Okidogi, the Retainer Pokémon. After all its muscles were stimulated by the toxic chain around its neck, Okidogi transformed and gained a powerful physique. Okidogi is a ruffian with a short temper. It can pulverize anything by swinging around the chain on its neck.

Overview

The member of the so-called Loyal Three, Okidogi brings a package of brawn, bulk and disruption offering fantastic role compression to any team looking to make service of its uses. 128 Attack coupled with Fighting STAB is fierce, boasting incredible coverage that breaks many prominent walls with Poison STAB complimenting Fighting, allowing Okidogi to obliterate Fairy and Tera Fairy types that could otherwise wall the former and the coverage to check the Pokémon that resist both. 88 HP and 115 Defense offers incredible physical durability, and with resistances to Rock, Grass, Fighting and Dark, offers Okidogi many opportunities to switch in. Access to Drain Punch further accentuates this, giving Okidogi some soft longevity. With this longevity, Okidogi can make great use of its disruptive tools, from the wall ruining Toxic Chain to the ever-reliable item disruption in Knock Off, Okidogi does a bit of everything.

Okidogi cannot handle everything. Ground types are a consistent problem for it, able to cleave through its immense defense while having the sheer physical bulk and Poison resistance to weather Okidogi’s attacks. This is exasperated with prominent Ground types like Gliscor, Landorus-Therian, and Great Tusk all being popular backbones for many teams. Both STABs having common resists in Poison and Ghost types can take considerable teeth out of Okidogi’s offense and it is difficult to cover every single resist effectively. Okidogi’s mediocre speed just exasperates the issue. While not strictly bad, base 80 falls short against many offensive threats, forcing Okidogi to lean on its defenses more and more, an unattractive prospect especially given Okidogi’s average Special Defense. This does not fully detract from Okidogi’s strengths, which can whether an enterprising trainer through many a journey.
Positives
128 Attack is amazing with Fighting STAB and great coverage leave little safe against Okidogi.
88 HP with 115 Defense is impressive, allowing Okidogi to tank physical hits with relative ease.
Poison Fighting typing offers great resistances and STAB Drain Punch for recovery.

Negatives
Poison Fighting STAB combination has common resistances making it easy to wall and difficult for Okidogi to cover everything.
Base 80 Speed falls flat against many offensive threats, forcing Okidogi to endure assaults before acting.
86 Special Defense is quite exploitable in comparison to Okidogi’s Defense

Movesets

Vested Guard

-Drain Punch
-Gunk Shot
-Knock Off
-Ice Punch
Ability: Toxic Chain
Item: Leftovers
EVs and Nature:
240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe Adamant Nature

Assault Vest pairs wonderfully with Okidogi, pushing its Special Defense in line with its Defense and making Okidogi a sticky threat to remove. Drain Punch is a natural inclusion on this set, giving Okidogi the longevity it needs while being Fighting STAB with all the power and broad coverage it entails. Okidogi’s typing helps it in this matter, giving it a resistance to Stealth Rock and immunity to Toxic Spikes, lessening the hazard damage it takes, further enabling its ability to switch multiple times. Gunk Shot is secondary STAB, and while the base coverage is poor, the ability to obliterate Grass and Fairy types like Ogerpon, Primarina and Clefable cannot be understated, while being a strong neutral hit against most things Fighting can’t hit. Knock Off provides vital coverage for Okidogi, hitting the Ghost types that are immune to its Fighting STAB and resist Gunk Shot, while punishing the rare Psychic type like Galarian Slowking and being an all-around disruptive move. Ice Punch is Okidogi’s answer to Ground types, especially Landorus-Therian and Gliscor who resist both STABs, the quadruple effectiveness making it difficult for them to switch in. Adding on to all of this is Toxic Chain. With Okidogi’s fantastic durability, it gets plenty of chances to fire off attacks, and thus numerous opportunities to Badly Poison an opponent, allowing it to outlast most of the competition and Steel types don’t relish coming in on Okidogi’s Fighting STAB to avoid the Toxic Chain Poison.

Tera Types:
While Poison Fighting grants Okidogi some incredible resistances, its weakness to Ground, and quadruple weakness to Psychic can be painful enough to warrant a type change. Tera Dark is an obvious but effective choice, allowing Okidogi to nullify its quadruple Psychic weakness while Fairies are hesitant to pivot into Okidogi for fear of its brutal Gunk Shots. Water is another all around solid defensive typing with Okidogi’s Poison STAB again proving a powerful deterrent for most Grass types. Flying is a more niche option, but completely shuts down opposing Ground types while maintaining Okidogi’s amazing Fighting and Grass resistances.

EVs and Items:
Max Attack with Adamant nature allows Okidogi to hit as hard as possible in lieu of other boosting methods. Everything you can spare should go into HP for as much durability as possible. How much you can spare is dependent on what you want to outspeed. 16 EVs outruns max Speed Adamant Kingambit, and Ursaluna and is recommended as a baseline. 92 Speed outspeeds max Speed Jolly Kingambit, and uninvested neutral natured Landorus-Therian, and 124 Speed is needed to get the jump on uninvested Gliscor. Assault Vest is the namesake of the set and provides Okidogi the special bulk to balance out its physical, making it difficult to recommend other items over it.

Partners:
: Okidogi makes a great partner for Fighting weak Pokémon, able to switch into Fighting STABs with ease while not being bothered too much by the Knock Off or Dark coverage common on such Pokémon. Ting-Lu is a prime example, loving Okidogi’s Fighting resistance and ability to Badly Poison, while further compromising the already hard to switch into Okidogi with Spikes and checking the Poison and Psychic types that scare Okidogi. Hisuian Samurott performs similarly with Spikes setup and a pivot into Psychic attacks, though is better at threatening out Ground types than Poison.

Other Options:
High Horsepower is Okidogi’s best answer for Poison types that can safely switch into its STABs, but it is hard to fit in without giving up vital coverage or STAB elsewhere. Poison Jab is much more reliable than Gunk Shot, but the power difference is stark.

Gym Guard

-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Knock Off
-Ice Punch
Ability: Guard Dog
Item: Weakness Policy
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 160 SDef / 96 Spe
Careful Nature

Okidogi’s impressive base bulk and valuable resistances enable a Bulk Up set, allowing it to accrue multiple boosts to roll over opponents. Drain Punch is again the crux of the set, providing both a potent Fighting STAB and recovery for damage incurred while setting up, allowing Okidogi to stick around longer. Knock Off hits the Ghost types immune to Drain Punch and even if it does KO, makes progress by depriving a target of their item. Ice Punch is for the Flying types that resist Drain Punch as well as handle common switch ins like Gliscor. Guard Dog is a fantastic enabler for this playstyle, making Okidogi immune to forced removal like Whirlwind and Dragon Tail on top of getting a boost from Intimidate, preventing these options from counteracting the boosts Okidogi received.

Tera Types:
While Poison Fighting possesses some valuable resistances, it also possesses several troublesome weaknesses that can stop it before it can begin. Tera Dark remains invaluable for preventing a stray Psychic attack from ending Okidogi before it can begin. Tera Water remains a potent option given it is a hard to exploit type once Okidogi is setup.

EVs and Items:
One wants to maximize Special bulk for this set, as once you setup your first Bulk Up, your opponent will be aiming at Okidogi’s unboosted Special Defense to stop it. Speed is even more paramount for this set as Okidogi needs to outspeed targets to get a pre-emptive Bulk Up to soften a physical blow or strike first with Drain Punch for more reactive healing. 96 Speed gets the jump on max Speed Jolly Kingambit, and uninvested neutral natured Landorus-Therian as well as other Pokémon looking to Speed creep them, while 124 Speed is needed to get the jump on uninvested Gliscor. Weakness Policy is recommended as the item. Okidogi is quite bulky naturally and even super effective attacks like Ting-Lu’s and Dragonite’s Earthquake can bounce right off Okidogi, especially after a Bulk Up, allowing for instant setup. Leftovers is a more reliable choice, offering persistent recovery and making Okidogi less reliant on Drain Punch.

Partners:
: As this set struggles to fit coverage for every Fighting Resist, allies that can cover what Okidogi lacks are invaluable. If lacking Poison STAB for Fairy types, allies that can handle Fairy types are invaluable. Gholdengo does well against Fairies and Ghosts and can serve as a lure for a resisted Dark attack or Super Effective Ground attack (if Okidogi is running Weakness Policy). If lacking Ice Punch, Kyurem would be recommended as a check to Ground types as well as Toxapex, while being another entry point for Okidogi by drawing Fighting attacks.

Other Options:
Gunk Shot and Poison Jab are Poison STAB for Okidogi and cover Pokémon like Primarina and Azumarill that handle Drain Punch + Knock Off + Ice Punch well, though sacrificing any coverage option opens new holes.

Doubles and VGC Options

Okidogi makes a strong case for itself in Doubles formats, being a strong answer against several of the most popular support Pokémon around. Guard Dog giving Okidogi a boost from Intimidate is a great starting point, allowing it to actively punish one of the most common forms of damage mitigation around. Okidogi’s STABs are where it really shines, allowing to threaten many staples, including, but not limited to Incineroar, Rillaboom, Ogerpon, Archaludon, Ursaluna, Chien-Pao, Whimsicott, Grimmsnarl, Chi-Yu, Porygon2, Ting-Lu, and Chien-Pao. Common defensive Terastalizations in Fairy and Steel are just more fodder for Okidogi to strike down. Okidogi’s extreme Psychic weakness is still a liability, especially against Expanding Force teams, while being walled by Ghost and Poison types, especially Gholdengo without coverage. Additionally, for all Okidogi’s strengths, it is hard to justify over opposing Fighting type Urshifu and its protection breaking Unseen Fist.

Bearly Retainer

-Upper Hand
-Drain Punch
-Gunk Shot
-Knock Off
Ability: Guard Dog
Item: Assault Vest
Tera Type: Dark
EVs and Nature:
68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
Adamant Nature

Okidogi's decent speed and great overall bulk post Assault Vest make it one of the best Upper Hand users in the game. Upper Hand is amazing for the number of moves it outright shuts down. Not only does it ruin Incineroar's, Rillaboom's, and Iron Hands' Fake Outs, but also Dragonite's and Entei's Extreme Speeds, Urshifu's Aqua Jet, Urshifu's, Kingambit's, Chien-Pao's Sucker Punch, Raging Bolt's Thunder Clap, every Prankster boosted move, etc. However, this move requires good prediction to get the most out of. Though good prediction is required to get the most out of the move. Drain Punch is Okidogi's consistent Fighting STAB and the Assault Vest classic, giving Okidogi considerable longevity alongside potent Fighting STAB. Gunk Shot's accuracy is maddening, but the power can't be denied, OHKOing Rillaboom, Ogerpon (all masks except Cornerstone) and has a good chance to OHKO even bulky Flutter Mane. Knock Off provides vital coverage into Ghost types like Gholdengo that are immune to Fighting STAB and resist Gunk Shot, while providing item disruption that makes most foes easier to handle.

EVs are specifically for Incineroar, with the 188 Speed EVs outrunning the fastest Incineroar (and thus most Rillaboom by extension), while Adamant nature and max Attack investment heavily favors a OHKO from Upper Hand into Incineroar as well maximize Okidogi's power output in general. If wanting more bulk while still outrunning Incineroar, Jolly Nature bumps the needed Speed EVs down to 104, allowing for much more HP investment. This comes at the cost of some power, as Upper Hand is no longer guaranteed for the OHKO (though Drain Punch will regardless). If not concerned about outrunning Max Speed Incineroar, one can drop speed investment entirely, and invest heavily in HP for more staying power. Tera Dark is highly recommended so that Okidogi isn't dead weight in matchups against PsySpam teams as well as bolstering Knock Off.

Preferred Partners:
Allies that appreciate Okidogi's incredible matchup into Incineroar and Rillaboom are a good starting line for partners. Ironically, PsySpam teams love Okidogi for this reason, being able to handily win the terrain war and shutdown Incineroar, a otherwise huge headache for them, despite the anti-synergy between Psychic Terrain and Upper Hand. Their ability to handle opposing Poison types is a boon for Okidogi in turn. Grass types also enjoy Okidogi's precense, as often their biggest headaches are the opposing Grass type and Incineroar. While the shared Flying weakness does hurt, Grass types also make a great pivot into Ground attacks for Okidogi. Most Grass types are also well equipped to support Okidogi, whether it be the passive recovery and Earthquake blunting of Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain, the redirection from Ogerpon or the Speed control from Whimsicott. Physical attacking partners also love Okidogi since its Guard Dog actively punishes attempts to Intimidate them and Okidogi's decent matchup into most Intimidate users. Howl Gouging Fire is a great example being a physical attacker that sticks around for a long time and detests switching out, with Okidogi warding off Intimidate and benefiting greatly from Howl variants.

Poison Jab is far weaker than Gunk Shot, but isn't cursed with Poor Accuracy. Worth consideration if running a power boosting item to make up the difference. Ice Punch is great for Landorus, a rare non Poison or Ghost that resists both STABs. High Horsepower remains Okidogi’s best answer into opposing Poison types. Protect is worth consideraton if not running Assault Vest.

Countering Okidogi

Okidogi’s considerable durability, impressive Attack and potential to badly Poison anything it hits are the difficulties anyone facing Okidogi must navigate to take it down. Defensively checking Okidogi is nightmarish due to Toxic Chain ruining many a potential check and Okidogi’s Fighting STAB preventing most Steel types from being an answer. Gholdengo is noteworthy for being immune to both STABs and Toxic Chain, while being faster and preying upon Okidogi’s lower Special Defense, but Okidogi regularly runs coverage for Gholdengo in Knock Off or High Horsepower. Corviknight being a Steel that isn’t weak to Fighting handles Assault Vest sets well enough with Brave Bird but can get overwhelmed by Bulk Up variants and loathes eating a Knock Off if the team’s defogger. Gliscor can’t stand Ice Punch, but otherwise is completely unbothered by Toxic Chain, Knock Off and STABs and can run Okidogi down with Earthquake.

If not running High Horsepower, Poison types make for a reliable switch into Okidogi, given their natural resistance to both STABs. Iron Moth can win a damage race against Assault Vest Okidogi, especially if Okidogi is relying on Gunk Shot to damage it but can’t switch in directly. Galarian-Slowking can switch into anything except Gunk Shot, survive the follow up Knock Off and OHKO with Psychic STAB, but again needs to be healthy. Pecharunt has the sheer bulk and recovery to tank any attack but needs multiple Nasty Plots to take down Okidogi.

Ghost types fair well if Okidogi isn’t running Knock Off, being immune to Okidogi’s primary form of recovery in Drain Punch and resisting Gunk Shot along with many being able to naturally burn Okidogi with Will-O-Wisp. Dragapult is a fast Will-O-Wisp user, though Specs variants can clean up Okidogi if it is at half, while Skeledirge is a more defensive example, though it detestes High Horsepower and Toxic Chain’s badly poison.

Ground types are a defensive offensive check. While most abhor Toxic Chain and Ice Punch, their ability to resist Okidogi’s Gunk Shot and their high Defense make them ideal when not a concern. Landorus-Therian is a slight exception, being unable to able to handle Guard Dog Okidogi due to the boost from Intimidate but otherwise tanks most coverage and STABs quite well due to Intimidate. Great Tusk has the sheer bulk that it can even switch in on an unboosted Ice Punch and threaten a OHKO with High Horsepower.

Bulk Up Okidogi can struggle with Dondozo, due to its preference to run Guard Dog, depriving it of a way to force Dondozo to Rest and as a result lacks the sheer power to break through.

Breaking Okidogi offensively can avoid ruin from its deep coverage and Toxic Chain, but even its sheer bulk proves difficult. Psychic coverage is by far the best, with even moves like Barraskewda’s Psychic Fangs, and Iron Crown’s Psyshock providing easy OHKOs, while other STAB Ground and Flying Attackers can only pick off a damaged Okidogi such as Garchomp, Iron Threads, and Iron Jugulis being key examples.

Anime Appearences

Okidogi has yet to make an appearance # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics