Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Basculin is a monotype water Pokemon. It is currently the only Pokemon in its evolution line, although the upcoming generation has hinted at a Basculegion final evolution. Basculin is classified by the Pokedex as the “Hostile Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general behavior. This guide will showcase Basculin’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Basculin.
About Basculin
As a generation five Pokemon, Basculin first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!. In this episode, Cilan manages to catch a Basculin with a blue stripe. Basculin does not currently evolve from or into another Pokemon. However, it has two different appearances, a blue stripe and a red striped Basculin are available. The Pokedex mentions that the two different colors of Basculin do not get along and they are extremely hostile.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Not known to evolve from or into any other Pokemon. |
| 1st Evo level | N/A |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Red and blue Basculin usually do not get along, but sometimes members of one school mingle with the other's school. |
Basculin Base Stats
| HP | 70 |
| ATTACK | 92 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 80 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 55 |
| SPEED | 98 |
| TOTAL | 460 |
Appearance
Basculin is a green Pokemon that resembles a sharp-toothed fish. Depending on whether it is a red-striped or a blue-striped Basculin will determine its eye color and the color of the stripe running down its back. Most of its body is green and there will always be a dark gray stripe along with its colored stripe. Basculin has a dorsal fin that is shaped like a crown and its teeth are jagged and pointed. Basculin is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 3 inches, or 1 meter, tall.
Behavior
While Basculin has no evolution line, the new Hisui region has hinted at a possible final evolution for Basculin called Basculegion. There is little difference between the red-striped Basculin and the blue-striped Basculin other than color. Each color belongs to their own school of Basculin and they are mortal enemies of the opposite color. Even when their aggression is not pointed towards other Basculin, they will often harass other fish found in that body of water. Basculin has been nicknamed the “thug of the lake”. The Pokedex mentions that Basculin are constantly fighting, but they are remarkably tasty.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Basculin has a much more offensive build than a defensive one. Its attack stats are respectable and it has a good speed stat to match. However, it has weak defensive stats and a lower than average health pool. This can make Basculin unwieldy in the wrong matchups and it can lack the damage to knock out its opponents. As a monotype water Pokemon, Basculin takes 2x damage from grass and electric type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to steel, fire, water, and ice type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Basculin is not highly ranked in competitive tiers. While it has the makings of an offensive Pokemon, it struggles to keep up with the stronger offensive Pokemon in the environment. The damage it deals can be much more impactful through its ability, Adaptability. With a Life Orb held item, any hit that connects from Basculin will deal considerable damage. Typically Basculin is utilized as an all-out attacker, with a moveset that tries to cover as many types of opposing Pokemon. Consider running Waterfall, Zen Headbutt, Ice Beam, and Aqua Jet. This moveset is self-explanatory and the only decision to make is whether Aqua Jet can help you finish off an opposing Pokemon. The other moves are just meant to provide the most damage possible.
| Waterfall | Zen Headbutt |
| Ice Beam | Aqua Jet |
How to Catch Basculin in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Basculin in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. You can find Basculin spawning in the wild at a boosted rate near canals, docks, harbors, rivers, lakes, oceans, and other watery areas. It can also be hatched from 7 km eggs but while Basculin has not been featured as a raid boss in the past, this could change once the Hisui region releases Basculin’s evolution. The red-striped and blue-striped Basculin are exclusive to certain regions of the world. Red-striped Basculin can be found in the eastern hemisphere while blue-striped Basculin can be found in the western hemisphere. Since Basculin currently has no evolution, you can save any candies you obtain to power up your Basculin instead of spending them on evolutions.
Trivia
- Basculin shares its Pokedex classification with Zweilous, they are both known as the “Hostile Pokemon”.
- The inspiration for Basculin’s design is likely based on a bass or piranha.
- The name Basculin is a combination of the words bass and masculine.
FAQ
Can you evolve a Basculin?
Basculin currently has no evolutions as of generation eight. However, the new Hisui region games have hinted at a possible Basculegion Pokemon. Until the new games are released, we will not see the conditions to evolve Basculin, but it currently does not have any way to evolve.
What is the difference between Red and Blue Basculin?
Other than their color there is little to no difference. A red-striped Basculin can have the ability Reckless, while the blue-striped Basculin can have Rock Head. While the difference in abilities is interesting, Basculin almost certainly wants Adaptability which is available to both forms. In Pokemon White 2, there was a traded blue-striped Basculin that could have the Rock Head ability.
Is Basculin a good Pokemon?
Basculin can be considered if you need an offensive water type Pokemon. This Pokemon scales well with base damage and gets a large portion of its damage from its ability and move selection rather than stat changes. As a result, the strategy behind Basculin is one dimensional and is fairly predictable.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Hostile Pokemon”. While Basculin’s impact on competitive play is limited, it is by no means a weak Pokemon. The damage that it is capable of doing is not negligible and any hit that connects from Basculin will deal considerable damage. It is also unique as it comes in two different forms, the red-striped Basculin and the blue-striped Basculin. Reserve a slot on your team for Basculin if you want an aggressive water type Pokemon.
