Crobat

Using Crobat in a Playthrough

The Zubat line starts weak but has one of the largest evolutionary payoffs among common early-game Pokemon. Zubat evolves into Golbat at level 22, and in games that permit Crobat during the main story, high friendship can produce Crobat very soon afterward; Crobat combines exceptional Speed with useful bulk, a Ground immunity, and numerous resistances from its Poison/Flying typing. Its offensive power is more moderate than its Speed suggests, but Flying and Poison STAB together with moves such as Bite, U-turn, Roost, and other generation-specific coverage or utility give it considerable flexibility. FireRed and LeafGreen are an important exception because Golbat cannot evolve into Crobat until the National Pokedex is obtained, leaving the player with the substantially weaker Golbat during the main story.

Crobat in Competitive Pokémon

Crobat has a long-running competitive identity as an extremely fast utility Pokemon, revenge killer, and pivot rather than a pure wallbreaker. Its 130 base Speed allows it to act before most unboosted opponents, while combinations of Brave Bird, U-turn, Roost, Taunt, and Defog have allowed it to attack, maintain momentum, prevent slower utility moves, recover health, and remove entry hazards depending on the generation. Poison/Flying also supplies valuable defensive properties, including a Ground immunity and strong resistances that help Crobat enter battle despite only moderate raw defenses. Its damage output is not exceptional without investment and recoil from Brave Bird can reduce longevity, but its Speed and role compression have made it significantly more competitively successful than most other early-route Pokemon.

Crobat in Nuzlockes

The Zubat line is particularly strong in Nuzlockes when Crobat is obtainable during the main story. Zubat itself can be frustrating to train early, but Golbat arrives at level 22 and a sufficiently friendly Golbat can evolve into Crobat almost immediately afterward, producing an exceptionally fast fully evolved Pokemon far earlier than many alternatives. Community Nuzlocke analyses repeatedly emphasize Crobat's combination of Speed, useful resistances, Ground immunity, adequate bulk, and access to recovery as making it an excellent pivot that can enter and leave battles safely rather than merely score knockouts. The major exception is FireRed and LeafGreen, where Crobat is locked behind the National Pokedex, causing the line's main-story value to drop considerably because Golbat lacks Crobat's dramatic Speed and statistical improvement.

Crobat's hind legs have developed into a second pair of wings, allowing it to alternate between its two wing pairs during long-distance flight and greatly increase its speed without sacrificing silent movement. It can fly through cramped caves without slowing and uses its near-silent flight to approach prey unnoticed before biting and feeding on blood. Crobat becomes lethargic and eventually unable to fly if it cannot obtain blood. Because its legs have become wings, it is clumsy on the ground and can only crawl using its wings, while at rest it may hang upside down from branches or cave surfaces using its rear wings.