Utility
Support
380Low
50Slow
ATier

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

This Pokémon is feared. When its gemstone eyes begin to glow with a sinister shine, it’s believed that Sableye will steal people’s spirits away.

Sword

It feeds on gemstone crystals. In darkness, its eyes sparkle with the glitter of jewels.

Shield

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 plenty of partners. Hatching is average hatch time. It's got 6 egg moves worth looking into.

How to Evolve

No Evolution
Sableye
#302Sableye
Does not evolve
Breeding
Easy

Breed Sableye easily with 51 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group. Pass egg moves like Feint, Flatter, Metal Burst and 3 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
6moves
Breed With (best first)
gardevoirgalladehawluchacinderacegrimmsnarllopunnyrabootmorgrembunearylucariomienshaoscorbunny

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 Poltergeist and Foul Play 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
TR83
Ally Switch+2
15Psychic
TM31
Attract
10015Normal
TR01
Body Slam
8510015Normal
TM43
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TR49
Calm Mind
20Psychic
TR58
Dark Pulse
8010015Dark
TR92
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
TM15
Dig
8010010Ground
TM63
Drain Punch
7510010Fighting
TR30
Encore
1005Normal
TR26
Endure+4
10Normal
TM39
Facade
7010020Normal
TM03
Fire Punch
7510015Fire
TM59
Fling
10010Dark
TR81
Foul Play
9510015Dark
TR52
Gyro Ball
1005Steel
TM41
Helping Hand+5
20Normal
TM77
Hex
6510010Ghost
TM04
Ice Punch
7510015Ice
TM27
Icy Wind
559515Ice
TM44
Imprison
10Psychic
TR07
Low Kick
10020Fighting
TM75
Low Sweep
6510020Fighting
TM01
Mega Kick
120755Normal
TM
Mega Punch
808520Normal
TR14
Metronome
10Normal
TR68
Nasty Plot
20Dark
TM57
Payback
5010010Dark
TR57
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TR63
Power Gem
8010020Rock
TM25
Protect+4
10Normal
TR11
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM33
Rain Dance
5Water
TM21
Rest
10Psychic
TM79
Retaliate
701005Normal
TM48
Rock Tomb
609515Rock
TM76
Round
6010015Normal
TR33
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM65
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
TR27
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM85
Snarl
559515Dark
TM24
Snore
5010015Normal
TR20
Substitute
10Normal
TM34
Sunny Day
5Fire
TR37
Taunt
10020Dark
TM23
Thief
6010025Dark
TM05
Thunder Punch
7510015Electric
TR38
Trick
10010Psychic
TM38
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire
TM71
Wonder Room
10Psychic
TR69
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Feint+2
3010010Normal
Egg
Flatter
10015Dark
Egg
Metal Burst
10010Steel
Egg
Recover
10Normal
Egg
Sucker Punch+1
701005Dark
Egg
Torment
10015Dark

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Lash Out
751005Dark
Tutor
Poltergeist
110905Ghost

Sableye starts showing up in late-game routes at high spawn rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.

Best Locations

Dusty Bowl
OverworldLv.42-4735%LateHeavy Fog
EFFORTLESS
Lakeside Cave
OverworldLv.60-6510%PostCaveAll Weather
MODERATE
  • Sableye looks average on paper at 380 BST. But Prankster is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. A-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.