#089 Muk
Typing: Poison
Abilities: Sticky Hold- This Pokemon's item can not be removed. Increases encounter rate when fishing.
Stench- Decreases Wild Encounter rate
105/105/75/65/100/50
Curse
Muk@Black Sludge
Careful//Sticky Hold
252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD
-Curse
-Brick Break/Ice Punch
-Poison Jab/Ice Punch
-Rest/Shadow Sneak/Explosion
It already takes special hits well, so it can focus on taking physical hits with Curse. Boost your Attack and Defense, and attack away. Choose between Poison Jab, Brick Break and Ice Punch for your two main attacks. Then use Rest to heal and be set-up fodder, Shadow Sneak for priority and more coverage, or Explosion to blow something up.
Sub-Punch
Muk@Black Sludge
Adamant//Sticky Hold
EV/ 212 HP/ 252 Att/ 44 Def
-Substitute
-Focus Punch
-Poison Jab/Gunk Shot
-Payback/Ice Punch/Explosion
A simple Sub-Punching set-up. Throw up a Substitute on something you will scare away or something you will take little damage from, and then you can freely use Focus Punch. Substitute has the added bonus of blocking status. Payback is for the Ghosts that resist Poison and are immune to Focus Punch, Ice Punch being there for Claydol and Nidoqueen/king because they resist Fight/Poison and hit most Ghosts for neutral.
CB
Muk@Choice Band
Adamant//Sticky Hold
EV/ 224 HP/ 252 Att/ 32 Def
-Ice Punch
-Brick Break/Focus Punch
-Explosion
-Gunk Shot/Poison Jab
It's a Choice Bander. Explosion kills all, Ice Punch covers most Ground Pokemon, and your choice of STAB. Brick Break is reliable, or use Focus Punch if you want to do something to Steelix and Quagsire.
Rest-Talker
Muk@Black Sludge
Careful//Sticky Hold
EV/ 252 HP/ 80 Def/ 176 SpD
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Brick Break
-Poison Jab
And there's this to remedy it's lack of stable recovery. It can use this set to switch into Ninetales and others that would status it, because of it's high SpD and it being Poison type.
Tank
Muk@Black Sludge
Adamant/Brave//Sticky Hold
EV/ 252 HP/ 88 Att/ 188 SpD
-Giga Drain
-Poison Jab/Gunk Shot
-Ice Punch/Payback
-Brick Break/Focus Punch
Just attacks and takes hits. Giga Drain for Relicanth/Quagsire/Golem/Omastar that would switch into this Muk because they resist all of it's other moves. Your choice of STAB here, then Ice Punch or Payback for what you'd rather cover. Brick Break or Focus Punch for Rock/Steel which are common in the UU. And Explosion could be put somewhere in this set if you want to go out with a bang.
Mean Look
Muk@Black Sludge
Careful//Sticky Hold
EV/ 252 HP/ 80 Def/ 176 SpD
-Mean Look
-Toxic/Explosion
-Brick Break/Focus Punch
-Protect/Substitute
Use Mean Look to trap something, then proceed with other moves. Toxic can slowly get a KO, or Explosion to go kamikaze. Brick Break or Focus Punch again. Then use Protect if you want to stall the opponent with Toxic easier than you would with Substitute; but you could SubPunch to deal with Steels that are immune to Toxic. If you run Substitute and Focus Punch, shift some of the SpD EVs into Att if you'd like.
OTHER OPTIONS
Theif could be used to take away your opponent's held item forever, but don't try it if you suspect a Choice item or something of the sort. You got Haze, but there's better users. Taunt could be used as well. and Screech if you want the opponent to switch. There's the three elemental punches to work with as well.
Counters
In general, all OU Rock, Ground, and Steel Pokemon counter Muk. In UU, Quagsire, Gastrodon, Whiscash, and Golem counter if you don't have Giga Drain. Nidoking and Nidoqueen are in better shape here, thanks to their resistance to Fighting, neutrality to Grass and quad resist to Muk's STAB attacks, although the weakness to Ice Punch can be troublesome. Claydol is weak to Dark and Ghost, but is a fine counter thanks to a resistance to Fighting and Poison, and can strike back with Earthquake, Psychic, or Earth Power. Ice Punch and Payback can dent Claydol relatively well though. Solrock and Lunatone will work as well, with Earthquake, Psychic or possibly Reflect. Aggron, Probopass, and Bastiodon should beware of the same Fighting moves Tyranitar fears so much, but do great for the rest. Ghosts that can induce status that aren't paralysis also counter Muk. And Drapion can utterly screw Muk over.
Written by Chubb-o-wubb