Slaking are large, bulky, ape-like Pokémon. Most of their fur is brown in coloration, along with the ring patterning encircling their eyes, but their face, chest, hands and feet are lighter in color. Their brows are thick and jutting. Slaking have a white collar of fur around their necks, extending towards the top of their head in a small tuft, somewhat resembling a bonnet. Slaking also have a large, pink, pig like nose.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
While this Pokémon doesn't appear to do much most of the time, it has immense physical strength, stamina, and surprisingly enough, speed. Much like other Normal-types, it can be taught quite a number of elemental attacks.
Behavior
Slaking are the laziest of all Pokémon. They spend most of their time lying in grassy fields to eat, barely doing anything; however, when threatened, they will suddenly get up and strike with great power. If the grass they've eaten around them is gone, they move to a new spot with more grass.
Slaking usually eat grass that is in reach of them. Slaking also eat fruit, but they just wait until the fruits fall down from the trees instead of just climbing up and picking them.
Norman's signature Pokémon is a Slaking, just as in the games. Although it would seem that its ability would be of major hindrance, he shows that by having a Spinda tag alongside it and use Skill Swap in times of need, its impressive strength and speed would be wielded to their maximum. Additionally, the move Bulk Up allows it to bolster its stats even more.
Slaking spends all day lying down and lolling about. It eats grass growing within its reach. If it eats all the grass it can reach, this Pokémon reluctantly moves to another spot.
Wherever Slaking lives, rings of over a yard in diameter appear in grassy fields. They are made by the Pokémon as it eats all the grass within reach while lying prone on the ground.
Slaking has the third highest base Attack of any Pokémon in any game. It is tied with Regigigas and is surpassed by Rampardos and Deoxys's Attack Forme.
At 670, Slaking has the highest base stat total of any non-legendary Pokémon, tying with the legendary Pokémon Groudon, Kyogre, and Regigigas.
Although Slaking is said to slack off like Slakoth, it gains a higher speed stat upon evolving from Vigoroth (although Vigoroth does not have Truant).
In double and triple battles, one can nullify Slaking's Truant ability by using either Skill Swap, Gastro Acid, or Worry Seed. Several trainers in Pokémon Emerald use this power, including Norman during the player's rematches with him. Cipher Head Evice is the very first Trainer in any game to use this tactic. Without Truant, Slaking can make full use of its impressive stats. This can also be done in single battles by using a contact move on a Pokémon with Mummy.
Slaking is commonly mistaken as a pseudo-legendary Pokémon because of its incredibly high base stats, however, it differs from them in its lack of a secondary type and base stats not totaling 600.
In Ruby and Sapphire, Norman has two Slaking, one at level 28 and another at level 31. This is technically impossible, as Vigoroth evolves into Slaking at level 36. The problem still remains in Emerald, but Norman only has one Slaking, at level 31.
Despite being named Slaking, it has a 50% chance of being female. It is also true for its Japanese name, Kekking.
In both the handheld and console games, Slaking is always seen lying on its left side with its left arm propping up its head.
Origin
It appears to draw inspiration from sloths and some form of ape. The inspiration from sloths makes it somewhat resemble a Megatherium, also known as the Giant Ground Sloth, however, it more closely resembles a gorilla.
Name origin
Slaking's name is a combination of slake, meaning to slacken, and king. It may also be a play on the word slacking.
Kekking is a combination of 怠ける namakeru, to be idle, or 怠け者 namakemono, sloth, and king. Or, 欠勤(Kekkin/Absence) and King might be combined.
請假 (to request for a leave of absence) may come from the Japanese 欠勤 kekkin (absence), which can be found in its Japanese name Kekking. The last character means king.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Slaking images on Bulbagarden Archives.
