Introduction

Because of Dugtrio's unique ability to trap most pokemon in the meta, it's established itself as a meta staple. Trapping targets include; Clodsire or a weakened Roserade to open up for other team members such as Rotom Mow. Dugtrio is also an effective revenge killer that can make it more difficult for your opponent to make progress by removing their breakesr, such as Toxicroak, Cinccino, Dragalge or Emboar. 

Dugtrio @ Focus Sash  

Ability: Arena Trap  

Tera Type: Ground  

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe  

Jolly Nature  

IVs: 6 SpD  

- Substitute/Stealth Rock/Protect

- Earthquake  

- Toxic  

- Reversal

Though Porygon-2 can counter-trap and revenge kill Dugtrio, Dugtrio can retaliate with reversal, which becomes 200BP when brought down to 1HP. A Porygon-2’s Ice Beam into a Dugtrio with 6 SpDef IVs will always do 100% knocking Dugtrio down the 1HP with the Focus Sash. Creating the possibility for Dugtrio to have a strong 200BP Reversal which can 94% of the time KO with prior Earthquake damage if the Porygon-2 is Max HP and Max Spdef EV invested. 

However, people have adapted and chosen Toxic, Recover then Ice Beam to avoid getting Dugtrio to 1 HP. Which led to Dugtrio having the option to run Substitute. Substituting 4 times will bring Dugtrio to 1 HP. If predicted right by Substituting on the Porygon-2’s Toxic, Dugtrio can Toxic the next turn and bring Porygon-2 into range of a 200 BP Reversal after 4 Substitutes from Dugtrio. This can make the opposing Porygon-2 Teleport out as it’s threatened by Dugtrio. 

Other moves that can be used on Dugtrio would be Stealth Rock (if no other Pokémon on the team can fit this role), Protect (to scout Choice Scarf Rotom’s move), Stone Edge (to threaten flying types, trap Centiscorch), Memento (for Hyper Offense teams - help set up another Pokémon) or Swords Dance (Being the fastest Pokémon in the tier it can possibly threaten some teams with Edge Quake coverage). 

Running Shed Shell to avoid Porygon-2 and opposing Dugtrio's, and Choice Band to become a more aggressive trapper are other viable items. 

Written by BigShoota

Edited by Essence