Overview
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-Has distinct niche of hazard removal + psychic check in one slot
-Sucker Punch threatens offensive teams
-Absorbs Toxic Spikes
-Mediocre stats all around with weak coverage can give away free turns
-Doesn't match up well against almost all common hazard setters
Defog
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name: Defog
move 1: Defog
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Punishment / Crunch
move 4: Fire Blast / Pursuit
ability: Aftermath
item: Life Orb / Black Glasses / Black Sludge
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 SpA
nature: Lonely / Adamant
Moves
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-Defog because hazards are bad
-Sucker Punch is powerful STAB that threatens faster stuff
-One of Crunch or Punishment is needed to deal w/ CM Psychics reliably
-Crunch is reliable STAB, but Punishment most consistently deals with boosting Psychic-types.
-Fire Blast allows Skuntank to actually threaten Mega Steelix, the most common Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, Skuntank has no chance of consistently removing hazards as long as Mega Steelix is alive. It also threatens Cobalion, another common rock setter, while hitting Shiftry, and Virizion.
-Pursuit can eliminate or weaken Psychic types for teammates like Hitmonlee, Emboar, and Medicham, and pokemon trying to dodge a sucker punch by switching; Poison Jab can be used for a secondary STAB to prevent free switches to Dark-resists like Aromatisse
-The choice between Fire Blast and Pursuit largely depends on what Skuntank's priorities are on a team. If Skuntank is run mainly for its ability to weaken Psychic-types to facilitate a teammate's sweep, then Pursuit should be run. If Skuntank is run primarily for its hazard removing abilities, Fire Blast is preferred.
-Hidden Power is also a viable option depending on the pokemon you want to pressure. Hidden Power Water can hit Rhyperior, Mega Camerupt, and Houndoom, while tickling Mega Steelix. Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad as well as Rhyperior. Finally, Hidden Power Ground hits Qwilfish while also slightly damaging Mega Steelix and preventing Swords Dance Drapion and Houndoom from taking the advantage. Again, the choice depends largely on the niche Skuntank is intended to fit on a team.
Set Details
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-EVs are largely variable
-100 SpA with a Life Orb 2HKOs standard Mega Steelix
-Max attack makes it most consistent in checking Psychics
-rest dumped into HP to increase longevity
-If you do not run a specially attacking move, move the SpA EVs into HP and give it an Adamant nature
-More or less SpA can be run depending on the move used in the last slot in order to benchmark specific targets; the same applies for speed
-Black Glasses is a way to boost Skuntank's most used moves without wearing down; recommened on sets without Fire Blast
-Black Sludge if longevity is preferred
-Aftermath is the ability with the most utility in being able to potentially cripple a physical attacker
Usage Tips
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-Skuntank's role on a team is to clear away hazards and check Psychic-types
-Try to bring it on Psychic-types like Uxie, Bronzong and Reuniclus, which creates opportunities for hazard removal
-It can also potentially Defog against frail, fast mons it can scare off w/ Sucker Punch like Jolteon and Meloetta, and against pokemon w/o a way to hit it super effectively like Shiftry, opposing Skuntank, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss
-Many times pokemon that are threatened to be koed by Sucker Punch will want to switch, so Pursuit should be considered
-If there is a boosting Psychic on your opponents team, such as Reuniclus, try to preserve Skuntank
-Aftermath can be useful for Skuntank to be used as a sack to physical attackers if needed, for example it can significantly wear down Mega Glalie and Emboar
Team Options
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-Skuntank can help remove Psychic-types for its teammates, such as Reuniclus for Emboar , Medicham, and Cobalion
-Things that appreciate hazard removal are obviously good partners
-Things that appreciate t-spikes control, i.e. most grounded attackers
-In general teams looking for a Psychic-type check and hazard removal in a single slot
Other Options
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-Haze/Roar, but you already stop most setup sweepers
-Memento
-Taunt can stop Qwilfish from setting up hazards and Scrafty from setting up DD with enough speed investment
-Play Rough can lure in and remove Scrafty, but is incompatible with its two most important moves, Defog and Sucker Punch
Checks & Counters
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**Dark-type Resists**: Skuntank mostly relies on its Dark-type STABs to dish out damage, so stuff like Virizion, Shiftry, Drapion, Emboar, and Hitmontop can come in pretty easily. However, Fire Blast and Poison Jab can still hit most for reasonable damage. Cobalion also only fears a Fire Blast and can set up Stealth Rock again after it uses Defog.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Alomomola, Registeel, Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and other bulky stuff take little from any of Skuntank's moves. Note the latter three also set stealth rock.
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