Linoone

Using Linoone in a Playthrough

The Zigzagoon family has two very different branches: Hoennian Zigzagoon evolves at level 20 into pure Normal-type Linoone and stops there, while Galarian Zigzagoon becomes Dark/Normal Galarian Linoone and can evolve at night from level 35 onward into Obstagoon. In Hoenn, Zigzagoon and Linoone are unusually valuable outside direct battling because Pickup can generate useful items simply by carrying the Pokemon in the party, and their broad HM compatibility historically made Linoone one of the region's most convenient utility Pokemon. Hoennian Linoone also reaches base 100 Speed and can use strong Normal attacks and broad coverage, but only base 70 Attack and mediocre defenses limit its straightforward battle power. Galarian Linoone and Obstagoon provide a much stronger combat endpoint: Dark/Normal typing grants complete immunities to both Ghost and Psychic attacks, while Obstagoon reaches 93 HP, 101 Defense, 95 Speed, and can exploit Guts with Facade or use Obstruct to punish physical contact. The tradeoff is a quadruple Fighting weakness in the Galarian branch, so Obstagoon can feel extremely durable against the right opponents yet collapse quickly to an unexpected Fighting attack.

Linoone in Competitive Pokémon

Hoennian Linoone earned a distinctive competitive niche not through its base 70 Attack but through the rare combination of Belly Drum and Extreme Speed. Belly Drum immediately maximizes Attack at the cost of half of Linoone's HP, after which STAB Extreme Speed can bypass its mediocre defenses and sweep through faster offensive teams with priority; Smogon has highlighted this combination from ADV through later lower-tier formats. The strategy is powerful but extremely all-or-nothing because Linoone needs a safe setup turn, loses substantial HP in the process, and can be stopped by sufficiently bulky Normal resists, phazing, or strong attacks before it sets up. Obstagoon takes a more conventional wallbreaking approach, combining much better bulk with Guts, Facade, Knock Off, and useful base 95 Speed, while Defiant offers an alternative response to stat drops. Its Dark/Normal typing provides excellent offensive utility and dual immunities, but the quadruple Fighting weakness and lack of reliable recovery prevent Obstagoon from behaving like a true long-term wall.

Linoone in Nuzlockes

Hoennian Zigzagoon is one of the most useful early Nuzlocke encounters even when it does little fighting, because Pickup can produce free healing items and other supplies while the player travels. Linoone's base 100 Speed and Ghost immunity are useful in battle, but its defenses are only average and Belly Drum is generally much riskier in permadeath play than it is in competitive formats because sacrificing half of maximum HP can turn one failed calculation into a death. The Galarian branch offers much greater direct battle value: Dark/Normal typing gives Psychic and Ghost immunities, and Obstagoon's 93/101/81 bulk makes it significantly harder to remove with neutral attacks. Guts can turn burn or poison into offensive power, but residual damage still has to be managed carefully, and the quadruple Fighting weakness is dangerous enough that even modest Fighting coverage may be lethal. Both branches therefore reward utility and matchup planning: Hoennian Linoone through speed and resource generation, and Obstagoon through strong immunities, bulk, and controlled physical aggression.

Hoennian Linoone can sprint at more than 60 miles per hour, but its body is so specialized for straight-line acceleration that it must come almost completely to a stop before turning and struggles badly with gently curving paths. When hunting it charges directly at prey and can leap into ponds to seize aquatic targets with its sharp claws, although the inability to turn efficiently sometimes causes the pursuit to fail. It is strongly attracted to round objects, which it may steal and carry inside expandable cheek pouches before hiding them in secret caches scattered throughout its territory. Its fur is both strong and supple, and shed hairs are valued by humans for making high-quality shaving brushes.