What it does
Crunch is a Dark-type physical contact move with solid Base Power and a chance to lower the target's Defense by one stage on hit. 100% accuracy.
One stage of Defense drop makes the target take 1.5× physical damage going forward, until they switch. For a physical attacker following up — or a physical partner in doubles — that drop amplifies every subsequent hit.
Dark-type coverage: effective against Psychic and Ghost types, which appear in Champions regularly. Resisted by Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. Not universally applicable — use it against the right matchups.
The drop is a chance effect, not guaranteed. The primary value is reliable Dark physical STAB; the defense drop is the upside. Don't build plans that depend on it triggering.
Who runs it
Sharpedo (96%) almost always carries Crunch. Dark/Water typing, extremely high Speed, and Crunch as primary Dark STAB. It moves before most threats, hits hard, and the defense drop sets up any follow-up cleanly.
Tyranitar (17%) is Rock/Dark and uses Crunch as Dark STAB alongside its other attacks. Sand Stream makes sandstorm the background condition, and Crunch is part of its physical offense toolkit.
Snorlax (25%) is Normal-type and runs Crunch as Dark coverage specifically targeting Psychic-type threats that Normal moves can't touch.
Gyarados (8%) uses Crunch for Dark coverage against Psychic and Ghost targets that its Water and Flying moves don't cover well.
Arbok (10%) and Krookodile (12%) both use Crunch as either coverage or STAB within their respective roles.
How to use it
Basics: Crunch is best used against Psychic and Ghost targets where Dark super-effectiveness applies. Against Fighting, Bug, or Fairy, the typing works against you — switch to something else.
In doubles, Crunch is single-target. Point it at the highest-priority Dark-weak target. A Helping Hand boost from a partner can push a close KO into confirmed territory.
If the defense drop fires, physical follow-up attacks from either your user or a physical partner benefit immediately. In doubles, your second physical attacker on the same side can capitalize on the weakened defense the same turn you triggered it — if both are physically attacking the same target.
Contact mechanics: Rocky Helmet deals chip, Flame Body gives a burn chance. Factor those in before clicking against Pokémon you know carry them.
Tips & strategy
Sharpedo's Crunch is a turn-ending threat. Extreme Speed means it almost always moves first; Crunch hits hard and the defense drop compounds any follow-up. Its low bulk means the logic is 'hit first, don't let them hit back' — clicking Crunch on the most dangerous target and removing it before it acts is the whole game plan.
The defense drop is a bonus, not a requirement. 'Nice if it fires, still fine if it doesn't' is the right mental frame. If you start playing around the drop triggering, you'll misuse the move's actual primary value.
Dark and Ghost coverage in doubles overlap and diverge: both have Fighting and Bug weaknesses, but they hit different types. Crunch handles Psychic and Ghost; Ghost-type moves handle Normal and Fighting (one-way immunity). Sometimes a team runs both Dark and Ghost coverage that each handle specific target types, and Crunch is the Psychic-targeting half of that.