Pest Control: Pokémon Edition (Johto to Alola)

I got lazy to cover a lot of regional pests in one post, so I'm putting two Pokémon per region in one blog post.

Ultra Beasts are not included.

Johto

Murkrow

Similar to Meowth and Purrloin, Murkrow likes to steal shiny things, and sometimes food for its Honchkrow boss.

It is said to bring misfortune to those who see it.

It lures travelers to places where they will get lost.

As with Meowth and Purrloin, keep all food and precious items safely secured in your home and your bag. I don't recommend using clothing pockets, since they can fall off when moving quickly.

Ignore a Murkrow if it tries to get your attention, as it will mislead you. If it attacks you, however, use a Pokémon that knows Dazzling Gleam, Rock Slide, or Discharge. This is extra effective against Honchkrow with multiple Murkrow gathered around it.

Also bring a Pokémon that gives good luck, like Chansey, to neutralize the bad luck that Murkrow supposedly gives.

On the other hand, if you befriend a Murkrow, it will give you shiny stuff. Just train it not to steal from people. lololol

Sneasel and Weavile

This evolutionary line is the bane of competitive Pokémon breeders. Sneasel and Weavile are experts at coordinated stealth, and can strike so fast that the victim won't know that they've been frostbitten by a scratch. They then steal and eat eggs.

They often wait in dark areas, where their black fur camouflages them. Sneasel usually appear in pairs, while Weavile appear in groups of four or five.

Defend your home or campsite from these assassins by lighting up your surroundings to make it harder for Sneasel or Weavile to hide. Use a Pokémon with good eyesight or a cautious, watchful personality, like the Patrat evolutionary line. (I'd have a Decidueye keep watch because of its incredible accuracy and speed, but nothing in the Pokédex talks about its eyesight or effective range.)

If you successfully spot a Sneasel or Weavile and want to battle it, use Dazzling Gleam (yup, you'll see this Fairy-type move a lot in this post), Struggle Bug, or Heat Wave.

Fortunately, Sneasel and Weavile usually appear in cold areas, but, regardless of habitat, be cautious of these.

Miltank

THE WORST POKéMON OF ALL TIME!
IT'S SO BULKY THAT IT PUTS ARCEUS TO SHAME! TRY AND KILL IT, AND IT WILL DRINK ITS OWN MILK OF ETERNAL LIFE!
IT WILL INFATUATE YOUR POKéMON WITH ATTRACT, MAKING THEM COMPLETELY USELESS, THEN BRUTALLY MURDER THEM WITH ROLLOUT!
AND IT DONATES THE PEOPLE AND POKéMON IT HAS KILLED TO ITS MASTER WHITNEY, THE MOST EVIL GYM LEADER OF ALL TIME!

Just kidding. Miltank isn't dangerous at all--it's not known to pick fights. And I don't hate Miltank.

I'd use a female Pokémon that resists Rock and knows Sand Attack when battling Whitney's Miltank.
Or, I'd put it to sleep with Bellsprout (it learns Sleep Powder at Lv. 15 in Generation 2), then switch out and spam Tail Whip or Leer.

But you know who HATES Miltank more than anything? MandJTV.
https://youtu.be/iKvnLcE5lUQ?t=1217

Hoenn

Wow, there are actually a lot of Pokémon from Hoenn that I find dangerous. But this is a list of the two most dangerous pests per region, so it's tough to choose.

Dustox

The rest of the Wurmple evolutionary line is not very harmful or ferocious. Wurmple can be eaten by Swellow.

Oh boy, I don't like battling this Pokémon early in the Generation 3 games because of its typing, defenses, and trolly movepool. But its Pokédex entries make me hate it more, as it is one dangerous pest.

They eat tree leaves, which is dangerous for the environment, especially in big cities and/or if Dustox appear in swarms. Without leaves, the harmful gases emitted by vehicles can't be absorbed by plants.

When Dustox flaps its wings, it also scatters poisonous dust that can make a pro wrestler sick. Considering that flying is Dustox's main form of movement, getting near it is extremely dangerous.

Always wear a face mask when outdoors to protect yourself from Dustox's poison.

I'd cover my gardens with a glass dome to make it hard for Dustox to eat my plants' leaves.

Of course, destroy Dustox with Rock Slide or Heat Wave.

However, if you're in a public place with lots of people, multi-target moves may damage public property. In this case, use moves like Psychic instead.

Gulpin evolutionary line

Gulpin and Swalot are built around swallowing almost literally everything (the only thing that Swalot can't swallow is its own stomach). They're basically Guzzlord 14 years before Guzzlord existed.

Their ferocity or aggressiveness aren't described in the Pokédex, but it's important to watch out for them because they could cost you your house or your car.

Gulpin and Swalot live in grasslands, fortunately, so they shouldn't be a big problem in the big city. They can be extra dangerous in farms, however, since farms are often built in grasslands.

Unfortunately, there's no known way to protect against a Gulpin or Swalot attack without violent means or catching them with Poké Balls.

I suppose you can surround your house with traps?

Screw it, I'm gonna have my Mamoswine use Earthquake on them.

Sinnoh

(To be continued; I got super lazy and I'm back to school)

Drifloon evolutionary line

Drifloon and Drifblim can randomly kidnap people and Pokémon and drag them into the afterlife.

Make sure you, your children, and your Pokémon are kept safe at all times, especially if you live near a graveyard or similar "creepy" place. Close all doors and windows before sleeping.

Some Drifloon and Drifblim have the Aftermath Ability, where it explodes after fainting, dealing damage to the Pokémon that knocked it out with a move that makes contact.
There are many ways to prevent damage from Aftermath:

• Use non-contact moves (most special moves like Discharge or Blizzard don't make contact)
• Have a Pokémon with the Damp Ability, like Golduck or Quagsire
• Use a Decidueye with the Long Reach Ability (note that this is a Hidden Ability)
• Remove or change the opposing Pokémon's Ability with Skill Swap, Worry Seed, Gastro Acid, etc.

Rotom

Unlike other ghosts, Rotom doesn't possess people or Pokémon--it possesses electronics. Wild Rotom can be particularly dangerous because, after possessing something, they can cause chaos--for example, a wild Rotom in a microwave oven can shoot super-hot microwaves all over the place, while a more intelligent Rotom can possess your smartphone and hack your Twitter account (just kidding with this part).

Note that all variants of Rotom (even Fan Rotom) have Levitate, so Ground-type attacks are near-useless. Either use Crunch or Shadow Ball, or negate Levitate with Mold Breaker then use Earthquake. (If you have Zygarde, have it use Thousand Arrows.)

Unova (draft; I haven't finalized the most dangerous pests)

Scolipede

It has deadly poison and is highly aggressive. It lives in forests.
Fortunately, it is big and easy to spot in well-lit areas.

Scraggy evolutionary line

Scraggy headbutts anything that makes eye contact, and it can even headbutt its surroundings in a whim.
Scrafty beats up anything that enters its territory, can smash concrete blocks, and can spit acidic liquid.

Blow them up with Dazzling Gleam--it's 4x super effective.

Vanillite and Trubbish evolutionary lines

SERIOUSLY, AN ICE CREAM POKéMON AND A GARBAGE POKéMON?

GAME FREAK IS RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS!

THEY NOT ONLY KILL WITH FREEZING AIR AND FOUL-SMELLING POISONS, RESPECTIVELY, BUT ALSO WITH THEIR TERRIBLE DESIGNS!
THE ONLY WAY TO KILL THEM IS TO SMITE THEM BACK TO THE VOID KNOWN AS THE BRAINS OF THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THESE POKéMON!

Jokes aside, while the Vanillite line can actually kill (Vanillite's breath is -50°C) and the Trubbish line can emit or shoot dangerous toxins, they're not aggressive or territorial, so I'm not calling them pests.
Incinerate Vanillite with Fire-type moves.
Use Alolan Grimer or Alolan Muk to repel Trubbish.

Kalos (draft; I haven't finalized the most dangerous pests)

Espurr

Espurr can blast everything in a radius of 300 feet, but can't control its power, so it can unintentionally cause a rampage.

I'd have a Pokémon use Spore to put Espurr to sleep, stopping it from using its powers while not harming it.

Alternatively, if violence is necessary, use Dark Pulse.

(Meowstic is not aggressive and can control its powers, but it can wreck a 10-ton truck.)

Dragalge

Their poison can eat through the hull of a tanker, making Dragalge notorious for sinking ships. It's also aggressive.

Use Earthquake to beat it.

(Skrelp is not as aggressive--it usually hides from foes.)

Alola (draft; I haven't finalized the most dangerous pests)

Trumbeak

Trumbeak are notorious for making loud calls.

They are also common throughout Alola, being in forests and urban areas.

Use Discharge or Blizzard.

Yungoos evolutionary line

Yungoos and Gumshoos are voracious eaters--they may prefer Rattata, but they can and will bite anything, maybe even your laptop.

Use Fighting-type moves to beat them up.