway if it is healthy enough to survive a Knock Off. Sometimes, if Alolan Muk is in against a foe that it checks that doesn't threaten the team much, it may be best to let them switch out so that Alolan Muk can hit a predicted switch-in such as Swampert or Scizor with Knock Off or Fire Punch in order to cripple or KO them. Team Options Pokemon such as Cobalion and Infernape that struggle against threats such as Latias, Chandelure, and Gengar heavily appreciate Alolan Muk's ability to Pursuit trap these threats. Setup sweepers like Scizor and Cobalion heavily appreciate the removal of specially offensive revenge killers like Chandelure and Alolan Muk's ability to soften up foes by poisoning them and removing their items. Grass- and Water-types like Celebi, Rotom-Mow, Suicune, and Starmie make good partners for Alolan Muk because they can deal with Ground-types like Rhyperior, Swampert, and Hippowdon. Checks to Fighting-types such as Chandelure and Doublade can beat foes such as Cobalion and Infernape that exploit Alolan Muk. Wish support from Pokemon such as Sylveon and Alomomola and entry hazard removal from Pokemon such as Mega Altaria, Mantine, and Rotom-Mow are very valuable for Alolan Muk so that it can stay healthy throughout the match. Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Rotom-Mow, Infernape, and Scizor can bring Alolan Muk in safely against several of the foes that it Pursuit traps.

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Moves Alolan Muk naturally avoids a 2HKO from Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy enough, and it can even take multiple attacks when equipped with an Assault Vest. This makes Alolan Muk an effective Pursuit trapper that can guarantee said threats' removal. Though many Pokemon in Ubers hold irremovable items, Knock Off can punish a large number of switch-ins like Ferrothorn and Magearna that dislike losing their item. Knock Off is generally the most spammable move when Alolan Muk isn't attempting to Pursuit trap something, as foes with irremovable items that want to switch into it risk getting poisoned due to Poison Touch. Shadow Sneak gives Alolan Muk some usefulness against offensive teams by letting it pick off weakened Marshadow and Ultra Necrozma. More importantly, this move significantly improves Alolan Muk's matchup against Deoxys-A, as the latter is forced to predict between attacking Alolan Muk first on a predicted Pursuit or switching out on Alolan Muk's Shadow Sneak, which OHKOes it before it can move. Clear Smog is quite weak due to Alolan Muk's low Special Attack and lack of investment, but it is a crucial tool for Alolan Muk to weaken boosted Geomancy Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch. When Alolan Muk is no longer needed, this move also comes in handy against Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground by preventing them from setting up. Poison Jab enables Alolan Muk to defeat Life Orb Yveltal in a one-on-one situation, 2HKO Xerneas, and OHKO the rarer Tapu Lele. Combined with Poison Touch, Poison Jab also has a good chance to poison the foe. Set Details Maximum HP investment increases Alolan Muk's mixed bulk, and combined with 28 Defense EVs, Alolan Muk can avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Deoxys-A from full HP. 80 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature give Alolan Muk enough power to OHKO Mega Gengar on its switch with Pursuit. The rest of the EVs are invested into Special Defense to make Alolan Muk more challenging for Lunala and other special attackers to take down. Maximum Attack EVs can be considered to 2HKO Lunala with Shadow Shield intact with Pursuit. A stronger Pursuit also has better odds to 2HKO Mega Mewtwo Y. Poison Touch gives Alolan Muk's contact moves a 30% chance to poison the target, which makes it hazardous for Alolan Muk's checks like Primal Groudon to directly switch in. Usage Tips Alolan Muk boasts high special bulk with the given investment and Assault Vest. Pokemon like Arceus-Dark, Mega Gengar, and Lunala will struggle to take down healthy Alolan Muk with a few hits, and the latter two can be easily weakened or removed once Alolan Muk has switched in safely. Complete lack of recovery means Alolan Muk will inevitably be worn down as it continues to pivot into attacks. Unless the team has Wish support, Alolan Muk's health management will be important, so avoid switching into neutral attacks from Pokemon like Arceus-Water and taking damage from entry hazards. Especially if Alolan Muk has other important tasks to fulfill, such as trapping Deoxys-A, combating and weakening Yveltal for teammates, and remaining as an emergency stop to Geomancy Xerneas, it won't be able to keep itself healthy for multiple foes. This means even switching into Toxic users can be a risky move unless it is pivoting into an extremely passive foe like Blissey. However, opponents will often try to bait in Alolan Muk, and most teams will have at least two Pokemon that can take advantage of its tendency to reactively switch in. Alolan Muk especially suffers from the wide range of Pokemon that can threaten it in a one-on-one situation, and it is punished even more harshly if it runs into a check or counter after taking entry hazard damage. Be mindful about the significance of Alolan Muk and Pokemon it has to check. Teams that will be reliant on Mega Gengar or Lunala to gain an upper hand against slower teams that Alolan Muk commonly fits on will try to preserve them until it is weakened throughout the game or they have benefited a lot from baiting in Alolan Muk, double switching, and reversing momentum. Alolan Muk can exercise less caution against slower teams and defensive teams where there will be fewer offensive checks and more Pokemon like Blissey that also tend to reactively switch into their checks. These teams also tend to lack a Pokemon that Alolan Muk has to remain healthy to handle, so fully take advantage of Knock Off's item removal and Poison Touch in this matchup. Do not overlook Shadow Sneak's usefulness. In an emergency, Shadow Sneak can do minor damage and poison a foe at the same time, so Alolan Muk will have two chances to poison a foe setting up on it before going down. Shadow Sneak can also pick off weakened Psychic- and Ghost-types, preventing the likes of Ultra Necrozma and Marshadow from damaging a revenge killer before going down. While Alolan Muk's matchup against Mega Gengar is generally advantageous, some Mega Gengar variants with Will-O-Wisp can circumvent this. Substitute variants can also escape from Alolan Muk, as Substitute will take damage for Mega Gengar as it switches out. This means being overly reliant on Alolan Muk to compensate for the team's vulnerability to Mega Gengar isn't advised. Alolan Muk also struggles to effectively trap Gothitelle, as it is slower than Gothitelle, so it will be neutralized by Charm before it can KO back. Team Options Balanced and defensive teams can employ Alolan Muk to provide themselves with security against Ghost-types. Teammates like Arceus-Fairy, Lugia, and Mega Slowbro, which are vulnerable to Mega Gengar, benefit from Mega Gengar's absence and Alolan Muk making Lunala hesitate before taking advantage of them. These Pokemon may also struggle to properly deal with Toxapex, and Alolan Muk can absorb Toxic Spikes on the switch when given a chance. In return, Lugia and Mega Slowbro are capable of checking Primal Groudon, which may set up as Alolan Muk is forced out. Arceus-Fairy can check threats like Yveltal and Marshadow and prevent Calm Mind Arceus-Dark from fully setting up on Alolan Muk lacking Clear Smog. Entry hazard support will come in handy, as Facade Mega Salamence will struggle to take advantage of status induced by Alolan Muk and keep itself healthy at the same time with Stealth Rock on the field. Defensive Ho-Oh can be also a nuisance to this set, and Stealth Rock can be helpful for this reason as well. Primal Groudon and Arceus-Fairy can be appropriate choices for Stealth Rock setters. Primal Groudon can take advantage of Steel-types that try to wall Alolan Muk, and with Alolan Muk potentially poisoning support Arceus formes, it can 2HKO them even when lacking offensive investment. Arceus-Fairy's ability to threaten Giratina-O and Mega Sableye while setting Stealth Rock will come in handy to pressure certain balance and defensive teams. In return, Alolan Muk can remove Leftovers from Magearna to make it easier for Arceus-Fairy to wear down. Defensive teams can use Chansey or Blissey to better check support Arceus formes and Xerneas. Chansey especially appreciates Alolan Muk's ability to remove Leftovers from Steel-types and Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, and it can keep Alolan Muk healthy with Wish support. Entry hazard removers are needed to prevent Alolan Muk from getting worn down by entry hazards. As a single switch when Stealth Rock is on the field can lower the chance that Alolan Muk checks Deoxys-A and Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, entry hazard removers like Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, and support Arceus formes are important partners. These Pokemon are also effective pivots to Primal Groudon. Choice Scarf Xerneas is also a considerable option, as it must be wary of Mega Gengar and can take down Ultra Necrozma, which Alolan Muk needs too much prior damage to reliably take down with Shadow Sneak.

Moves Knock Off cripples item-reliant Pokemon. Poison Jab deals great damage to Fairy- and Grass-type Pokemon, and its chance to poison the target is useful in spreading status conditions. Gunk Shot can be used over Poison Jab for more power, but its shaky accuracy is a big price to pay in such a hit-or-miss metagame. Imprison prevents opposing Pokemon from using Protect of their own, making it easier for teammates to predict and outplay them. It also limits what opposing Muk can do, as their only distinct move would most likely be Shadow Sneak or Curse. Shadow Sneak helps finish off opposing threats with low HP, and it can finish off Flying-types even in Psychic Terrain. Taunt is useful for shutting down defensive and support threats that rely on status moves to function effectively, as well as preventing opposing Pokemon from using Protect to ease prediction. Protect lets Alolan Muk scout for an opponent's move, survive a predicted Z-Move aimed at it, or simply disrupt the opponent's momentum through a turn of immunity. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes its offense and overall bulk, and an Adamant nature ensures Alolan Muk can hit as hard as possible on its own. Figy Berry allows Alolan Muk to restore half of its HP to prolong its field time. With Gluttony, this can occur as soon as it hits 50%, further decreasing the probability of a 2HKO from the opponent. If running Imprison, it would be a good idea to invest a little bit in Speed to outpace opposing Muk. Alolan Muk can run a more bulk-invested EV spread for increased longevity, but its moves will have a noticeable power drop. Usage Tips Porygon2 is a prime target for Knock Off, as it does not function well defensively without its Eviolite. If you think your opponent is running a Trick Room team, Alolan Muk may be a valuable option, as its low Speed helps it function well in this environment. If you have other slow Pokemon on your team, it may even be a good idea to lead with them to take advantage of all turns of Trick Room that they can get. If you have a lot of fast Pokemon on your team, it does very well against many common Trick Room setters. If you see a serious issue coming from one of your opponent's items, other than Z-Crystals, try to keep Alolan Muk alive until it can come in and get rid of the item with Knock Off. Team Options Tapu Bulu mitigates Alolan Muk's weakness to Earthquake with the Grassy Terrain it brings in its wake. Ungrounded Pokemon or those that resist Ground-type attacks, like Pelipper and Araquanid, are good options into which it can hard switch to tank Ground-type attacks aimed at it. Fire-types or the previously mentioned Araquanid can absorb Will-O-Wisps that would otherwise cripple Alolan Muk's longevity and offensive presence. Alolan Ninetales can set up Aurora Veil to give Alolan Muk even more staying power and make it easier to dish out damage or set up Curse.

Moves Knock Off is a good move that reduces the effectiveness of Pokemon that rely on their items. Poison Jab deals great damage to Fairy- and Grass-type Pokemon, and its chance to poison the target is useful in spreading status conditions. Gunk Shot is much stronger than Poison Jab, but it is also much less accurate. Curse allows Alolan Muk to augment its physical stats for higher physical power and survivability, all at only the cost of its already low Speed. Minimize gives Alolan Muk a chance to avoid powerful moves with its increased evasion, giving it more opportunities to deal damage, spread status, or remove items. Bear in mind that Hurricane, Blizzard, and Thunder are still guaranteed to hit Alolan Muk if used in their respective weather conditions, and that Alolan Muk becomes more susceptible to Heavy Slam and its doubled Base Power. Protect lets Alolan Muk stall out unwanted terrains and weather, as well as scout out what the opponent plans to do. Set Details The given EV spread makes Garchomp's Earthquake a 4HKO after one Curse and Figy Berry recovery while still letting it deal considerable damage after said Curse. A Brave nature is used, as with Curse repeatedly dropping its Speed, Alolan Muk can perform very well in Trick Room. Figy Berry and Gluttony are a great combination and help this defensive variant of Alolan Muk be even more defensive. Usage Tips Do not be hasty in bringing Alolan Muk out and setting up Curse. Wait for a good opportunity, such as when Trick Room is set up and the opponent only has physically offensive Pokemon, so that you know your setup will be effective and worthwhile. If running Minimize, on the other hand, Alolan Muk wants to avoid all the damage it can, so setting it up right away is generally a good idea. With that in mind, it is still recommended to try to find a good opportunity to do so, such as when there is no threat of Blizzard or Heavy Slam. Keep Alolan Muk alive if an opponent's item annoys you, and wait for an opportune moment to remove it with Knock Off. Team Options Tapu Fini can heal Alolan Muk with its Heal Pulse, further improving its longevity, as well as set up Misty Terrain to keep it healthy and status-free. Trick Room setters let Alolan Muk take full advantage of its Curse, letting it move before faster threats in the twisted dimensions. Alolan Ninetales can set up an Aurora Veil to make it even harder to take Alolan Muk down. Tapu Bulu and ungrounded Pokemon are generally helpful for removing its weakness to Earthquake, in the case of the former, or being good candidates to switch into to avoid it altogether, in the case of the latter.

Set Information Crunch is Alolan Muk's Dark-type STAB move, which allows it to threaten one of the most dangerous Mega Evolutions in the tier in Mega Alakazam, as well as other Psychic-types like Starmie and Mew. Fire Blast is used to damage Melmetal effectively. Mega Drain take advantage of some of Alolan Muk's checks, namely Poliwrath and Rhydon, while also granting it recovery. Alolan Muk uses Toxic to set a timer on bulky foes such as Mew and Zapdos, which is especially useful because its accuracy is boosted through its Poison typing. Rest can be opted for over Toxic as a means of restoring its health, but this leaves Alolan Muk vulnerable to setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Mega Alakazam and Nasty Plot Mew; moreover, this move usually would require support from Eevee-S's Sparkly Swirl because of the time it takes for Alolan Muk to wake up. Facade can also be used in the last moveslot to deal extra damage when afflicted with a status condition and is especially beneficial against Will-O-Wisp Mew, despite it being worn down by a potential Toxic as well. A Sassy nature bolsters Alolan Muk's defensive capabilities without sacrificing any power while still letting it be faster than foes such as Rhydon and Melmetal. Usage Tips Alolan Muk should be kept as healthy as possible in order to threaten powerful special attackers such as Mega Alakazam, Gengar, and Starmie. If Alolan Muk is using Rest, it should avoid being taken advantage of by setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Mega Alakazam and Nasty Plot Mew. Alolan Muk should avoid powerful physical attackers such as Mega Beedrill and Dragonite because of its very poor physical bulk. It should also be cautious of Eevee-S, as its ability to burn it through Sizzly Slide and sap away at its health through Sappy Seed make it a nuisance to remove. Team Options Alolan Muk greatly appreciates Eevee-S's support, as it has the capability to heal its status conditions through Sparkly Swirl, burn some of its physical checks such as Dragonite and Mega Gyarados through Sizzly Slide, and even provide it with residual recovery by virtue of Sappy Seed. This especially holds true for Rest variants of Alolan Muk. Physically defensive foes such as Melmetal, Poliwrath, and Mega Venusaur can sponge powerful physical attacks for Alolan Muk and can share the burden of sponging other special attacks from foes such as Mega Alakazam and Gengar if need be. Alolan Muk appreciates Flying-types such as Dragonite and Zapdos, as they cover its weakness to Ground-type moves. Psychic-types such as Mew and Mega Alakazam can also be paired with Alolan Muk, as they can heavily threaten common Fighting-types such as Poliwrath. In return, Alolan Muk can threaten opposing Psychic-types for Mew and Mega Alakazam.

Moves Knock Off is Alolan Muk's strongest STAB attack, providing secondary utility by removing items such as Klefki's Light Clay and Porygon2's Eviolite. Poison Jab gives Alolan Muk coverage for Dark-resistant Pokemon such as Mega Diancie, Mandibuzz, and Keldeo, has a chance to poison, and lets it act as a sweeper against Fairy teams. Curse lets Alolan Muk set up on a plethora of attackers and sweep teams. It also gives it Alolan Muk potential to take on opposing physical attackers such as Mega Sharpedo and Mega Aerodactyl. Recycle combined with Iapapa Berry gives Alolan Muk a form of reliable recovery. Set Details Gluttony lets Alolan Muk use a Berry after it drops to half its health or below. This, in conjunction with Iapapa Berry and Recycle, gives it reliable recovery. 248 HP and 12 Defense EVs let Alolan Muk survive Victini's V-create and KO it. The Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature maximize Alolan Muk's special bulk, which works well with Curse mitigating its weakness to any physical attackers. Usage Tips Keep Alolan Muk as healthy as possible throughout a game by using Recycle frequently, especially against types such as Water where it's more useful as a check to special attackers than as a setup sweeper. Similarly, if Alolan Muk can provide more utility through Knock Off, bide your time and don't try to force yourself into setting up until late-game when checks such as Choice Band Victini are weakened or KOed. Curse Alolan Muk's claim to fame is founded in the Fairy matchup, so set up against weaker Pokemon, notably Klefki and Choice-locked Tapu Bulu, and look out for Knock Off users like Azumarill and Clefable. Also, it will rarely be capable of outright sweeping from the get-go, so weaken some of its checks and go for setup late-game. Checks like Choice Band Diggersby are capable of switching in on Curse and forcing Alolan Muk out, so attacking them on the switch, especially early-game, could leave them crippled and potentially prevent them from checking Alolan Muk later on. Similarly, try to spread poison via Poison Jab to wear down checks. Knock Off does significantly less damage once the foe's item has been removed, so use Poison Jab in these cases for higher damage output. Avoid status, specifically burn and paralysis, and at all costs avoid Knock Off, as Alolan Muk losing its Iapapa Berry will cripple it for the entire game. Team Options Hydreigon has Taunt to beat checks to Alolan Muk such as Taunt Gliscor and Haze Toxapex. It also provides a Ground immunity, forcing some prediction with opposing Ground-types like Nidoking. Knock Off from Alolan Muk helps Hydreigon break down walls like Porygon2 as well. Mega Sableye is able to bounce back status-inducing moves like Will-O-Wisp and entry hazards like Stealth Rock that quickly wear down Alolan Muk. It also weakens physical attackers, giving Alolan Muk more freedom to set up. Alolan Muk can be supported by means of Pursuit from Krookodile or Weavile to take care of some of its more common checks, notably Choice Band Victini and Diggersby. Tyranitar is able to spread status, set Stealth Rock to wear down foes for Alolan Muk, and take care of special threats, giving Alolan Muk more room to set up and relieving some of the pressure that special attackers force on it. Mandibuzz is able to clear hazards and check physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Azumarill that Alolan Muk would otherwise struggle with. Greninja can force out wallbreakers like Diggersby that beat Alolan Muk as well as set up Spikes to soften offensive checks lacking recovery.

Moves Curse allows Alolan Muk to act as a bulky setup sweeper. Knock Off is Alolan Muk's main attack and grants it the ability to remove a foe's item such as Kyurem-B's Life Orb. Pursuit allows Alolan Muk to trap Pokemon that are looking to switch out, namely Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Blacephalon and Latios, which can threaten the team otherwise. Poison Jab is an option over Pursuit that allows Alolan Muk to hit Fairy- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu and Mandibuzz. Recycle allows Alolan Muk to reuse its Iapapa Berry after it has been eaten. Set Details 248 HP and 12 Defense EVs allow Alolan Muk to tank Choice Scarf Victini's V-create after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining EVs go into Special Defense to maximize Alolan Muk's special bulk, allowing it to tank hits such as Latios's Draco Meteor. Gluttony allows it to consume Iapapa Berry earlier, giving Alolan Muk access to a reliable form of recovery. Usage Tips Since Alolan Muk depends on its Iapapa Berry and Recycle to keep its HP high, it should avoid getting its Iapapa Berry removed by moves such as Trick and Knock Off. Additionally, Alolan Muk should Recycle its Iapapa Berry as often as it can to keep its health as high as possible for later in the game. Alolan Muk should also avoid burns, as it depends on its Attack stat to successfully do damage. Use Knock Off to remove foes' items such as Chansey's Eviolite and Victini's Choice Scarf. Also, switch Alolan Muk into predicted Psychic-type attacks such as Latios's Psychic and proceed to trap the foe with Pursuit; do the same to take on Ghost-types such as Gengar and Blacephalon and weakened threats such as Protean Greninja after it has changed types. Team Options Alolan Muk benefits the whole team by providing a key immunity to Psychic-type attacks and the ability to Pursuit trap Psychic-type threats. Crobat is immune to Ground and creates a solid defensive core with Alolan Muk. Additionally, Crobat can act as the team's Defogger, prevent walls from recovering damage with Taunt, and take on threats such as Mega Gallade and Kommo-o with Brave Bird. Mega Venusaur provides a neutrality to Ground-type attacks for Alolan Muk. Additionally, it can take on Water- and Ground-type Pokemon with Giga Drain and provide Alolan Muk with Leech Seed recovery. Toxapex provides the team with Toxic Spikes, which wears down the opposing team and allows Alolan Muk to muscle past its checks with more ease. Additionally, it can fish for burns with Scald, allowing Alolan Muk to set up more easily against physical attackers. Toxapex can also switch into weak attacks and easily brush them off thanks to Recover and Regenerator. Nidoking provides the team with an Electric immunity and has amazing coverage moves such as Flamethrower, allowing it to hit Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, and Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, which allow it to hit all Pokemon for neutral damage. Choice Scarf Nihilego is a faster Stealth Rock setter that can act as the team's revenge killer, since it can outspeed threats such as +1 Mega Charizard X and Garchomp. Salazzle has the unique ability of being able to poison Poison- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Toxapex and Heatran. Additionally, it can also take on Steel- and Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn with Flamethrower. Scolipede and Gengar are less viable options on Poison teams, but they do match up well against Psychic-type teams, which Poison otherwise struggles with, freeing up Alolan Muk to use Poison Jab over Pursuit.

Moves Knock Off is a decent STAB attack that removes items, helping to take on Eviolite users such as Chansey and allowing Alolan Muk to more easily beat some Choice item users like Diggersby. Poison Jab is the preferred Poison-type STAB move because it has a 51% chance of poisoning targets thanks to Poison Touch and is reliable for beating Fairy-types. Rock Slide is a great coverage option that OHKOes huge threats to Dark teams such as Volcarona. It also almost always OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and deals significant damage to Mega Pinsir to prevent it from setting up safely. Fire Punch hits Steel-types such as Klefki and Mega Scizor better than any of Alolan Muk's other moves do, preventing them from setting up on Alolan Muk. Fire Blast does have a few advantages over Fire Punch, though, in being able to avoid contact with Ferrothorn, 2HKO Bisharp, and prevent Alakazam from using Counter, but Fire Blast does suffer from worse accuracy. Pursuit is also an option over a coverage move to hit Pokemon as they switch out, which can be helpful for taking out or at least chipping away at Pokemon such as Alolan Raichu and Mantine that Alolan Muk forces out. Set Details 248 HP and 12 Defense EVs means that even after Stealth Rock, Alolan Muk will never be OHKOed by V-create from Choice Scarf Victini. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to maximize Alolan Muk's special bulk. A Careful nature is used with an Assault Vest to improve Alolan Muk's Special Defense even more. If Fire Blast is used, a Sassy nature should be used to avoid lowering its damage output. Poison Touch gives Alolan Muk an additional 30% chance to poison its targets and is especially effective with Poison Jab. Usage Tips Alolan Muk can easily switch into most special attackers with its great bulk, and passive walls such as Chansey typically can't threaten it thanks to its Poison typing, so take advantage of these foes early-game to bring Alolan Muk into play often. If Alolan Muk is carrying Pursuit, you can play more riskily and switch it directly in against Pokemon it wants to trap, such as Latios, in order to secure the KO. Try to keep entry hazards such as Stealth Rock away to avoid making Alolan Muk take unnecessary damage, as the lack of recovery means that damage will add up fairly quickly. Early-game, use Knock Off liberally to remove as many of the opposing team's items as possible. For example, against Fairy teams, removing the enemy Klefki's Light Clay is a top priority early on to limit the number of turns that Reflect and Light Screen will halve the damage you deal. While using Knock Off, Alolan Muk should also use Poison Jab frequently to spread poison. In this way, Alolan Muk can cripple walls like Porygon2 in two ways, both by removing a crucial item such as Eviolite and by poisoning them. Be careful when trying to poison walls that can burn Alolan Muk, such as Mega Sableye and Mantine, though, as it hates being burned. In addition to halving Alolan Muk's Attack, burns start the timer on how long Alolan Muk can act as a wall. Make sure to preserve Alolan Muk's health in matchups where it is needed to check a high priority threat. For example, against Bug teams, Rock Slide Alolan Muk is the most reliable check to Volcarona, as even a +2 Inferno Overdrive with Stealth Rock support can't OHKO Alolan Muk, so it is important to not let Alolan Muk take too much damage early on. Team Options Alolan Muk is a great teammate for almost all Dark teams, as it serves as a Fairy check for offensive teams and a very bulky special wall for more balanced teams. Entry hazard control is important for preserving Alolan Muk's HP, so Mega Sableye and physically defensive Mandibuzz are frequent partners for Alolan Muk, as Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from coming up and Mandibuzz can Defog hazards if they get past Mega Sableye. Together, the trio form a great defensive core as well, covering all weaknesses effectively. While Sand Stream will chip away at Alolan Muk, Tyranitar is still a good option for supporting Alolan Muk. Tyranitar can use Pursuit, letting Alolan Muk bring coverage moves instead, and it also has Stealth Rock to help punish the switches that Alolan Muk can easily force. With Levitate, Hydreigon makes for a more offensive teammate that can help beat Ground-types for Alolan Muk. Hydreigon also takes on physical walls and particularly Steel-types very effectively, so Alolan Muk may find it easier to drop Fire-type coverage for other options. Greninja is another strong offensive Ground check, as its Ice Beam threatens almost every Ground-type. Greninja also uses U-turn for pivoting into Alolan Muk easily and Gunk Shot to relieve some of the pressure on Alolan Muk to check Fairy-types. Weavile can be helpful for relieving pressure on Alolan Muk, as it sometimes runs Pursuit to enable Alolan Muk to choose other coverage moves and can offensively check most Ground-types such as Garchomp.

Moves Pursuit enables Alolan Muk to trap and pressure Psychic-types such as Alolan Raichu as well as general special attackers that it forces out such as Magnezone. Knock Off is usually Alolan Muk's strongest STAB move and can be useful for removing items such as Eviolite and Leftovers from the foe. Poison Jab's considerably high chance to poison the foe allows it to be a good secondary STAB move that can wear down many of Alolan Muk's switch-ins, such as Mega Sableye. Fire Blast offers useful coverage to hit Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. Its main purpose, however, is to avoid Alakazam's Counter, allowing Alolan Muk to safely break its Focus Sash and proceed to trap it. Although weak, Shadow Sneak is a decent option that allows Alolan Muk to fire off a move before going down, since it's very slow, and pick off weakened Psychic-types such as Victini. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes Alolan Muk's special bulk and allows it to always survive Choice Scarf Victini's V-create after a round of Stealth Rock. Poison Touch gives Alolan Muk's contact moves a respectable chance to poison defensive switch-ins such as Landorus-T. Assault Vest enhances Alolan Muk's special bulk to incredible levels, allowing it to fully serve as an amazing check to many of the metagame's special attackers such as Tapu Koko. A Sassy nature is used in order to increase Alolan Muk's Special Defense while not sacrificing Fire Blast's power. However, if a physical move is run over it, then a Careful nature is preferred. Usage Tips Alolan Muk's main role is that of a special pivot, so it is safe to bring it in on special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Porygon-Z while it's healthy. However, since it has no way of recovering HP, Alolan Muk should not be worn down unnecessarily throughout the match. Avoid switching into entry hazards unless necessary in order to preserve HP. It is especially important to preserve Alolan Muk in matchups where it is needed to trap dangerous Pokemon such as Blacephalon and Latios, as these Pokemon have a much easier time against the rest of the team. Because of this, Alolan Muk is absolutely crucial in the Psychic matchup, as its stops Pokemon like Mew from simply using their super effective STAB moves and it puts consistent pressure in the matchup thanks to Knock Off and Pursuit. When trapping frailer Psychic-types such as Latios, it is always better to use Pursuit right away, as it will heavily damage them even if they choose to stay in. Alakazam should never be Pursuit trapped while at full HP, however, as it will always survive a hit thanks to its Focus Sash and KO Alolan Muk back with its Counter. Lastly, Alolan Muk should avoid burns from Will-O-Wisp and Scald, as this will cripple its otherwise respectable Attack stat and allow it to become setup bait for certain Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X. Team Options Mega Venusaur is a physically defensive tank that synergizes very well with Alolan Muk, as it can stomach physical attacks with its bulk as well as take on Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Swampert. Alolan Muk, on the other hand, can take on Psychic-types as well as most special attackers that can break past Mega Venusaur such as Volcarona. Toxapex completes an amazing defensive core between the two of them, as Regenerator in tandem with its ability to set Toxic Spikes goes hand in hand with Alolan Muk's ability to force switches and take on Pokemon such as Porygon-Z for it. Additionally, Toxapex can serve as a good physical switch-in and even burn physical attackers with Scald. Crobat is a good teammate, sporting a notable immunity to Ground, utility in the form of Taunt and Defog, and access to Flying-type STAB moves, allowing it to deal with stops to Alolan Muk such as Keldeo. Nidoking is a great special wallbreaker that can specifically eliminate Steel-types that trouble Alolan Muk, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela, as well as provide Stealth Rock support for the team. Thanks to the presence of Pokemon such as Skarmory and Landorus-T, Alolan Muk often struggles in the Flying matchup. Nihilego is a great teammate that can cover this, as its coverage is almost impossible to wall in this matchup, and it can also set up its own Stealth Rock. Lastly, Gengar can free Alolan Muk's load in the Psychic and Ghost matchups thanks to its great offensive typing and can take on more offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gallade after minimal chip damage.

Moves Pursuit is capable of hitting foes hard if they attempt to switch out, and it allows Alolan Muk to guarantee removal of threats like Mega Gengar and Latios while netting significant damage against Tapu Lele. Knock Off is a stronger Dark-type STAB move that has utility of removing items and scouting for potential Z-Crystals and Mega Stones from certain foes. The move also ensures that the likes of Heatran and Celesteela are punished should they switch directly into Alolan Muk. Poison Jab is a consistent Poison-type STAB move that is used to deal with Fairy-types and notably OHKOes Tapu Lele, leaving it with a risky situation if it attempts to stay in predicting Pursuit. Factoring in Poison Touch, Poison Jab has a very high chance to poison a foe which is hazardous to Alolan Muk's potential checks. The last moveslot depends on what foes Alolan Muk desires to hit. Fire Punch 2HKOes Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, has a chance to OHKO Kartana, and has general utility of hitting Steel-types super effectively. Rock Tomb lets Alolan Muk OHKO Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y and prevents Mega Salamence from freely setting up on Alolan Muk. Lastly, Shadow Sneak picks off weakened threats, especially Focus Sash users, and this move notably lets Alolan Muk finish off Tapu Koko, which has a chance to avoid the OHKO from Poison Jab. Set Details With 116 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature, Pursuit OHKOes Mega Gengar when it switches out, Poison Jab OHKOes Tapu Lele and 2HKOes Volcarona, and Knock Off almost always OHKOes maximum HP Aegislash in its Blade forme. Assault Vest in tandem with 140 HP EVs and 252 Special Defense EVs lets Alolan Muk avoid the 2HKO from Modest Choice Specs Tapu Lele, the 2HKO from +1 Volcarona after Stealth Rock, and the 3HKO from Life Orb Greninja. Minimizing Speed by using a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs is an option that lets Alolan Muk underspeed Quiet Aegislash and OHKO it with Knock Off after it attacks and transforms into its Blade forme. Usage Tips Since Alolan Muk is capable of taking special hits well, it is a promising idea to switch it in on special attackers such as Mega Gengar, Tapu Lele, and Greninja. It can also switch into predicted uses of Toxic from passive walls such as Chansey. Once it comes in, Alolan Muk can KO or weaken Ghost- and Psychic-types with Pursuit as they are forced out, or it can proceed to hinder foes by removing their items with Knock Off or spreading poison with Poison Jab. Opponents are likely to switch in Steel-types, preferably the ones that can take advantage of or force out Alolan Muk, with an intention to prevent the spread of poison. Keep in mind that most common switch-ins to Alolan Muk can be punished with predictions and the coverage move Alolan Muk is carrying. Some Steel-types like Celesteela and Heatran are greatly hindered by a well-timed Knock Off on the switch, while Ferrothorn and Scizor will be harshly punished by Fire Punch. Lastly, be wary of foes that use Scald or Will-O-Wisp, as getting burned significantly hinders Alolan Muk's offensive capabilities, notably leaving it unable to effectively Pursuit trap a foe. Team Options Fighting-types make good partners for Alolan Muk; they can handle the Steel-types that annoy Alolan Muk, while Alolan Muk can dispose of Ghost- and Psychic-types, threaten Fairy-types, remove items from various physical walls like Celesteela, and spread poison. Mega Blaziken in particular appreciates Alolan Muk's ability to remove problematic Pokemon like Choice Scarf Latios and various Ghost-types, and Mega Blaziken can potentially stall out poisoned foes with Protect or Substitute to the point that it can KO them. Pokemon that can switch into Ground-type moves or handle physical attackers are good defensive partners for Alolan Muk. Landorus-T compresses both of these roles while threatening Steel-types with Earthquake. Rotom formes are good checks to Mega Salamence and Celesteela, and they can neuter physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp, giving Alolan Muk a better chance to take on them on. Serperior is a good offensive partner to Alolan Muk, as it appreciates Alolan Muk's ability to remove Mega Gengar and hinder Steel-types with Knock Off and Fire Punch, and in return it can take on Ground-types for Alolan Muk. Tapu Bulu summons Grassy Terrain, which weakens Earthquake and provides Alolan Muk with passive recovery. Defensive partners like Chansey, Skarmory, and Gliscor can pair well with Alolan Muk in defensive teams, as all of them appreciate removal of Mega Gengar. The latter two can also switch into Ground-type moves for Alolan Muk.