Battle Moveset

A Good Moveset for Linoone would have to be this:

Attacks:

Extreme Speed / Return
Belly Drum
Shadow Ball
Hidden Power [Ground] / Substitute

Items Attached:

Leftovers
Lum Berry
Salac Berry

Preferred Nature:

Jolly Or Adamant

Strategy Using Linoone

Belly Drum set-up, the most effective way to go with Linoone. Extreme Speed is a very nice move that works well with STAB and the boost from Belly Drum, since Linoone will be weakened the ability to strike first will be important, alternatively you can use Return. Anything that resists Extreme Speed (or Return) can be hit with Shadow Ball or HP Ground.

Substitute can be used in place of HP Ground, with Belly Drum and Substitute you can bring Linoone's HP down low enough to activate a Salac Berry, negating much of the need for Extreme Speed. Substitute also gives protection against statuses as well as an obvious buffer against the next attack. The downside is you'll find yourself rather exposed to Rock and Steel opponents so you'll need to remove those from play before going for a Belly Drum sweep.

EV Corner:

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) / Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

Pretty obvious set-up. If you aren't using Extreme Speed or Sub-Salac you'll probably want a Jolly Nature for the additional Speed. If you're using Substitute you'll want to tinker with the HP stat to make sure it's divisible by 4.

Other Optional Sets

Linoone @ Salac Berry
Trait: Pickup
EVs: 144 HP / 252 Atk / 112 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Flail
- Substitute / Endure
- Belly Drum
- Shadow Ball

Works similarly to the Belly Drummer. The only difference is with this set you'll be trying to get your HP to 1 before sweeping. Belly Drum and 2 Substitutes at Max HP is all you'll need to get the maximum power out of Flail. Before setting up for a sweep you'll need your team to take out any Steel and Rock typed opponents and anything with Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Fake Out or Extreme Speed.

Linoone @ Choice Band
Trait: Pickup
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Return
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Shadow Ball
- Trick

Choice Band Linoone. Trick is mainly what makes it different from other Normal typed Choice Banders. Since Trick is a Egg move and Extreme Speed is a Box move it unfortunately cannot learn both at the same time. The main strategy will be to get a few cheap shots with the Choice Band boost before Tricking it onto an opponent that won't want to have it (Special Sweepers, Walls, etc.). A well placed Trick can mess up an opponent's strategy, most walls, especially ones without physical attacks, will hate having a Choice Band thrust upon them.

Other Optional Moves

Thunder Wave, Charm, Covet, Roar, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Surf. Thunder Wave and Charm are the best of the bunch, Thunder Wave messes up opposing sweepers and is generally a good move, Charm can make it difficult for many physical attackers to do any damage to Linoone. Covet can steal items but it has Trick anyway. Roar is generally a good move, once in a while surprise Roar's can work out but it's too situational to be worth it, Linoone's staying power doesn't suit it. Thunderbolt and Thunder can hit Skarmory if you use Linoone in OU. Even though it's very situational Pokémon like Golem, Aggron and Rhydon wouldn't like to be on the other end of Surf, Linoone's terrible Special Attack is counter balanced by their terrible Special Defence.

Strategy Against Linoone

If it lacks Hidden Power Ground or Fight (or Surf…) most Rock and Steel types can stand in it's way with ease, even if it has Hidden Power they can usually take it on with a fair bit of ease. Hitting it with a Haze or Pseudo-Hazing move after it's used Belly Drum usually nullifies it's potential, especially since it'll be at 50% or less HP and most likely unable to pull off another Belly Drum. Some Linoone's use Flail so priority moves like Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Fake Out and Extreme Speed can pick it off as well as Sandstorm (and the unlikely Hail). All Linoone sets are hit pretty hard by Thunder Wave or Will-o-Wisp so using those can hurt it's potential sorely as well.

Contest Moveset

A good Contest Moveset for Linoone would have to be this for the Cute Contest best with Timid, Hasty, Jolly or Naive Nature:

Attacks:

Belly Drum
Rock Smash
Flail
Covet

Items Attached:

Pink Scarf

Strategy Using Linoone

If you do the attacks in this following order you should have very few problems; 1st - Belly drum, 2nd - Rock smash, 3rd - Belly Drum, 4th - Rock smash, 5th - Flail/Covet

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Routes 118, 119 (R/S/E), 120, 121 & 123 (R/S) Colosseum Trade from R/S Fire Red/Leaf Green Trade from R/S

Animé Appearences

Linoone has had a few Animé Appearences. In it, it was fleeing from the Fake Groudon that was ensnaring all Pokémon. It later appeared and stole some of May's Pokéballs Movie 6: Jirachi - Wish Maker Episode 389: Showdown At Linoone