#98 + #99: Krabby and Kingler

Let's go to the beach, and not take Niki Minaj... We've got crabs, though, which may not be as bad as it sounds, just don't put the evolved form as a second one in Pokemon fusion with one of the Hitmons...

Ok, so Krabby is unoriginal in design and name, but it does have nice physical stats with 105 attack and 90 defence. The issues lie with the poor HP (30), low speed (50) and dreadful specials (25). With no special defence, this water-type will get shredded by electric (most commonly) and grass-types, since the significant electric moves are special, and a lot of decent grass ones are special as well. You get three abilities: hyper cutter (prevents attack decreases other than those which are self-imposed), shell armour (prevents you from being hit by a critical hit) and the hidden ability sheer force (boosts power by 30% but removes secondary effects like the chance to burn or freeze).

It looks sort of like a crab! How original...

Mud sport is a decent choice as it reduces the effects of electric attacks, and bubble is your first damaging attack as a base 40 water special with a chance to lower the foe's speed (remember what sheer force does, as well, and not just for this move). Vice grip is probably a better choice of move as a physical normal with higher base power (55) and it correlates with your better offensive stat. Leer drops the foe's defence by a stage, whilst harden raises your own by the same degree. Bubblebeam is basically a more powerful bubble (base 65) and the same secondary effects, typing and status (special). Mud shot is a base 55 special ground move and lowers the target's speed by a stage, and metal claw is a base 50 special steel move that has a chance of raising your own attack. Stomp is a base 65 physical normal which hits minimized foes for twice the power and it carries a flinch chance. Protect is protect (obviously), and guillotine is a very low accuracy move (but is more accurate the higher level you are compared to the foe) but is a one hit KO move (resisted by sturdy). Slam's decent base 80 physical normal power is offset a bit by it's poor accuracy (75), and brine has ok power (65 water special) but hits foes at base 130 if they are below 50% of their max HP (great for messing up belly-drummers). Crabhammer was this line's signature, and is a base 100 water physical move with 90 accuracy and a high critical hit ratio. The last move available is flail (hits harder the more injured you are).

The real shame about the TM list is that you get some nice special moves like ice beam, hidden power, surf, round and scald (not counting blizzard, blizzard has poor accuracy unless it's in hail, which will hurt you). Hone claws gives nice boosts to both accuracy and attack, toxic is a standard for TM lists, hail is there if you don't mind the turn damage to boost blizzard's accuracy, dig, brick break, return, frustration and facade are all standards native to TM lists. Rock tomb, rock slide and x-scissor are decent physical attacks, and false-swipe is a great move for catching wild Pokemon as it hits with moderate (well, base 40) power, but leaves the foe on 1HP. Swords dance is there for you to give a large boost to attack, and rest, substitute, sleep talk and swagger are all there. Cut, waterfall and rock smash are all decent as HMs.

Chip away and knock off can be bred onto Krabby, along with ancient power, which is pretty tragic as it's special. Ancient power is a decent rock special attack that can increase all stats. You can chain breed haze, and the rest are rather uninspiring. Speaking of uninspiring, let's see what the tutor has to offer: superpower (high power but lowers your stats, base 120 physical fighting), knock off, icy wind, iron defence, snore and water pulse, which isn't worth taking here.

You can evolve at level 28 into Kingler. No change to type (still mono-water) nor is there any change to abilities. You get nice stat boosts, however: 55HP, a tasty 130 attack and 115 defence, still a poor 50 in both specials, and 75 speed.

It's not the greatest crown ever...

Wide guard is available as far as level-up goes, and this is the only change here. Hyper beam and giga impact remain worthless as the only additions to the TM list. That's it as far as changes go... Wow, that's pretty pathetic...

To sum this up, this is a very fragile, high damage yet very slow Pokemon. It doesn't have the special defence to cope with much thrown at it, and the weaknesses it has are to special-led typings. You have nice damage output, a decent defensive type and great physical defence to cover this, so if you get the right switch in, it can be fine. Just that the move set isn't all that great either.

(All artwork presented by Ken Sugimori, taken from the Bulbapedia image archives)