Carkol

Introduced in generation eight, with the Pokemon Sword and Shield games, Carkol is a dual type rock and fire type Pokemon. It is the second stage of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Rolycoly and evolves into Coalossal once they reach the level thresholds. Carkol is classified by the Pokedex as the “Coal Pokemon'' which may indicate its general design. This guide will showcase Carkol’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in battle, as well as other general facts about Carkol.

About Carkol

As a generation eight Pokemon, Carkol first appeared in the Twilight Wings miniseries of the anime in the episode Assistant. In this episode, multiple Carkol are featured working alongside construction workers. The Pokedex mentions that Carkol will naturally form coal within its body. The temperature of Carkol’s breath can reach over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Carkol Base Stats

Appearance

Carkol is a large, black Pokemon that resembles a large mass of coal and most of its body is varying shades of black and red. It appears to be a small minecart with four small legs extending from it. There is a large pile of coal in this Minecart, and Carkol’s head can be seen at the front of the pile. Near Carkol’s mouth the coal seems to be burning. Carkol is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 7 inches, or 1.1 meters, tall.

Behavior

Unfortunately, little is known about Carkol as it only appears briefly in a short episode of the Twilight Wings miniseries. They appear to be useful for construction and will speedily cart coal between locations. The Pokedex mentions that Carkol will generate coal inside of its body. It is capable of traveling over 18 miles per hour. Carkol’s breath is capable of reaching 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and its why the people of the Galar region used to rely on Carkol to fuel their lives.

Strengths and Weaknesses

As the second stage evolution Pokemon in its evolution line, Carkol is not yet a powerful Pokemon overall. It does have a strong lineup of defensive stats but it is a slow Pokemon. Carkol’s health, physical defense and special defense are high for a not fully evolved Pokemon.

The Flame Body ability can ensure that physical attacking Pokemon have trouble facing Carkol. As a dual type rock and fire Pokemon, Carkol takes 2x damage from fighting and rock type moves and takes 4x damage from ground and water type moves. It is immune to no types, but will resist normal, flying, poison, bug, fire, ice, and fairy type moves.

Best Moveset

In competitive play, Carkol is typically reserved for the NFE (Not Fully Evolved) format. In this format, Carkol is capable of shutting down many physically offensive Pokemon. An Eviolite, as a held item, and the Flame Body ability can discourage aggressive physical Pokemon from staying in against Carkol. But it can still function as a powerful defensive Pokemon.

Consider running Rapid Spin, Heat Crash/Rock Blast, Spikes/Stealth Rock, and Will-O-Wisp. Rapid Spin can remove problematic hazards on your own side of the field. You can choose between Heat Crash or Rock Blast as Carkol’s damaging move. Spikes can be stacked but Stealth Rock can easily counter flying, fire, bug and other types of Pokemon. Finally, Will-O-Wisp can provide long lasting damage throughout the battle.

How to Catch Carkol in Pokemon Go

Unfortunately, Carkol is not currently available for capture in Pokemon Go. The developers are currently finishing the generation six Pokemon, and after they finish generation seven, it is likely that Carkol will be included into the game. Until Carkol and its evolution line are released into the game, we will not know for sure if Carkol will hatch from eggs, if any member of the evolution line will be available as a raid boss, or how many candies it will require to evolve the forms. However, once Carkol is released into the game, you can expect to find it spawning in the wild at a boosted rate near cities, neighborhoods, beaches, parks, and other residential areas.

Trivia

1. Carkol and its evolution line share a Pokedex classification as the “Coal Pokemon” with Torkoal.
2. The inspiration for Carkol’s design is based on a minecart filled with coal.
3. The name Carkol is a combination of the words car and coal.

FAQ

What does Carkol evolve into?

Carkol is the second stage evolution of its three stage evolution line. It evolves into Coalossal once it reaches level 34. Rolycoly will evolve into Carkol once it reaches level 18. There are no special conditions to fulfill with Carkol’s evolutions and it will evolve as long as it is leveled up. Once Rolycoly evolves into Coalossal, you have finished the Pokemon’s evolution line.

Is Carkol any good?

Carkol has a strong defensive lineup of stats. However, it is not fully evolved, so it is not as powerful as it could be. Carkol also has a slow speed stat which can leave it open throughout battle. It has access to hazard moves, hazard-clearing moves, status effect inflicting moves, and has a strong defensive type.

What is a Carkol?

Carkol is meant to resemble a minecart full of coal. In the Twilight Wings miniseries, it is seen working alongside construction workers and speedily transporting coal from place to place. The Pokedex mentions that Carkol can generate coal within its body. The people of the Galar region used to rely on Carkol to fuel their lifestyles.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Coal Pokemon”. While Carkol’s impact on competitive play is limited to a unique format, it can still be a powerful defensive Pokemon. Its defensive typing along with a wide moveset allows it to function on many different teams. Carkol is capable of a lot and eventually evolves into an even more powerful Pokemon. Reserve a slot on your team for Carkol if you want a powerful rock and fire type Pokemon.