Battle Moveset

A Good Moveset for Dugtrio would have to be this:

Attacks:

Earthquake
Rock Slide
Aerial Ace/Sludge Bomb
Hidden Power [Bug]

Items Attached:

Choice Band

Preferred Nature:

Adamant OR Jolly

Preferred Ability:

Arena Trap

Strategy Using Dugtrio

Quite simply the only effective Dugtrio set. The main reason for Dugtrio's use is because it has one of the top traits in the game. Arena Trap acts like an automatic Mean Look on all Pokémon excluding flyers and levitators. This allows it to be great for picking off injured Pokémon as well as Pokémon vulnerable to Earthquakes.

Earthquake is pretty much the only move you'll be using on this set. Rock Slide will rarely see any use since you won't be switching into flying types and the only times you'll see yourself using Aerial Ace is if Heracross or Breloom is in play. Hidden Power [Bug] is for KOing Celebis, who on occasion will switch into play at the exact same time as you. Sludge Bomb is for Grass types who resist Earthquake, but once more, you won't be switching into many of those.

Dugtrio requires a lot of prediction skill to use effectively. One huge asset Dugtrio has is the fact that it traps to Pokémon that Skarmory-Blissey dread, Tyraniboah and Magneton. If you can predict when these Pokémon will come into play, you can trap them and then Earthquake them away. It's also very proficient at fainting Blissey and has the fortune of not being 1KOed by any of Blisseys attacks (including Ice Beam) with only a handful of Special Defence EVs (this is also based on a Blissey with a Max Special Attack stat, which is a rarity, so you should always feel safe to switch into Blisseys if your Dugtrio isn't injured).

To help keep Dugtrio alive, it should be backed up with the support of a Rapid Spinner. You'll find Spikes is easily set up against a player using Dugtrio since Skarmory can freely switch into it after it has KOed something. A Wish-passer is always favoured as well, Vaporeon being a very useful support since it lures out electric attacks (allowing Dugtrio to freely switch in).

[For those using Dugtrio on their Cartridge, use both Sludge Bomb and Aerial Ace if you can't obtain Hidden Power Bug.]

EV Corner:

EVs: 252 Atk / 216 Spd / 42 SDef Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

Adamant Dugtrio is the best way to go. The Speed advantages of the Jolly version aren't enough to outclass the ability to 2KO Blissey and 1KO Tyraniboah. Although 252 Speed EVs are perfectly acceptable, they aren't necessary. With 216 Speed Dugtrio can outrun things like Jolly Slaking and Timid Zapdos. Whatever is leftover helps support its Special Defence, which-believe it or not-can survive a super effective Hidden Power from Jolteon (among other things).

EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 6 SDef Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

For this one, MAKE SURE you have a 31 Speed IV. This Dugtrio has the same speed stat as things such as Alakazam and Sceptile, although it's risky since it's a coin toss to decide who goes first if they have max speed. I personally don't like this distribution since it doesn't 2KO Blissey (when counting in Leftovers) or 1KO Tyranitar, however it does have the bonus of being able to pick off weakened Starmies and Tauroses while KOing Raikous.

Other Optional Sets:

Dugtrio @ Liechi Berry
Trait: Arena Trap
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

This set is basically one of the few ways to be guarantied to beat Wobbuffet. After it's KOed something, switch in and use Toxic. Substitute can be used while you pass the time for Toxic to go to work and once you've KOed Wobbuffet, you can Sub to get Liechi activated. From there just attack things with Earthquake and Rock Slide. It's nowhere near as effective as the Choice Bander but if you know someone who uses a Wobbuffet, this Dugtrio could be for you. Use the same EV distributions as the Choice Bander for this set.

Strategy Against Dugtrio

Prediction, that's your main strategy. Theoretically, you can't 'counter' it since a lot of the time you won't be able to switch into it. However, if you can predict correctly you can make it run a lot and if you predict when it'll come into play you can KO it.

Things you should use against Dugtrio are:

- Defensive Water types (such as Suicune and Blastoise).
- Skarmory.
- Claydol (although watch out for HP Bug) and Flygon, who both resist Earthquake and Rock Slide. Breloom can as well but it's risky with Dugtrio's Aerial Ace access.
- Things with Intimidate and solid Defence.
- Porygon2 and Wobbuffet, who can trap Dugtrio, take an EQ from it and then KO it.
- Things like Mach Punch and Quick Attack can beat a weakened Dugtrio.

If you can lay down a few layers of Spikes you can severely weaken Dugtrio's abilities to switch back and forth, since after its taken a hit it will have little HP to spare and will most likely find itself KOed by Spikes.

Whenever you use Jolteon and don't have a Substitute up, always Baton Pass out (assuming you have Baton Pass on Jolteon), since you can't KO Dugtrio with a super effective Hidden Power. Raikous who don't have a Modest Nature with Max Special Attack also risk not being able to KO Dugtrio with Hidden Power, although unlike Jolteons, they don't have a choice about Baton Passing away.

When assaulting Dugtrio on its way into play, its Physical Defence is a lot easier to target than its Special Defence, but either way, it's easy pickings for any form of decent offence.

Contest Moveset

A good Contest Moveset for Dugtrio would have to be this for the Tough Contest best with Impish, Lax, Relaxed or Bold Nature:

Attacks:

Rock slide
Earthquake
Body slam
Hyper Beam

Items Attached:

Yellow Scarf

Strategy Using Dugtrio

If you do the attacks in this following order you should have very few problems; 1st - Rock slide, 2nd - Body slam, 3rd - Earthquake, 4th - Rock slide, 5th - Hyperbeam

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Trade from FR/LG Colosseum Trade from FR/LG Fire Red/Leaf Green Diglett Cave

Animé Appearences

Dugtrio has had a few Animé Appearences. First it was trying to stop the construction of a Dam. After that Poncho used it to try and herd up the Electrode that were invading an island. After that Kaede used it in her battle against Ash Episode 031: Dig Those Diglett! Episode 116: The Underground Round-Up! Episode 209: Got Miltank! Episode 405: To The Tournament Finals! Every Day A Heated Battle!!