Utility
Support
380Low
50Slow
CTier

Without Prankster, Sableye wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It gives priority to its status moves, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Dark/Ghost is solid coverage on top of that. Normal, Fighting, and Psychic moves can't touch it, and only a single type hits it super-effectively.

You won't find a real weakness in Sableye's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Darkness Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 2 Attack and Defense EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.

Base Stats
380Avg
HP50
D
Attack75
C
Defense75
C
Sp. Atk65
C
Sp. Def65
C
Speed50
D
Total380
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Sableye yields +1 Atk, +1 Def
HPAtk+1Def+1SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.5m / 1'08"11kg / 24.3 lbs133Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It hides in the darkness of caves. Its diet of gems has transformed its eyes into gemstones.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Sableye Weakness

Fortress

Type-wise, Sableye takes extra damage from Fairy. Normal, Fighting, and Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. Sableye's Dark/Ghost typing only leaves 1 gap to cover.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
½xResisti
¼xResisti
None
STAB (2)i
1Weak
1Resist
3Immune
Scorei+8
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Keen EyePrevents accuracy from being lowered.
StallMakes the Pokémon move last within its move's priority bracket.
PranksterHARaises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.

Sableye is what you get. No evolutions, but it breeds through one egg group with no compatible partners. Hatching is average hatch time. It's got 9 egg moves worth looking into.

How to Evolve

No Evolution
Sableye
#302Sableye
Does not evolve
Breeding
Easy

Breed Sableye easily from the Humanshape egg group. Pass egg moves like Feint, Flatter, Imprison and 6 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Humanshape
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
25 cycles·6,425 steps
Moderate~6 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
9moves

max HP and Defense EVs and Impish nature turn Sableye into a wall that doesn't fold easily. Heavy-Duty Boots brings hazard immunity on every switch-in for the long game, and Recover handles sustain. Prankster fills in the gaps.

Best Build

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

Best Sableye Moveset

  • Knock OffSTAB
  • Will O Wisp
  • EncoreUtility
  • RecoverRecovery

Stall teams hate this. Sableye can spread damage across 11 types, with Normal and Rock punishing common defensive pivots. STAB from Foul Play and Shadow Ball keeps the pressure honest on everything else.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
10030Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
4010035Normal
Lv 3
Astonish
3010015Ghost
Lv 6
Confuse Ray
10010Ghost
Lv 9
Shadow Sneak+1
4010030Ghost
Lv 12
Fake Out+3
4010010Normal
Lv 15
Disable
10020Normal
Lv 18
Detect+4
5Fighting
Lv 21
Night Shade
10015Ghost
Lv 24
Fury Swipes
188015Normal
Lv 27
Knock Off
6510020Dark
Lv 30
Quash
10015Dark
Lv 33
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
Lv 36
Mean Look
5Normal
Lv 39
Power Gem
8010020Rock
Lv 42
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic
Lv 45
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
Lv 48
Foul Play
9510015Dark

TM Moves

Src
TM40
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM31
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TM04
Calm Mind
20Psychic
TM93
Cut
509530Normal
TM79
Dark Pulse
8010015Dark
TM21
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
TM28
Dig
8010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM60
Drain Punch
7510010Fighting
TM85
Dream Eater
10010015Psychic
TM58
Endure+4
10Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM70
Flash
10020Normal
TM56
Fling
10010Dark
TM01
Focus Punch-3
15010020Fighting
TM74
Gyro Ball
1005Steel
TM27
Low Sweep
6510020Fighting
TM63
Nasty Plot
20Dark
TM66
Payback
5010010Dark
TM84
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM77
Psych Up
10Normal
TM29
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM98
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
TM39
Rock Tomb
609515Rock
TM30
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM65
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
TM34
Shock Wave
6020Electric
TM82
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM78
Snarl
559515Dark
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM12
Taunt
10020Dark
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM41
Torment
10015Dark
TM03
Water Pulse
6010020Water
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Feint+2
3010010Normal
Egg
Flatter
10015Dark
Egg
Imprison
10Psychic
Egg
Mean Look
5Normal
Egg
Metal Burst
10010Steel
Egg
Moonlight
5Fairy
Egg
Recover
10Normal
Egg
Sucker Punch+1
701005Dark
Egg
Trick
10010Psychic

Tutor Moves

Sableye can't learn any Tutor moves

moderate rates across 2 locations for Sableye in endgame routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.

Best Locations

Dazzling Cave
GrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Stargleam Cavern
GrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
  • Sableye looks average on paper at 380 BST. But Prankster is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier support on our tier list.

  • Sableye's biggest threats include Clefable (Fairy), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • Sableye doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Dark/Ghost-type Pokemon with a 380 base stat total.

  • Sableye gets Prankster, Keen Eye, and Stall. But Prankster is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.

  • Sableye is leaning toward the physical side (base 75 Attack). But the speed tells the real story — base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the support role.

  • Sableye appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.

Available since Ruby & Sapphire, Sableye appears in 16 games spanning 7 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Mega form in Generation 7.