Introduced in generation four, with the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games, Toxicroak is a dual type poison and fighting Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Croagunk and is part of a two stage evolution along with its pre-evolution. Toxicroak is classified as the “Toxic Mouth Pokemon” by the Pokedex which implies its venomous capabilities. This guide will showcase Toxicroak’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Toxicroak.
About Toxicroak
As a generation four Pokemon, Toxicroak made its first appearance in the Diamond and Pearl season of the Pokemon anime in the episode Enter Galactic!. This set the stage for Toxicroak’s rather sinister roles in the anime. Furthermore, as a two stage evolution, Toxicroak has one pre-evolution that evolves from level 37 onwards. Toxicroak itself is not known to evolve into any other Pokemon and the Pokedex mentions its aptitude in battle as well as the poison it can store in its throat.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl Enter Galactic! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Evolves from Croagunk |
| 1st Evo level | 37 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Swaying and dodging the attacks of its foes, it weaves its flexible body in close, then lunges out with its poisonous claws. |
Toxicroak Base Stats
| HP | 83 |
| ATTACK | 106 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 86 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 65 |
| SPEED | 85 |
| TOTAL | 490 |
Appearance
Toxicroak is a bipedal, frog-like Pokemon that has a mostly blue body with black outlines found all over. There is also a large red sac at the base of Croagunk’s chin which can store poison and at the end of Toxicroak’s hand are sharp red blades that can channel the poison. It is an average height for a Pokemon at 4 feet and 3 inches, or 1.3 meters, tall.
Behavior
Many of Toxicroak’s roles in the anime are malicious or villainous with it typically depicted alongside criminal organizations like Team Rocket or Team Galactic. However, Gym Leader Brock also had a Toxicroak on his team which is displayed as a friendly Pokemon. Like most Pokemon, Toxicroak reflects the personality of its trainer. The Pokedex states that the toxins that it secretes are so vile that a small scratch could be fatal.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Toxicroak has a strong physical attack stat, however, its other base stats are rather mediocre. With the ability Dry Skin, it can showcase a roundabout form of bulk by healing in rain or being targeted by a water type move. During generation five, where the competitive meta strongly leaned towards rain-based teams, Toxicroak was a menace to any team. As a dual type poison and fighting type Pokemon, Toxicroak is 2x weak to flying and ground type moves while taking 4x damage from psychic type moves. It is also resistant to fighting, poison, rock, bug, grass, and dark type moves.
Shiny Toxicroak
The most notable difference between regular Toxicroak and Shiny Toxicroak are the colored accents around Toxicroak’s body. The sac of poison, the blades at the end of its hands, and even a toe on each foot changes from red to pink on Shiny Toxicroak. Regular Toxicroak’s blue body is swapped for a lighter blue hue in Shiny Toxicroak. Like all shiny Pokemon, a Shiny Toxicroak will have a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
Toxicroak functions best with its Dry Skin ability on rain-based teams and with this strategy, it can heal small amounts of chip damage through rain. It also synergizes well with water type moves that hit the entire field like Surf. To ensure Toxicroak’s role as a threat, you will want a Life Orb, as a held item, to have a higher chance of One Hit KO’ing your opponent’s Pokemon. Consider running Swords Dance, Drain Punch, Sucker Punch, and Ice Punch for Toxicroak. Swords Dance will help Toxicroak get through the most resilient Pokemon, Drain Punch will benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while granting Toxicroak some longevity, Sucker Punch can give you some outplay potential, and Ice Punch is for type coverage.
| Swords Dance | Drain Punch |
| Sucker Punch | Ice Punch |
How to Catch Toxicroak in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Toxicroak in Pokemon Go, the easiest way is to obtain a Croagunk and eventually evolve it. Like most final evolution Pokemon, Toxicroak does spawn in the wild but it is a rarer spawn as compared to its base evolution. You will need to collect 50 Croagunk candies in order to evolve it into Toxicroak but if you would like to skip the candy collecting, you can find Toxicroak as a tier 3 raid boss in Pokemon Gyms. So keep your eyes peeled for a wild Croagunk or nearby Pokemon Gyms, if you want to obtain a Toxicroak in Pokemon Go.
Trivia
- Of all the Pokemon in the franchise, Toxicroak and its pre-evolution are the only Pokemon with the fighting/poison type.
- The inspiration for Toxicroak is likely based on the poison dart frog from the Amazon.
- The name Toxicroak is a portmanteau of the words toxic and croak.
Video
FAQ
Is Toxicroak a good Pokemon?
Toxicroak is a decent Pokemon on its own. Once it is paired with another Pokemon that can support Toxicroak, it is only then that its true potential begins to show. A Toxicroak with Dry Skin along with another Pokemon that can set up rain will cause your opponent a few problems. No amount of chip damage will get through Toxicroak and it demands a super effective move from a powerful offensive Pokemon in order to be knocked out.
Is Toxicroak Immune to Psychic?
Toxicroak is 4x weak to psychic type moves. As a fighting and poison type Pokemon, neither of these types resist psychic type moves and since Toxicroak has both types, it will take double the damage for each type and thus four times the damage. Keep your Toxicroak away from psychic type Pokemon to ensure it can continue battle.
Is Toxicroak Shield Exclusive?
Of the generation eight games, Toxicroak will only appear in the Pokemon Shield version. If you would like a Toxicroak in Pokemon Sword, you will need to obtain one by trading. You cannot encounter a Toxicroak naturally in Pokemon Sword, and it thus makes Toxicroak a Pokemon Shield exclusive Pokemon in generation eight.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Toxic Mouth Pokemon”. The true strength of Toxicroak was shown in generation five when the competitive meta was heavily leaning towards rain-based strategies. As an offensive Pokemon that benefits from the rain, or water type moves, it was difficult to outlast a well-built Toxicroak. Reserve a slot on your team for Toxicroak to have a strong poison and fighting type Pokemon on your team.
