Silicobra

Beneath the sand in dry areas, Silicobra digs holes and swallows loose earth to store it in the pouch around its neck. This reserve can weigh as much as 8 kg and serves as defensive ammunition. It expels sand through its nostrils to blind its opponent, then burrows underground before it can react. Its nostrils are adapted to launch sand, so its sense of smell is not its strong suit.

Its body resembles that of a snake, and the pouch around its neck evokes a cobra’s hood. Its Ground typing reinforces that connection with sandy environments, while its green colouring and winding silhouette give it a more compact appearance than its evolution. It is the first stage of its evolutionary line: it evolves into Sandaconda when it reaches level 36. The pouch becomes more elastic each time it sheds its skin, a feature that foreshadows the more developed form of its evolution.

In battle, Silicobra is built to withstand physical hits and hinder the opponent, not to sweep teams. Its 75 Defense is its best stat, ahead of its 57 Attack, while its 52 HP, 50 Special Defense, and 46 Speed leave it with fairly limited durability and offensive capability. Its 35 Special Attack almost completely rules out that approach.

Sand Spit is its most distinctive ability: when it takes an attack, it summons a sandstorm. This activates the weather without using up a turn and makes it easier for the team to take advantage of sand; Shed Skin can cure status conditions when it sheds its skin, while Sand Veil raises Evasion during sandstorms. In the LC tier, Silicobra finds a role as defensive support and a hazard setter.

Earthquake provides the strongest Ground-type hit in its repertoire, while Bulldoze deals damage and lowers the opposing Speed. Stealth Rock adds pressure to switches. It also has Coil to raise Attack, Defense, and accuracy, although its low Speed and weaknesses to Water, Grass, and Ice make it difficult to find safe turns. Its Ground typing gives it an immunity to Electric and resistances to Poison and Rock, but its poor Special Defense makes Water- and Ice-type attacks especially punishing.

Silicobra belongs to the Field and Dragon Egg Groups, so it can breed with compatible species from either group. The gender ratio is 50% female and 50% male. Its 20 Egg Cycles are roughly equivalent to 5355 steps using the usual conversion.

Notable Egg Moves include Last Resort, which has very high physical power, Dragon Rush to expand its coverage, and Belch, a special Poison-type attack that requires it to have eaten a Berry. Mud-Slap and Poison Tail are more modest alternatives, but they add Ground- or Poison-type damage from the outset.

It is trivial to catch with a catch rate of 255, so breeding one is mainly useful for preparing specific moves or fine-tuning its breeding, rather than compensating for an especially difficult capture. It evolves exactly when it reaches level 36, becoming Sandaconda.