Sandile

Like Trapinch, Sandile is closely tied to sand and moves beneath it, but its appearance is more reminiscent of a crocodile hatchling. The dark stripe around its eyes looks like a pair of sunglasses and protects that area while it swims through the desert. It is also associated with the sandfish skink, a lizard capable of moving through the ground as if it were swimming.

Pokédex entries describe it as hiding beneath the surface, with only its eyes and nose exposed. This lets it avoid enemies and retain body heat. It is not a particularly competent hunter: it feeds mainly on carcasses found in the sand, although it also bites the legs of prey that gets too close. Its favourite foods include Trapinch.

Its body reaches 0.7 m and weighs 15.2 kg. Desert heat benefits it, although it also appears outside those areas in Alola thanks to the high temperatures all year round. It is the first species in its evolutionary line: at level 29, it becomes Krokorok, then reaches its final stage, Krookodile, at level 40.

Sandile has no place in standard battles because of its defences. Its HP is 50, its Attack reaches 72 and its Speed 65, but Defense, Special Attack and Special Defense remain at 35. This lets it hit hard physically, although any powerful attack or priority move can take it out.

Its competitive role is documented in Little Cup, where the offensive spread fits better. Moxie is the ability that defines this use: it boosts its Attack when it knocks out a target, so one elimination can open the way for another. Intimidate is a safer alternative because it lowers the opponent's Attack when Sandile switches in, but it does not offset its frailty as well. Anger Point depends on taking a critical hit and is too situational.

Ground and Dark form an offensive combination that is difficult to cover completely. Earthquake and Crunch are its main attacks, while Foul Play takes advantage of the target's Attack. It also has Hone Claws to improve its ability to apply pressure, along with coverage moves such as Fire Fang, Rock Slide and Stone Edge.

Defense is the constant problem: it takes super effective damage from Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Bug and Fairy. Its low physical and special bulk makes those weaknesses worse, and it has no recovery either. In Little Cup, it can work as a Choice Scarf attacker or as a cleaner after weakening the opposing team, but it needs to come in against targets that do not threaten it with Water- or Fighting-type attacks. In a normal playthrough, it performs best during the middle stretch, when it can take advantage of Moxie after securing its first knockout.

Sandile belongs to the Field Egg Group. The gender ratio is 50% for each sex and its base happiness is 70. Its eggs need 20 cycles to hatch, equivalent to approximately 5355 steps using the usual conversion from cycles to steps.

Its notable egg moves include Double-Edge, Counter, Spite and Aqua Tail. Double-Edge reinforces its physical profile, while Aqua Tail provides a coverage option that does not appear among its level-up moves. Spite can be useful in very specific strategies to punish repeated use of a move.

The evolution is straightforward: Sandile evolves into Krokorok at level 29. Krokorok evolves into Krookodile at level 40. No additional conditions, items or times of day are involved.

Its catch rate is 180, so obtaining it is not especially difficult. In the wild, it may be holding Black Glasses. Its Egg Group allows it to breed offspring with compatible Field species and pass on the corresponding egg moves.