Dark (type)

Template:ElementalTypes Template:TypeNotice Some notable trainers of Dark-types include Karen of the Johto Elite Four and Sidney of the Hoenn Elite Four. Notably, the Dark-type is the only type that has not had at least one Pokémon Gym dedicated to it.

Statistical averages

Overall

Stat
HP: 66
Attack: 93
Defense: 59
Sp.Atk: 76
Sp.Def: 60
Speed: 71
Total: 0

Fully evolved

Stat
HP: 75.69
Attack: 103.06
Defense: 75.75
Sp.Atk: 85.19
Sp.Def: 73.81
Speed: 77.25
Total: 0

Battle properties

Offensive			Defensive
Power	Types		Power	Types
2×			½×
½×			2×
0×	None		0×

Characteristics

Dark-type Pokémon were added in Generation II.

Dark-type Pokémon are notable for the fact that they don't have any strong stat trends other than Attack (which is in and of itself modified by a few powerful outliers and slightly ironic as Dark was a special type, not a physical type), but usually have relatively poor defenses, with the exception of Umbreon, Spiritomb, Drapion, and Tyranitar (the fourth is probably due to its other type). Just the same, Pokémon that are both Dark-type and Template:Type2 have no true weaknesses, as the resistances of the Dark-type cover the weaknesses of Ghost, and vice-versa. One of the greatest advantages of the Dark-type is that they are immune to Template:Type2s.

Dark-type moves, when combating Psychic-types, are especially useful due to their secondary effects; Crunch lowers Defense (an already low stat among Psychic-types), Bite causes Flinching, Faint Attack never misses, Night Slash has a high critical hit ratio while Pursuit hits Pokémon as they switch for double damage. Many Dark-type moves also involve stealing or deception, such as moves like Thief, which steals an opponent's held item, and Snatch, which steals the beneficial effects of an opponent's moves.

Interestingly, despite the fact that in generations prior to Generation IV, all Dark-type moves were special moves, there is only one special Dark-type move in Generation IV (Dark Pulse), which itself was introduced in that generation, meaning all Dark-type moves from before are actually considered physical moves.

When used in contests, Dark-type moves typically are of the Smart category, but can also fall in any of the other four Contest categories.

Pokémon

In total, there are 26 Pokémon of the currently known 514 species with the Dark-type; 17 are fully evolved. This high number of fully evolved Pokémon is because some Pokémon gain the Dark-type after evolving. The Dark type accounts for 5.06% of the entire Pokédex, making it the third least populated type.

Pure Dark-type Pokémon

# Name 197 Umbreon 261 Poochyena 262 Mightyena 359 Absol 491 Darkrai 509 Choroneko ??? Zorua ??? Zoroark

Half Dark-type Pokémon

Primary Dark-type Pokémon

# Name Type 1 Type 2 198 Murkrow Dark Flying 215 Sneasel Dark Ice 228 Houndour Dark Fire 229 Houndoom Dark Fire 302 Sableye Dark Ghost 430 Honchkrow Dark Flying 461 Weavile Dark Ice

Secondary Dark-type Pokémon

# Name Type 1 Type 2 248 Tyranitar Rock Dark 274 Nuzleaf Grass Dark 275 Shiftry Grass Dark 318 Carvanha Water Dark 319 Sharpedo Water Dark 332 Cacturne Grass Dark 342 Crawdaunt Water Dark 434 Stunky Poison Dark 435 Skuntank Poison Dark 442 Spiritomb Ghost Dark 452 Drapion Poison Dark ??? Meguroko Ground Dark

Moves

Damage-dealing moves

Name Category Contest Power Accuracy PP Target Notes Assurance Physical Beauty 50 100% 10 One foe If the target has already taken some damage in the same turn, this attack's power is doubled. Beat Up Physical Smart 10 100% 10 One foe Does more damage the more Pokémon are in the user's party. Bite* Physical Tough 60 100% 25 One foe Has a 10% chance of causing the opponent to flinch. Crunch Physical Tough 80 100% 15 One foe Has a 20% chance of lowering target's Defense.* Dark Pulse Special Cool 80 100% 15 One foe Has a 20% chance of making the target flinch. Faint Attack Physical Smart 60 —% 20 One foe Never misses. Fling Physical Tough Varies 100% 10 One foe Throws held item, power and effects depend on held item. Knock Off Physical Smart 20 100% 20 One foe Prevents the target from using its held item. Night Slash Physical Beauty 70 100% 15 One foe Has a high critical hit ratio. Payback Physical Cool 50 100% 10 One foe Power doubles if used after opponent attacks. Punishment Physical Smart Varies 100% 5 One foe Power increases the more the target has powered up with stat changes. Pursuit Physical Smart 40 100% 20 One foe Deals double damage if target is switching out of battle. Sucker Punch Physical Smart 80 100% 5 One foe Attacks first. Fails if target is not preparing an attack. Thief Physical Tough 40 100% 10 One foe Steals target's held item if user has no held item.

Non-damaging moves

Name Category Contest Power Accuracy PP Target Notes Dark Void Status Smart — 80% 10 Both foes Puts the target to sleep. Embargo Status Cute — 100% 15 One foe Prevents the target from using its held item. Also prevents Trainers from using items on it. Fake Tears Status Smart — 100% 20 One foe Sharply lowers the target's Special Defense. Flatter Status Smart — 100% 15 One foe Confuses the target. However, it also raises the target's Special Attack. Memento Status Tough — 100% 10 One foe The user faints. In return, it sharply lowers the target's Attack and Special Attack. Nasty Plot Status Cute — —% 20 User Sharply raises the user's Special Attack. Snatch Status Smart — —% 10 Reaction Steals the effects of any healing or status-changing move the target attempts to use. Switcheroo Status Cool — 100% 10 One foe The user trades held items with the target. Taunt Status Smart — 100% 20 One foe The target can only use attack moves for two to four turns. Torment Status Smart — 100% 15 One foe The target can't use the same move twice in a row.

Trivia

• There are no Dark-type moves with a base power greater than 80, making it the only elemental type without a single move with a base power of 100 or more (other than Judgment). This means that while holding the Dread Plate, Arceus's Judgment becomes the strongest Dark-type move with 100 power.
• None of the main characters of the anime own a Dark-type Pokémon. However, Ash, James, and May own or have owned Pokémon that can evolve into a Dark-type.
• Officially, this type's Brazilian Portuguese translation is "Noturno", but at times it is named as "Sombrio" or "Trevas" as well. However, Sombrio means Shadow, another type.
• The Dark type is the only type which does not have members from all generations released so far.
  • It is also the only type absent from a regional Pokédex, not appearing in the Kanto Pokédex.
  • The opposite is true for moves, with Bite's change from being a Template:Type2 to a Dark-type move causing there to be Dark-type moves from all four generations.
• Dark Void is the only Dark-type move without 100% accuracy or higher.
• There has yet to be a Pokémon Gym that specializes in the Dark type. Despite this, there have been two Elite Four members who specialize in Dark-type Pokémon.
• There will be a Dark/Dragon evolutionary chain that poses as the fifth generation's pseudo-legendary.

In other languages

• Chinese: 邪惡 xié'è
• Dutch: Duister
• Finnish: Pimeys
• French: Ténèbres
• German: Unlicht
• Hebrew: אפל affel
• Italian: Buio
• Japanese: あく (悪) aku
• Korean: 악 ak
• Polish: Mroczny
• Portuguese (Brazilian): Escuro / Noturno Nocturnal
• Russian: Тёмный tyomnii
• Spanish: Siniestro