Purrloin

Using Purrloin in a Playthrough

Purrloin evolves into Liepard at level 20, producing a very fast Dark-type with base 106 Speed and equal base 88 Attack and Special Attack but frail 64/50/50 defenses. Dark STAB through Crunch, Night Slash, Dark Pulse, or later Knock Off combines with U-turn, Fake Out, Sucker Punch, Play Rough, Seed Bomb, and support such as Encore, Taunt, Thunder Wave, or Nasty Plot depending on the generation. Limber prevents paralysis, Unburden doubles Speed after the held item is consumed or lost, and the Hidden Ability Prankster gives non-damaging moves +1 priority; from Generation VII onward, however, opposing Dark-type Pokemon are immune to Prankster-boosted status moves directed at them. Liepard's Psychic immunity provides one excellent switch opportunity, but its poor defenses mean it is much safer entering through that immunity or after a knockout than taking ordinary neutral attacks. Jolly or Timid can maximize its natural Speed, while Adamant or Modest increase damage, but the line is best understood as a fast utility attacker rather than a durable story battler.

Purrloin in Competitive Pokémon

Liepard was a legitimate BW NU disruptor because Prankster gave priority to an unusually broad set of support moves. Smogon highlighted Encore as the centerpiece: Liepard could lock setup sweepers or defensive Pokemon into a non-damaging move before they acted, then use U-turn to bring in a teammate or combine Encore with Sucker Punch and Pursuit to create difficult prediction loops. Priority Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Taunt, Thunder Wave, and other support options also gave it roles that its unimpressive 88 offenses would not otherwise support. Its base 106 Speed is genuinely good, but 64/50/50 bulk means almost any strong direct hit can KO or severely damage it, and later generations also added the rule that Dark-type targets are immune to Prankster status moves used by an opponent. Liepard therefore earned a real lower-tier niche through disruptive mechanics rather than raw statistics, and its effectiveness depends heavily on prediction and matchup knowledge.

Purrloin in Nuzlockes

Liepard's base 106 Speed and Psychic immunity can be useful in a Nuzlocke, but its extremely poor physical and special bulk leaves little margin for mistakes. Prankster can make Encore, Taunt, or Thunder Wave act before faster opponents, creating valuable control without spending health, though Dark-type targets become immune to opposing Prankster status moves from Generation VII onward. Sucker Punch offers priority damage but fails if the opponent does not use an attacking move, so relying on it without knowing the AI's likely choice can create unnecessary risk. Limber is a simple and reliable defensive ability because paralysis cannot remove Liepard's major Speed advantage, while Unburden can create enormous Speed but depends on item management. The family is safest as a fast cleaner or utility specialist brought in through a free switch rather than a Pokemon expected to trade hits.

Purrloin steals from people for amusement and seems to enjoy the frustration of its victims as much as the objects themselves. It deliberately acts cute and harmless to lower a target's guard, then takes valuables and responds to discovery with scratches and apparent laughter. Its charm is effective enough that people frequently forgive the theft even after catching Purrloin in the act. In Galar, the species has a particularly fierce rivalry with Nickit.