Trubbish Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Spikes allows Trubbish to wear down the opposition, and its good Speed stat combined with its decent bulk allows it to usually set one or two layers easily. Recycle provides a sustainable source of recovery along with Berry Juice. Gunk Shot hits Fairy- and Grass-types, such as Spritzee and Snivy, super effectively. Drain Punch acts as an answer to Steel-, Dark-, and occasionally Rock-types, such as Pawniard and Amaura, and allows Trubbish to further keep itself healthy. Drain Punch also allows Trubbish to act as a Pawniard check when combined with Sticky Hold and its higher Speed. Set Details Sticky Hold prevents Trubbish's item from being removed by Knock Off in particular. The ability works well with Recycle in letting Trubbish reuse its Berry Juice so that it can stay healthy and lay down Spikes. Maximum Speed EVs allow Trubbish to outspeed and thus check non-Choice Scarf Pawniard. The HP and Defense investment lets Trubbish nearly always take two Knock Offs from Mienfoo and Timburr after Stealth Rock damage. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack and Special Defense to increase both by one point. Usage Tips Trubbish can switch into Fighting- and Fairy-types relatively safely and provoke a switch. Trubbish should always set Spikes when it forces the foe out; this should be its main priority. It should also be switching into Knock Off as often as possible to allow its teammates to hold on to their important items. When you predict the foe to switch and Trubbish has consumed its Berry Juice, Trubbish should use Recycle so it can come back into the battle when necessary after it switches out. Trubbish struggles against teams with Diglett, which can remove Trubbish from play without much possible counterplay. Against Diglett, you should play Trubbish carefully and switch out if you predict it coming in. Team Options Trubbish is a Spikes setter, so it is necessary to pair it with spinblockers such as Pumpkaboo-XL, which also covers Trubbish's weakness to Ground-types. In return, Trubbish checks Dark-types with Drain Punch. Sweepers such as Shellder and Carvanha are able to take advantage of the chip damage from Trubbish's Spikes. Phazers like Munchlax can force a foe out, making the opposition take additional Spikes damage. Dark-type Pokemon like Houndour appreciate a check to Fighting-types, while Trubbish enjoys the coverage that Dark-types provide against Psychic-types. Pawniard is a great teammate in particular, as it serves as a Defog deterrent, allowing Spikes to stay up for longer. Stealth Rock setters such as Pawniard and Onix can stack entry hazards alongside Trubbish.

Moves Setting up entry hazards reliably is Trubbish's main draw, so Spikes is the most important move on this set. Recycle allows Trubbish to repeatedly use Berry Juice to heal to full HP after losing half of its health, giving Trubbish great staying power. Gunk Shot is the most powerful STAB move available to Trubbish, and it hits decently hard against neutral targets despite Trubbish's low base Attack. Drain Punch is mainly for Pawniard, which Trubbish checks, but also hits other Steel-types that are immune to Gunk Shot super effectively. Set Details Maximum Speed and a Jolly nature give Trubbish 17 Speed, enough to Speed tie with Mienfoo and outspeed non-Choice Scarf Pawniard. The rest of the EVs are mainly put into Defense in order to tank Knock Offs better. Usage Tips Trubbish can easily switch in on most Fighting- and Fairy-types or Knock Off users and set up a layer of Spikes, however, be wary of Taunt users when doing so. Trubbish is weak to the most common trapping Pokemon, Diglett and Gothita, so be extra cautious when sending it in against teams with those. Team Options Pokemon such as Pawniard and Porygon appreciate Trubbish's ability to wall the Fighting-types that threaten them. Pawniard also provides a way to discourage the use of Defog to remove entry hazards, as it receives a +2 Attack boost from it thanks to Defiant. Late-game cleaners such as Scraggy and Carvanha can sweep easier with Spikes support and therefore enjoy having Trubbish as a teammate. A Ghost-type to block Rapid Spin is a good choice, as Drilbur otherwise has no trouble removing Trubbish's Spikes.