Kabutops, The Shellfish Pokémon. Its sleek shape is perfect for swimming. It slashes prey with its claws and drains the body fluids. Swims very quickly. It tears at its foe with sickle-like forelegs and drains the foe's body fluids entirely. In the water, it tucks in its limbs to become more compact, then it wiggles its shell to swim fast. With sharp claws, this ferocious, ancient Pokémon rips apart prey and sucks their body fluids. It was able to swim quickly through the water by compactly folding up its razor-sharp sickles. It once swam underwater to hunt for prey. It was apparently evolving from being a water dweller to living on land as evident from changes in its gills and legs.

Battle Moveset

A Good Moveset for Kabutops would have to be this:

Attacks:

Flail
Endure/Substitute
Sword Dance
Hydro Pump/Hidden Power [Rock]/Rock Slide/Brick Break

Items Attached:

Salac Berry

Preferred Nature:

Jolly or Naive

Strategy Using Kabutops

Sword Dance-boosted Flail hurts A LOT of things. The main problem is getting the Sword Dance up. Endure is the favoured method of getting the Salac up since it allows you to Sword Dance while your opponent switches to something fast with EQ (or fast with Thunderbolt), then you can Endure the hit and Flail away. As for your last slot move, it's up to preference. In OU, I'd advise Hydro pump so that you have some offence against Skarmory (Surf isn't strong enough for Skarmory so you'll just have to risk the accuracy), but for UU, Brick Break or a Rock attack would do. BB hits super effective on Rock and Steel types (who resist Flail) while Rock Slide/HP Rock gain STAB.

[When using Sub, always make sure that the HP is divisible by 4 + 1]

EV Corner:

For when you're using Hydro Pump:)

EVs: 118 Atk / 176 Spd / 216 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef))

It takes a fair bit of prediction with Hydro Pumps to know when to use it and when not to. Both Skarmory and Tyranitar (the most common resisters of Flail) are 2KOed by Hydro Pump with those EV settings. 264 Speed so that after Salac boost it outruns everything except Ninjask and Electrode.)

When not using Hydro Pump:

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

Other Optional Sets:

Kabutops @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 236 HP / 252 Atk / 10 Def / 12 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Rain Dance
- Surf/Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Rock]/Rock Slide
- Brick Break

A hybrid sweeper and one of few Pokémon who could get away with using Rain Dance. Strong coverage against both Blissey and Skarmory (among other things) could allow it to wreak havoc on an OU team, although it'd take a fair bit of setting up. It's best to use Rain Dance after the opponent's Water type/s are taken out, since most defensive Water types will tread all over this set.

Kabutops @ Salac Berry
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 82 Def / 176 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ground]/Brick Break
- Swords Dance

Substitute up against something that'll probably run (or won't be able to break the Sub) and continue to Sub until you can activate the Salac. During the Subbing it shouldn't be too hard to find an opportunity to Sword Dance. Toy around with the IVs to make sure HP is divisible by 4 +1.

Kabutops @ Leftovers/Choice Band
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 236 HP / 98 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Knock Off
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Brick Break

A mix between sweeping and Knocking things off. Choice Band could be thrown on for power (sort out the EVs on HP though). The beauty of Knock Off is it's effects are permanent and even in OU, it allows it to mess up Skarmory among other things.

Kabutops @ Leftovers/Choice Band
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 236 HP / 98 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Brick Break

Same set as above except it Spins to support the team.

Kabutops @ Choice Band
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 82 Def / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aerial Ace/Hydro Pump
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Brick Break

Mess with the EVs if you want to use Hydro Pump to fend off Skarmorys and co. Everything else is pretty standard Choice Band stuff.

Strategy Against Kabutops

Kabutops has A LOT of options to throw around so be pretty well prepared. I'd advise you send defensive water types into it rather than your Steel or Rock-typed physical wall. Most standard physical walls take a serious pummelling from Hydro Pump and most Kabutops will pack it. Things like Suicune, Blastoise and Swampert (it can Giga Drain though, so watch out for that possibility) are good candidates. Fast Electric types and fast EQers destroy non-Endure versions of Kabutops. Predicting Kabutops switch ins and attacking one of it's many weaknesses is a simple way to get around it, since Kabutops isn't the most stable of Pokémon.

Contest Moveset

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

Attacks:

Swords Dance
Rock Smash
Aerial Ace
Hyper Beam

Items Attached:

Yellow Scarf

Strategy Using Kabutops

If you do the attacks in this following order you should have very few problems; 1st - Swords dance, 2nd - Rock smash, 3rd - Swords dance/Aerial ace-, 4th - Rock smash, 5th - Hyperbeam

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Trade from FRLG Colosseum Trade from FRLG Fire Red/Leaf Green Evolve Kabuto

Animé Appearences

Kabutops has had a few Animé Appearences. First it was awoken in Grandpa Canyon when Team Rocket set off an explosion. After that Annie & Oakley resurrected one Episode 46: Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon! Movie 5: Heroes - Latios & Latias