NationalDex
sableye
#302

Sableye

Darkness Pokémon

DarkGhost

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

Base Stats

HP 50
Attack 75
Defense 75
Sp. Atk 65
Sp. Def 65
Speed 50
Total 380

Type Effectiveness

Abilities

Held Items

Evolution Chain

Moves

Locations

Details

Category Darkness Pokémon
Height 0.5 m
Weight 11.0 kg
Base Exp 133
Growth Rate Medium Slow
Capture Rate 45
Base Happiness 35
Gender 50% ♂ / 50% ♀
Habitat Cave
Egg Groups Humanshape

Sprites

sableye Front Front
sableye Back Back
sableye Front Shiny Front Shiny
sableye Back Shiny Back Shiny
sableye Official Art Official Art
sableye Official Art (Shiny) Official Art (Shiny)

Competitive

Prankster
Item
Leftovers
Ability
Prankster
Nature
Bold
EVs
HP 252
Def 252
SpD 4

Strategy Overview

When looking at Sableye's stats, it seems as though it should have no place in Ubers. However, Sableye's awesome combination of a vast support movepool and Prankster enable it to function as a immensely useful supporter if used correctly. Prankster is a massive advantage that Sableye has over other Ubers utility Pokemon; it allows Sableye to fully invest in its bulk while outrunning some of the most eminent threats in the tier and smacking them with a Will-O-Wisp before they can strike back. Access to Foul Play only compounds this advantage, giving Sableye a tool to hit many opponents exceptionally hard without needing to worry about investment.

Because of priority Will-O-Wisp, Sableye can serve as a formidable physical wall despite its terrible bulk; it is in its use that Sableye finds one of its more important niches: countering Extreme Killer Arceus. Because it's immune to Extreme Speed, Sableye can—assuming a hit—burn Arceus before it can hit back; even if Arceus uses Swords Dance on the switch, it can't OHKO, regardless of its item. That being said, Sableye's horrible special bulk holds it back. Priority Taunt is another reason that Sableye is so useful. By restricting defensive opponents' options, Sableye can function as an effective stallbreaker; for example, Sableye can completely shut down Forretress and the pink blobs with Taunt and by virtue of its Ghost typing, while Sleep Talkers are prevented from recovering and rendered helpless while they sleep. Sableye is an anti-metagame Pokemon thanks to said capabilities, and it is capable of handling entry hazard leads, Baton Pass teams, and stall teams on its own. Overall, Sableye must be played with caution, but in the right hands, it can be an effective tool against stall and offense alike.

Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc