Illumise punches above its weight class thanks to Prankster. It gives priority to its status moves, which is enough to make up for stats that don't impress on their own. Only weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock. Known as the Firefly Pokemon.
Nothing fancy in Illumise's spread. It leans special with Sp. Def out front. And you'll get 1 Speed EV per KO for it. Follows a standard growth curve.
With its sweet aroma, it guides Volbeat to draw signs with light in the night sky.
Illumise Weakness
AvgType-wise, Illumise takes extra damage from Fire, Flying, and Rock. With 65 HP and balanced defenses, Illumise can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What you see is what you get. Illumise sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and no compatible partners from two egg groups. Eggs are quick to hatch.
How to Evolve
Breed Illumise from the Bug and Humanshape egg groups. Pass egg moves like Baton Pass, Bug Buzz, Captivate and 5 more to offspring.
the remaining moves gives Illumise answers even while choice-locked. Choice Specs provides boosted special damage with move lock, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs with Tintedlens mean every prediction that lands hits hard.
Best Build
Best Illumise Moveset
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Fire
- Air Cutter
Recommended Teammates
Hard to wall, honestly. Illumise threatens 11 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Psychic standing out. Pair that with Bug Buzz and U-turn and switchins need to think twice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Illumise can't be caught in Black 2 & White 2. Bring it over from Ruby, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Illumise looks average on paper at 430 BST. But Prankster is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Illumise's biggest threats include Blaziken (Fire), Dodrio (Flying), and Aerodactyl (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.
Illumise doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Bug-type Pokemon with a 430 base stat total.
Illumise gets Prankster, Oblivious, and Tinted Lens. But Prankster is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Illumise is leaning toward the special side (base 73 Sp. Atk). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 85 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Illumise appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Illumise appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A