Day 31: Slaking

Remember how Generation 1 gave us Snorlax? A fat, lazy, slow, but also very powerful Pokemon? Of course we all remember Snorlax. He's one of the most recognizable faces of the franchise.

Well, Snorlax isn't the only lazy Pokemon around here. If we fast forward two generations later to Generation 3, Game Freak will give us what I personally dub as 'Snorlax but better'.

That pokemon, of course, is Slaking!

(Insert Slaking cry here)

(BGM: Battle! Gym Leader theme from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald)

Snorlax wishes it could be as awesome as Slaking. But how is that possible? Slaking's official artwork and sprite makes it look like he gives less of a damn than Snorlax does. His sprite in Generation 4 involves him picking his nose for crying out loud!

Well, for starters, let's go into his ability.

Lyra: Isn't Slaking's ability the worst thing about him? (Sarcastically) Doing a bang up job proving why he's better than Snorlax.

Me: Did you ever wonder why Slaking's ability is so horrible?

Lyra: No.

Me: Well shut the hell up and I'll tell you.

See, Slaking's ability is Truant, and the only other Pokemon to have this ability naturally is its pre-evolved form Slakoth, and Truant was a pain in the ass on Slakoth. Basically Truant made it so Slakoth and Slaking could attack every other turn, and since Slakoth's attack power isn't that strong and he doesn't learn that many great moves, battles took forever whenever you were using one!

Thankfully that nightmare ends when Slakoth evolves into Vigoroth, a much faster and stronger Pokemon that ditches the Truant ability…only for him to get it right back when he evolves into the tubba-blubba known as Slaking. But unlike Slakoth, there's a very good reason why Slaking has Truant…

His 670 BST…

…

HIS! SIX HUNDRED! AND SEVENTY! B! S! T!

I am dead serious! We are looking at a non-legendary Pokemon with legendary stats! 150 HP, 160 Physical Attack, 100 Physical Defense, 100 Speed, 95 Special Attack, and 65 Special Defense! Holy crap!

Yeah the Special Defense stat is pretty lame, but it excels at everything else that it almost doesn't matter. With that HP and that Attack, Slaking can take a good beating and dish it out just as bad, all while moving decently fast too!

This is why Slaking has Truant! It would be utterly broken otherwise! So, naturally, if you have a Pokemon use Skill Swap on it, or if it enters a battle with a Galarian Weezing whose ability of Neutralizing Gas makes all Pokemon's abilities not work…Judgment Day has come and it has a lazy sloth face and a dad bod.

(Pause BGM)

(Editor's note: Hi, uh, quick update I just now realized that Slaking isn't in Pokemon Sword & Shield, the same game where Galarian Weezing is from, so therefore it really isn't possible for Slaking to be effected by Neutralizing Gas. I just left it in to give you that mental image of how awesome it would be. Okay, back to the story.)

(Turn the BGM back on)

Since Slaking is a normal type with an outrageous Physical Attack stat, he's actually one of the few Pokemon I recommend teaching HM moves like Strength and Rock Climb to. They actually do pretty good damage, and even more if Slaking is holding the Silk Scarf.

But other than that, of course I'd also recommend other strong Normal type moves like Return, Slash, Mega Punch, Mega Kick, and especially Giga Impact and Hyper Beam, those are easy givens.

But what about moves that aren't Normal-type, I hear you asking yourselves…oh, ho, ho, get ready for this one.

We have Hammer Arm, Throat Chop, Night Slash, the elemental punches, Aerial Ace, Earthquake, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Seed Bomb, Poison Jab, Play Rough, Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, Heavy Slam, Gunk Shot, and Outrage!

I refer you all back to my 'Judgment Day' comment.

I don't know what happened at Game Freak on the day they decided to create Slaking, and I don't know what possessed them into making 'Snorlax, but better', but I'm glad that whatever happened happened, and I'm glad that Slaking exists.

Again, Slakoth might be a pain in the neck to level up, but trust me it'll all be worth it when you get one of, if not, the best Physical attacking tanks in the game!

Go take yourself a nice long nap, Slaking, you deserve it!