Night Shade (move)

Night Shade ナイトヘッド Night Head

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Battles Type  Ghost Category  Special PP  15 (max. 24) Power  Varies Accuracy  100% Priority  {{{priority}}} Does not make contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by King's Rock

Target Foe Foe Foe Self Ally Ally May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation I Not a TM, HM, or move tutor move.

Contests Category  Smart Appeal  2 ♥♥ Jam  1 ♥ Startles Pokémon that made a same-type appeal.

Super Contests Category  Smart Appeal  3 ♥♥♥ A basic performance using a move known by the Pokémon.

Night Shade on Legendary Pokémon MoveDex Night Shade on Eevee's Movedex

Night Shade (Japanese: ナイトヘッド Night Head) is a damage-dealing Ghost-type move introduced in Generation I. Prior to Generation II, it was the signature move of the Gastly evolution line.

Effect

Generation I

Night Shade inflicts damage equal to the user's level. Although Night Shade deals Ghost-type damage, its type does not alter the amount of damage it inflicts. Night Shade hits both Normal-type Pokémon and Psychic-type Pokémon, both of which have immunities to Ghost-type moves during Generation I.

Generation II and on

After Generation I, the type mechanics were altered so that Night Shade and all other Ghost-type moves hit Psychic-type Pokémon, leaving only Normal-type Pokémon immune to Night Shade. Night Shade will still inflict damage equal to the user's level.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V
092		Gastly	Ghost	Poison	--			21			21	16	15				15
093		Haunter	Ghost	Poison	--			21			21	16	15				15
094		Gengar	Ghost	Poison	--			21			21	16	15				15
167		Spinarak	Bug	Poison	no			17			17			15				15
168		Ariados	Bug	Poison	no			17			17			15				15
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying	no			10			10			6				6
178		Xatu	Psychic	Flying	no			--, 10			10			6				6
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	no			26			27			21				21
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost	no			no			9			8				8
353		Shuppet	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			13			8				8
354		Banette	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			--, 13			--, 5				--, 5
355		Duskull	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			--			--				--
356		Dusclops	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			--			--				--
386		Deoxys	Psychic		Psychic	no			no			5			9				9
477		Dusknoir	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			no			--				--
491		Darkrai	Dark		Dark	no			no			no			--
562		Yamask	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			no			no				13
563		Cofagrigus	Ghost		Ghost	no			no			no			no				13
592		Frillish	Water	Ghost	no			no			no			no				9
593		Jellicent	Water	Ghost	no			no			no			no				--
607		Litwick	Ghost	Fire	no			no			no			no				13
608		Lampent	Ghost	Fire	no			no			no			no				13
622		Golett	Ground	Ghost	no			no			no			no				35
623		Golurk	Ground	Ghost	no			no			no			no				35
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
					I		II		III		IV		V
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying	no			no
441		Chatot	Normal	Flying	no			no
577		Solosis	Psychic		Psychic	no			no			no
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.

By move tutor

#	Pokémon		Type		Game
					FRLG	E	XD
151		Mew	Psychic		Psychic				✔
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.

By event

Generation II

#   Pokémon Type Obtained in 163 Hoothoot Normal Flying New York Pokémon Center Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Generation V

#   Pokémon Type Obtained in 163 Hoothoot Normal Flying Dream World - Windswept Sky Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

In the anime

Gengar	Ariados	Frillish	Solosis
The user fires a black beam at the opponent.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
Gengar	Gengar fires a black or dark crimson beam, outlined in red, blue, or purple from its eyes or hands at the opponent. Sometimes, its eyes glow red.
A giant Gengar	The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis		Debut
Drake's Gengar	Hello, Pummelo!		None
Morty's Gengar	A Ghost of a Chance		None
Gengar of Team Meanies	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate		None
Fantina's Gengar	Shield with a Twist!		None
Gastly	Gastly fires a light purple beam from its body at the opponent, or Gastly fires black beams from its eyes at the opponent.
Captain's Gastly	A Shipful of Shivers		None
Multiple wild Gastly	A Ghost of a Chance		None
Morty's Gastly	From Ghost to Ghost		None
Haunter	Haunter's eyes glow red, then it fires black beams from its eyes at the opponent.
Morty's Haunter	From Ghost to Ghost		None
Four wild Haunter	Hoenn Alone!		None
Ariados	Ariados's horn glows black and it fires black beam from its horn at the opponent, or Ariados shoots two black beams from its eyes at the opponent.
Oakley's Ariados	Pokémon Heroes		None
Forrester Franklin's Ariados	All in a Day's Wurmple		None
Sableye	Sableye's eyes glow red and it fires two black beam from them at the opponent.
A wild Sableye	Ready, Willing, and Sableye		None
Dusclops	A black-purple energy with a blue outline covers over Dusclops's eye and Dusclops releases it at the opponent as a beam.
Butler's Dusclops	Jirachi: Wish Maker		None
Deoxys	Deoxys releases a black energy beam at the opponent from the crystal on its chest.
Deoxys (Purple Crystal)	Destiny Deoxys		None
Deoxys (Green Crystal)	Destiny Deoxys		None
Frillish	Frillish's eyes become surrounded in a purple aura. The aura then becomes replaced with a bright pink glow and Frillish's body glows pale pink. Frillish then holds out its tentacles and waves both of them up and down in a fast-paced hypnotic pattern. It then releases multiple pink rings around its body. When the opponent is hit by the rings, its body becomes outlined in light purple, damaging it.
Trip's Frillish	A Rival Battle for Club Champ!		None
Yamask	Yamask's eyes start to glow bright pink and its body glows pale purple. Then, it releases multiple crimson rings from around its face at the opponent. The rings grow larger as they travel towards the opponent. When the opponent gets hit, its body becomes outlined in light purple, damaging it.
James's Yamask	The Dragon Master's Path!		None
Solosis	Solosis's eyes start to glow bright pink and its body turns pale purple. It then releases multiple crimson rings from its body at the opponent. When the rings hit the opponent, its body becomes surrounded in pale purple, damaging it.
Doyle's Solosis	Where Did You Go, Audino?		None

In the manga

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

	Haunter
The user raises its arms in the air and damages the foe.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Round/Chapter Used In		Notes
Gengar	Gengar raises both of its arms in the air, firing an invisible blast of energy from its body and hitting the opponent.
Unknown Trainer's Gengar	Pikachu, I See You!		Debut
Haunter	Haunter's eyes glint and it releases a dark wave of spiritual energy from its body at the opponent.
Black Fog	Haunting my Dreams		None

Pokémon Adventures

	Gengar
The user makes the foe see a mirage.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Round/Chapter Used In		Notes
Gengar	Gengar fires a beam from its body at the opponent. When the beam hits them, it makes them hold their head in pain.
A Team Rocket Grunt's Gengar	Holy Moltres		Debut
Agatha's Gengar	Electro Magneton		None

In other generations

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (International)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (International)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (International)	FRLG	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (International)	HGSS	Generation V	BW	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (International)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battle Revolution (Alternative animation)	Battrio	PMD: Red and Blue	PMD: Time, Darkness, Sky	Rumble	Rumble Blast

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (International)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (International)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (International)	FRLG	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (International)	HGSS	Generation V	BW	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (International)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battle Revolution (Alternative animation)	Battrio	PMD: Red and Blue	PMD: Time, Darkness, Sky	Rumble	Rumble Blast

Trivia

• In double battles, the animation of the move is slightly different. The expanding projection of the user at the end of the animation is solid rather than transparent. This does not affect the execution of the move, however. This effect is shared with Extrasensory.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 黑夜詛咒 Hēiyè Zǔzhòu Danish Natskygge Dutch Nachtschaduw Finnish Yövarjo French Ténèbres German Nachtnebel Greek Νυχτερινό Σύνδρομο Italian Ombra Nott. Korean 나이트헤드 Night Head Polish Mroczny Cień Brazilian Portuguese Sombra Noturna Serbian Noćna Senka Spanish Tinieblas

Variations of the move Night Shade
Seismic Toss Night Shade

Set-damage moves
Seismic Toss SonicBoom • Dragon Rage • Night Shade

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.