Stunky

A skunk with good aim

The design is based on a skunk, probably a hog-nosed skunk, with a few traits reminiscent of a cat. The purple fur, the light stripe on its back and its raised tail simplify the silhouette of the real animal so that it reads immediately. Its rear end also has deliberate visual weight: its face and overall shape make scatological references that fit the smell as a defensive mechanism.

The English name combines “skunk,” “stunk” and “stinky,” all terms related to skunks and bad smells. The Japanese Skunpuu combines “skunk” with “pū,” a Japanese onomatopoeia associated with a fart. That idea also appears in its cry, Aftermath and Explosion. The concept is not limited to smelling bad: it turns gas into an identity, an attack and a threat.

Glameow’s counterpart

In Sinnoh, Stunky acts as the counterpart to Glameow. The two species share the Field Egg Group and have two-member evolutionary lines, but their visual roles are different: Glameow relies on feline agility, while Stunky bases its defence on driving the enemy away. In the games where they debuted, this opposition was also reflected in the availability of the species and in the Pokémon associated with the Team Galactic commanders.

The comparison helps explain why Stunky is not designed as a direct predator. Its raised tail is a warning. The Pokédex entry even describes enough accuracy to hit a face from 5 m away and a smell capable of causing fainting. In the game world, approaching without checking the position of its tail is a bad idea.

From its debut to its current movepool

Stunky first appeared in the fourth generation. In its earliest versions, it learned moves such as Scratch, Poison Gas, Smokescreen and Fury Swipes, with Toxic and Dark-type attacks forming part of its offensive identity. In the current games, it keeps that foundation, but its level-up moves have been reorganised: Poison Gas and Scratch are available from level 1, and it later adds Feint, Acid Spray, Bite, Venoshock and Sucker Punch.

Its evolution has remained unchanged since its debut: level 34 marks the transition to Skuntank. It also keeps its three abilities, with Stench and Aftermath as its regular options and Keen Eye as its hidden ability. The most useful change to its modern movepool is the variety of technical moves available: it can combine Knock Off, Taunt, Toxic Spikes, Poison Jab, Dark Pulse and Foul Play depending on the role it needs to fill.

How to use it without asking too much of it

In a normal playthrough, its base Speed of 74 lets it move before many opponents for a good part of the adventure. It is worth taking advantage of that pace to inflict poison, remove items with Knock Off or set Toxic Spikes before a Ground-type opponent arrives. Against Psychic-type Pokémon, its natural immunity lets it switch in safely if there is no unexpected coverage.

It should not be left in against powerful physical attackers. Its base Defense of 47 and Special Defense of 41 mean that defensive switches will not last long, and its Special Attack of 41 does not justify building it as a pure special attacker even though it can learn Acid Spray, Sludge Wave or Dark Pulse. By contrast, Sucker Punch, Knock Off and Poison Jab make better use of its physical profile.

Aftermath is especially useful when the opponent has to knock it out with a contact move. If the situation no longer allows you to preserve it, Explosion offers a drastic way out, while Memento can leave the next Pokémon in a better position. The evolutionary line adds no alternate forms: the tail and the smell remain at the centre of the design from Stunky to Skuntank.