Dark (type)

Template:ElementalTypes The Dark type (Japanese: あくタイプ Evil type) is one of the seventeen elemental types. Notable Trainers that specialize in Dark-type Pokémon are Karen of the Johto Elite Four, Sidney of the Hoenn Elite Four, and Grimsley of the Unova Elite Four. Notably, the Dark-type is the only type that has never had a Pokémon Gym specialize in it. Prior to Generation IV, where moves are designated physical or special based on the move itself rather than its type, all Dark-type moves were special.

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.

Defense

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, Scrafty, Mandibuzz and Tyranitar. 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. However if a Psychic/Dark type were to be together, then it will have no resistances.

Offense

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.

Even though the Dark type was considered a special type prior to Generation IV, the three Dark-type moves that are currently special (Dark Pulse, Snarl and Night Daze) were introduced after Generation III, meaning that all Dark-type moves that were once special moves are now all 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

As of Generation V, there are 39 Dark-type Pokémon or 6.01% of all Pokémon, making it tied with the Electric type as the twelfth most common elemental type.

Pure Dark-type Pokémon

# Name 197 Umbreon 261 Poochyena 262 Mightyena 359 Absol 491 Darkrai 509 Purrloin 510 Liepard 570 Zorua 571 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 559 Scraggy Dark Fighting 560 Scrafty Dark Fighting 624 Pawniard Dark Steel 625 Bisharp Dark Steel 629 Vullaby Dark Flying 630 Mandibuzz Dark Flying 633 Deino Dark Dragon 634 Zweilous Dark Dragon 635 Hydreigon Dark Dragon

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 551 Sandile Ground Dark 552 Krokorok Ground Dark 553 Krookodile 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 Varies* 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. Foul Play Physical ??? 95 100% 15 One foe Damage is calculated with the target's Attack stat. Knock Off Physical Smart 20 100% 20 One foe Prevents the target from using its held item. Night Daze Special ??? 85 95% 10 One foe Has a 40% chance of lowering target's Accuracy. 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. Snarl Special ??? 55 95% 15 Both foes Lowers the target's Special Attack. 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. Hone Claws Status ??? — —% 15 User Raises the user's Attack and Accuracy one stage each. 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. Quash Status ??? — 100% 15 One foe Forces the target to go last for one turn. 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

• Officially, this type's Brazilian Portuguese translation is "Noturno" (nocturnal), but at times it is named as "Sombrio" or "Trevas" (darkness) as well. However, Sombrio means Shadow, another type.
• Because of Bite's change to Dark from the Normal-type in Generation II, there has been at least one Dark-type move introduced in each generation. Despite this, there is not a Dark-type Pokémon from each generation; Dark is the only type not assigned to a Pokémon introduced in Generation I. This is the opposite situation to the other type introduced in Generation II, Steel.
• There has yet to be a Pokémon Gym that specializes in the Dark type. Despite this, there have been three Elite Four members who specialize in Dark-type Pokémon.
• Generation V introduced the most Dark-type Pokémon, introducing 16 of the 39.
• So far, 9 Dark-type moves has been shown in the anime, the least of all elemental types.
• All non-legendary pure Dark-type Pokémon are based off of fox, dog, or cat-like creatures.

In other languages

Language Title Japanese あく (悪) aku Mandarin Chinese 邪惡 xié'è Dutch Duister Finnish Pimeys French Ténèbres German Unlicht Greek Ερέβους erebus Hebrew אופל offel Italian Buio Korean 악 ak Norwegian Mørk Polish Mroczny Brazilian Portuguese Escuro / Noturno Nocturnal Russian Тёмный tyomnii Spanish Siniestro