How Many Dark-Type Pokémon Can You Name?

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Pokémon Gold Silver introduced the Dark and Steel-type to the series. These were created to help balance out the gameplay, as the Psychic-type Pokémon absolutely dominated the competitive scene in Pokémon Red Blue. Dark-type Pokémon are totally immune to Psychic-type attacks, so a lowly Poochyena could take on a mighty Alakazam in battle.

So what exactly is a Dark-type Pokémon? The Japanese version of the games is more clear on the issue, as they were originally referred to as Evil-type Pokémon. So does mean that some Pokémon are just born evil? This contradicts the classic "Island of Giant Pokémon" episode of the anime, where Team Rocket's Ekans and Koffing explain that Pokémon are not evil and they only act on the whims of their master. The idea of Evil-type Pokémon seems to be a sad notion, as it suggests that they cannot change their nature. This might be one instance where the localization is better than the source material, as the power of darkness isn't necessarily linked to being evil.

One of the most curious aspects of the Pokémon series is the fact that we have yet to see a Dark-type Gym. There have been several powerful Dark-type members of the Elite Four, however, such as Karen, Sidney, and Grimsley. The Dark-type Pokémon aren't as well represented as other types, but they still possess some of the most powerful Legendaries in the series amongst their number.

If you clicked on this quiz, then you probably think that you know your Dark-type Pokémon. These evil creatures have been stalking the series since Pokémon Gold Silver, which gives us a lot of monsters to choose from. So, Can You Name These Dark-Type Pokémon?

Question 1

This Pokémon only pulls its pants up when it needs to fight

The biggest threat to Dark-type Pokémon are Fighting-type Pokémon. This weakness was added in order to balance out the game, as Dark-types were created specifically to beat Psychics. The Fighting-type Pokémon had little going for them in Red & Blue, so they were turned into an effective counter for Dark-types. This Pokémon is actually a Dark/Fighting-type. The baggy pants it is wearing are actually supposed to be based on the molted skin of various breeds of lizard, which inspired the creation of this Pokémon.

Question 2

This sharp Pokémon is named after Homer Simpson's band

This Pokémon is one of only two Dark/Steel-type creatures in the series. Having this unique combination also gives it a massive x4 weakness to Fighting-type moves, which makes it quite easy to take out. The design of this Pokémon seemed to be based on samurai armor. One of these Pokémon was used by Alain against Ash during the final battle of the Lumiose Conference. It was able to take down two members of Ash's team before it fell in battle.

Question 3

Mega Evolution can give this Pokémon wings

Pokémon X & Y introduced the concept of Mega Evolution to the series. These are temporary evolutions that can be used once per battle. A Mega-Evolved Pokémon will usually gain a huge boost to their stats, along with a powerful new ability. This Pokémon is said to possess the ability to know when a disaster is about to strike. This means that they are considered to be bad omens. The power of Mega Evolution gave this Pokémon the mighty Magic Bounce ability.

Question 4

These vicious mutts can be found stalking their prey in the Hoenn region

This Dark-type Pokémon was introduced in Ruby & Sapphire. You will often see these Pokémon owned by the members of either Team Aqua or Magma. According to the Pokédex: these Pokémon will usually hunt in packs. They will only respect the commands of a skilled trainer. This doesn't explain why Butch from Team Rocket had one and why it was so well behaved. Some trainers seek out the Shiny version of this Pokémon, as it bears a stronger resemblance to the animal that it is based on.

Question 5

The Prison Bottle will turn this Pokémon into a monster

The existence of the base form of this Pokémon was leaked by fans before it was officially revealed. This was because they were able to create a save editor that allowed them to access all of the Pokémon in the game. When the demo for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire was released, fans were able to extract an image of the new form of this Pokémon from the files. This means that it was spoiled twice by the fans.

Question 6

If you evolve a friendly Eevee at night...

In Pokémon Red & Blue, Eevee had the unique ability to be evolved into different Pokémon depending on what evolutionary stone was used on it. When Pokémon Gold & Silver introduced the Friendship stat and the concept of night & day, the developers decided to incorporate them into Eevee's new forms. If you want to create this Pokémon, then you need to raise Eevee's Friendship stat (which can be a pain) and make sure to level it up during the nighttime.

Question 7

Say hello to the Dark Void...

In the world of Pokémon, the realm of dreams is controlled by Cresselia. The power of nightmares is controlled by this horrific beast... or at least that is what the Pokédex says. This Pokémon was actually portrayed as a hero in the movies. This Pokémon has one of the most broken signature moves in the series. The Dark Void attack has an 80% chance to inflict the sleep status on all enemy Pokémon on the field. This ability was nerfed in Pokémon Sun & Moon, as it now only has a 50% chance of inflicting sleep.

Question 8

This Ultra Beast wants to devour everything

Pokémon Sun & Moon introduced the concept of the Ultra Beasts to the series. These are monstrous Pokémon that come from another dimension. It seems that we are going to be learning more about them soon, as the next games in the series are called Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. This Pokémon is a Dark/Dragon-type Ultra Beast, that is known for its great strength and its endless hunger. This is almost like H.P. Lovecraft's interpretation of Snorlax. It is said that this Ultra Beast can devour mountains.

Question 9

The Unova region has its own breed of Dark-type cats

Pokémon Black & White brought the series to the Unova region, which is supposed to be the United States of America of the Pokémon world. You can find these feline Dark-type Pokémon all around the region, as they are a popular choice among the trainers of Unova. This is because they are essentially big house cats. An event version of this Pokémon was distributed in Korea. This is because the winner of the Senior Division, Se Jun, used one of these Pokémon in his team.

Question 10

If the Inklings from Splatoon turned evil...

On a glance, you might expect this to be a Water/Dark-type Pokémon. You would be wrong, as this is actually a Dark/Psychic-type Pokémon. Game Freak decided to shake up the typing of their new squid Pokémon. This Pokémon has one of the most unusual evolutionary methods in the series. If you want to create this Pokémon, then you need to level up an Inkay past level 30... while holding the 3DS upside down. The system can detect if you are doing this, as it has a built-in gyroscope.

Question 11

We think Jim Davis just called his lawyer

Pokémon Sun & Moon brought the series to the Alola region, which is based on Hawaii. The tropical climate of Alola forced many familiar Pokémon to evolve in new ways, as they needed to adapt to the warm weather. The Alola region transformed some of the cat Pokémon from the series from Normal-type to Dark-type. This one, in particular, caused discussion among fans, as it bears a strong resemblance to another famous feline. Can you buy lasagne in the Alola region?

Question 12

This is the mascot of Pokémon Y

This creature is the mascot of Pokémon Y. It is the enemy of Xerneas, which was the mascot of Pokémon X. When used in battle, this Pokémon can use the powerful Oblivion Wing attack. This attack was far deadlier in the Pokémon anime, as it was actually responsible for turning people to stone. Jan used his Talonflame to attack this Pokémon and it was transformed into stone... while flying in the air. We do not see what happens next, but it is likely that his Talonflame smashed into the ground and broke into several pieces.

Question 13

This Hydra was once planned to be a tank

The Unova region finally brought the mythical hydra to the Pokémon series. This Pokémon was first introduced in Black & White, where it was the final evolution of a series of Dark/Dragon-type beasts. The reason this Pokémon has a bizarre pattern running up its body is that it was originally planned to be a cyborg tank dragon. This design was changed, as it was thought to be too different from the regular Pokémon aesthetic. It was eventually brought back, with its cyber elements removed.

Question 14

This Pokémon doesn't use tricks... it uses illusions

This Dark-type Pokémon was the first creature revealed from the fifth generation of games. Despite not being a starter or a Legendary, this Pokémon has been given a lot of importance in the games and the anime. This Pokémon has the unique Illusion ability. When it is summoned to the field, it will actually look like the last Pokémon on your team list. The enemy trainer will have to take a chance and guess whether the Pokémon you summoned is the real deal or an illusion.

Question 15

Where does it get those bones from?

This is a Dark/Flying-type Pokémon that was introduced in Black & White. The Pokédex makes this Pokémon out to be quite a terrifying beast, which makes sense, considering the fact that it is based on a vulture. According to the Pokédex, this Pokémon waits for creatures to be weakened by their journey across deserts or the wasteland before it carries them off to be eaten. Pokémon Moon has the most horrifying Pokédex entry for this creature, as it states that it prefers to eat Cubones.

Question 16

This Kanto Pokémon is off to a rave

Pokémon Sun & Moon brought the series to the Alola region, which is based on Hawaii. The tropical climate of Alola forced many familiar Pokémon to evolve in new ways, as they needed to adapt to the warm weather. One of the worst designed creatures of Pokémon Red & Blue returned with a funky new color scheme in Sun & Moon. The Alola region must have a lot of toxic waste, or maybe lots of trainers go to UV raves after they have finished battling.

Question 17

The Fire-type starter Pokémon of Alola became a pro-wrestler

This Pokémon evolves from the Fire-type starter of Sun & Moon. It learns the unique Darkest Lariat attack, which allows it to ignore any boosts that the enemy Pokémon may have added to their stats. This means that you have a Pokémon that can blast through those jerks who use Minimize over and over again. The design of this Pokémon was actually criticized by fans, who felt that it should have retained the regular cat-like form of its earlier evolutions, rather than turning into a beefy wrestler.

Question 18

This ninja can be found stalking its enemies in Smash Bros.

This Pokémon evolves from the Water-type starter of X & Y. It quickly distinguished itself as one of the best Pokémon in the series. This is due to its speed, strength, and amazing Protean ability, which allows it to change its type based on the move it last used. This Pokémon appeared as a new fighter in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U. It can also have the unique Battle Bond ability, which will allow it turn into the Ash Ketchum-themed form after it defeats a foe.

Question 19

The Panda Pokémon is evil for some reason

This is a Fighting/Dark-type Pokémon that was introduced in X & Y. Its appearance is based on a panda, though it has elements of a gang leader incorporated into its design. This can be most clearly seen in the unusual way that you need to create this Pokémon. You need to put the pre-evolution form of this Pokémon in your party and get it up to level 32. It will only evolve into this Pokémon if you have a Dark-type Pokémon in your party. This suggests that it only evolves due to the bad influence of the Dark-type Pokémon.

Question 20

This Pokémon was on Ash's team during his adventures in Unova

This is a Ground/Dark-type Pokémon that was first introduced in Black & White. Ash caught the first form of this Pokémon in the anime. This Pokémon was unique, as it insisted on wearing sunglasses at all times. He used this Pokémon throughout the series, where it became one of his most powerful and trusted allies. Ash left this awesome Pokémon with Professor Oak before he departed for the Kalos region. We only ever see it now whenever there is an episode set in Oak's lab.

Question 21

This sneaky customer fights with the power of ice

This Dark/Ice-type Pokémon was first introduced in Gold & Silver. Harrison used one of these Pokémon in the anime, which was actually able to defeat Ash's Pikachu in battle during the Silver Conference. Ash's Totodile was able to get the win back in the next round. Harrison won the battle, though he didn't win the Conference. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl introduced a new evolutionary form for this Pokémon. You need to give it a Razor Claw to hold and then make sure to level it up during the night.

Question 22

The power of Mega Evolution makes serpent a lot shorter

Pokémon X & Y introduced the concept of Mega Evolution to the series. These are temporary evolutions that can be used once per battle. A Mega-Evolved Pokémon will usually gain a huge boost to their stats, along with a powerful new ability. When this Pokémon uses its Mega Evolution, it changes from a Water/Flying-type to a Water/Dark-type Pokémon. This means that it loses its crippling x4 weakness to Electric-type moves, in exchange for a whole bunch of minor weaknesses. There are a lot of trainers that prefer this change.

Question 23

Don't hang out in the desert at night...

This is a Grass/Dark-type Pokémon that was introduced in Ruby & Sapphire. This Pokémon has become infamous for its utterly terrifying Pokédex entries. According to various Pokémon games, these creatures travel in packs throughout the desert. They hang around waiting for travelers who get lost. When night falls... The Pokédex never actually tells us what they do when night falls, but we doubt it is nice. They likely don't bring them a big glass of water and an ice pack.

Question 24

This Pokémon used to have no weaknesses

This is a Ghost/Dark-type Pokémon. Before the release of Pokémon X & Y, this was a very special thing, as having both the Ghost and Dark types meant that the Pokémon had no weaknesses. Only two Pokémon had this combination of types before X & Y. To compensate, Game Freak ensured that these Pokémon had bad stats and needed to rely on utility, over brute strength. The addition of the Fairy-type in Pokémon X & Y added a weakness to this Pokémon.

Question 25

Mega Evolution makes this Pokémon rich!

Pokémon X & Y introduced the concept of Mega Evolution to the series. These are temporary evolutions that can be used once per battle. A Mega-Evolved Pokémon will usually gain a huge boost to their stats, along with a powerful new ability. When this Pokémon Mega Evolves, it gains the mighty Magic Bounce ability. This reflects all status effect attacks straight back at their user. Magic Bounce also reflects entry hazards, which means you can send that Stealth Rock straight back at the enemy team.

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