Slaking Best Moveset
160 Attack, 100 Speed, 150 HP. The stat line is legendary-tier. AbilityTruant forces it to skip every other turn, cutting effective damage in half and giving the opponent a free move. Held ItemChoice Band with NatureJolly makes the turns it does act absolutely devastating. The moveset is a nuclear option that fires once then watches.
160 Attack and 100 Speed with stats rivaling legendaries in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Truant wasted every other turn, but when Slaking attacked, nothing survived.
Best Moves
Best Build
Slaking best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Punch
- Hyper Beam
Recommended Teammates
Teams exploited Truant ruthlessly in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Protect on the idle turn, attack on the vulnerable turn. Predictable and punishable.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Giga Impact
- Double Edge
Recommended Teammates
Even worse in Gen V (Black & White). Faster metagame meant Truant turns were more punishing. Setup sweepers boosted freely while Slaking did nothing.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Retaliate
- Giga Impact
Recommended Teammates
Three straight gens at the bottom in Gen VI (X & Y). The highest BST of any non-legendary Pokemon, completely crippled by its own ability.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Giga Impact
- Brick Break
- Fire Punch
Recommended Teammates
Same Truant trap in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). No item, move, or strategy could fix the fundamental problem of doing nothing every other turn.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Play Rough
- Retaliate
- Pursuit
Recommended Teammates
Returned in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Still crippled by Truant. The ultimate example of stats meaning nothing when the ability is that bad.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Giga Impact
- Knock Off
- Double Edge
Recommended Teammates
Slaking Weakness
Fighting moves hit Slaking for super-effective damage. The upside? Ghost-type moves can't touch it at all. Slaking's physical bulk (base 100 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ghost |
What is Slaking Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Slaking
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Slaking View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle3-3% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Slaking View Cinderace builds →U Turn16-19% Sucker Punch16-19% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Slaking View Zapdos builds →Hurricane31-37% Volt Switch20-23% Heat Wave27-32% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureSassy Moves View Slowking-Galar builds →
| ||
Evolution
End of the line. Slaking caps a three-stage chain that started at Slakoth. Breeding produces the base form, and eggs are quick to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+100 over Slakoth), and Slaking peaks at 670 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Slaking to get Slakoth eggs easily using 278 partners from the Ground egg group.
How to Get Slaking
4 encounter spots for Slaking at moderate rates starting from endgame routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Slaking in SV
To get Slaking, start by catching Slakoth through walking encounters at Lv. 7-80. The chain covers 3 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch SlakothSouth Province (Area Five) - GrassLv.7-22OverworldRate 5%South Province (Area Three) - GrassLv.7-22OverworldRate 5%Coastal BiomeLv.50-80OverworldCoastal BiomeLv.63Overworld
Step 2Catch or Evolve VigorothSouth Province (Area Five) - GrassLv.22-55OverworldRate 6%South Province (Area Five) - MountainLv.22-55OverworldRate 6%West Province (Area Three) - GrassLv.22-55OverworldRate 6%Coastal BiomeLv.50-80Overworldor evolve from Slakoth (Step 1)
Step 3Slaking ✓Coastal BiomeLv.50-80OverworldCasseroya Lake - ForestLv.52-56OverworldRate 1%or evolve from Vigoroth (Step 2)
No wild encounters for Slaking. The 3-stage chain runs through Slakoth, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 36 once you've got the levels.
Slaking isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Slakoth from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Scarlet & Violet. The evolution path from Slakoth to Slaking is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Slaking in USUM
Step 1Obtain SlakothLATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Petalburg Woods. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Petalburg Woods. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Headbutt special · Route 25 · Post-National Dex. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black & WhiteNot TradeableAppears in Black & White via Walking · White Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Walking · Petalburg Woods. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl via Walking · Eterna Forest · Swarm active. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Vigoroth- Step 3Slaking ✓
Slaking doesn't appear wild. Catch Slakoth instead, it shows up in the wild. Evolve it at level 36 to get Slaking. The 3-stage chain is mapped in the step cards below.
Base Stats
Raw Attack carries Slaking's bulk more than the defenses do. Sp. Def barely registers. But that HP pool covers for it. A tough to catch Lazy Pokemon that yields 3 HP EVs on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
This Pokémon lives lying on its side. It only rolls over and moves when there is no more grass to eat.
Slaking Guide
We rate Slaking B-Tier: a solid choice for the right team. At 670 BST, it fits the sweeper role. Base 160 Attack stands out.
Watch for Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Slaking. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Slaking has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Truant skips every second turn. That's the one you want on Slaking. It's the only ability Slaking has.
Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Slaking is a physical attacker with base 160 Attack. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a sweeper.
Run Earthquake, Gigaimpact, Knock Off, and Double Edge on Slaking. Earthquake is the most common pick at 0% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Slaking spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves