Utility
Balanced
430Average
85Moderate
CTier

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.

Base Stats
430Above
HP65
C
Attack47
D
Defense75
C
Sp. Atk73
C
Sp. Def85
C
Speed85
C
Total430
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Illumise yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch150ModerateFluctuating1.64M XP0.6m / 2'00"17.7kg / 39 lbs151Base XP
Pokedex Entries

With its sweet aroma, it guides Volbeat to draw signs with light in the night sky.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Illumise Weakness

Avg

Type-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.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
3Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-3
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
ObliviousPrevents infatuation and protects against captivate.
Tinted LensDoubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.
PranksterHARaises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.

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

No Evolution
Illumise
#314Illumise
Does not evolve
Breeding
Moderate

Breed Illumise from the Bug and Humanshape egg groups. Pass egg moves like Aromatherapy, Baton Pass, Confuse Ray and 3 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
BugHumanshape
Gender
100.0%
Hatch Time
15 cycles·3,855 steps
Quick~4 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves

The slow wall spread is where Illumise earns its spot. Heavy-Duty Boots for hazard immunity on every switch-in, Relaxed nature for the right lean, and Roost handles sustain. Prankster does the rest without needing a move slot.

Best Build

Wall
Ability
Prankster
Item
Heavy-Duty BootsANTI-HAZARD
Nature
Relaxed+DEF
EVs

Best Illumise Moveset

  • RoostRecovery
  • U TurnSTAB
  • Thunder Wave
  • EncoreUtility

Recommended Teammates

Hard to wall, honestly. Illumise threatens 10 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

Lv 1
Play Nice
20Normal
Lv 1
Tackle
4010035Normal
Lv 5
Sweet Scent
10020Normal
Lv 9
Charm
10020Fairy
Lv 12
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Lv 15
Struggle Bug
5010020Bug
Lv 19
Moonlight
5Fairy
Lv 22
Wish
10Normal
Lv 26
Encore
1005Normal
Lv 29
Flatter
10015Dark
Lv 33
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic
Lv 36
Helping Hand+5
20Normal
Lv 40
Bug Buzz
9010010Bug
Lv 43
Play Rough
909010Fairy
Lv 47
Covet
6010025Normal
Lv 50
Infestation
2010020Bug

TM Moves

Src
TM40
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM31
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TM62
Bug Buzz
9010010Bug
TM57
Charge Beam
509010Electric
TM21
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM58
Endure+4
10Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM70
Flash
10020Normal
TM56
Fling
10010Dark
TM01
Focus Punch-3
15010020Fighting
TM19
Giga Drain
7510010Grass
TM16
Light Screen
30Psychic
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM77
Psych Up
10Normal
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM51
Roost
10Flying
TM30
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM34
Shock Wave
6020Electric
TM82
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM22
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM25
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM73
Thunder Wave
9020Electric
TM24
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
TM89
U-turn
7010020Bug
TM03
Water Pulse
6010020Water

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Aromatherapy
5Grass
Egg
Baton Pass
40Normal
Egg
Confuse Ray
10010Ghost
Egg
Encore
1005Normal
Egg
Fake Tears
10020Dark
Egg
Growth
20Normal

Tutor Moves

Illumise can't learn any Tutor moves

A solid number of locations for Illumise with moderate rates across endgame routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.

Best Locations

10 walking encounters at Lv. 50-63 for Illumise across Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.

Route 229
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.5010%PostRoute
MODERATE
Dazzling Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Dazzling Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Grassland Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Grassland Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Stargleam Cavern
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Stargleam Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Sunlit Cavern
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Sunlit Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Route 229
Shining PearlGrassLv.505%PostRoute
CHALLENGING
  • 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.