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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
Fully evolved
Battle properties
Offensive
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Defensive
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Power
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Types
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Power
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Types
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2×
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½×
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½×
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2×
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0×
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None
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0×
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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 (except for a double-weakness to Bug-type moves).
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
Half Dark-type Pokémon
Primary Dark-type Pokémon
Secondary Dark-type Pokémon
Moves
Damage-dealing moves
Non-damaging moves
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, only 9 Dark-type moves have 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.
- This type, along with the Steel-type were both added in Generation II, and the only types not to be introduced in Generation I.
In other languages