Pokemon GO Sableye PvP and PvE guide: Best moveset, counters, and more

With September ending in just a few days, it is almost Spooky Season in Pokemon GO. As such, Ghost-type events are sure to come, leaving many to turn their attention to the roster in anticipation of what creatures they will meet. One of the many that fans have grown attached to over the years is Sableye, the Dark and Ghost-type first seen in the Hoenn region.

Many players have been excited for it recently due to the sudden drop of its Mega Evolution, which is notorious in the main series for its sheer defense and utility. Others are looking at the monster under a more skeptical lens to see if the base form has any viability in any of the game's battling modes.

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Is Sableye good in Pokemon GO PvP?

While Sableye is terrible and borderline unusable in every other aspect of play, the pick makes for one of the best Ghost-types in Great League. This could be because of Sableye's max combat power being close to the 1,500 combat power limit the tier is known for. It also gets a lot of usage thanks to its spammable moveset, making it great for early pressuring.

Funnily enough, the standard and shadow forms of Sableye are held in relatively low value. This is due to them lacking the solid damaging tool that is only available to purified Pokemon, this being the exclusive charged attack, Return. Its type combination also leaves it weak to only Fairy-type attacks, so it has some decent defense despite its low bulk.

For those looking to seriously use the critter in Pokemon GO's Great League, it would be best to do so with a moveset of Shadow Claw, Foul Play, and Return if a purified Sableye is available. If not, using either Power Gem or Shadow Sneak will suffice.

Unfortunately, Sableye's pathetic stat spread and low combat power max leaves it unviable in any other standard tier of competitive play.

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Is Sableye good in Pokemon GO PvE?

Sableye as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Sableye is unusable in a serious PvE battle. Its pathetic stat pool and combat power makes it one of the most useless creatures a player can bring to a raid in Pokemon GO, but may potentially have the smallest of uses against Team GO Rocket members. However, those who have Sableye often bring its Mega Evolution over its base form.

Mega Sableye is also on the weaker side of the spectrum. Its claim to fame in the main series was thanks to its unique defensive utility that not only stopped powerful attacks, but deflected status conditions and other debuffs as well. This sort of gameplay is not present in Pokemon GO in any capacity, and Niantic threw it no bones to compensate for this.

However, some players have taken to using the pick as a defensive anchor paired with the support aspect it can bring. Since Sableye is a Dark and Ghost-type, it boosts the power of moves used by all ally trainers while on the field. With a little coordination, Mega Sableye can be a real asset, but this level of communication is rarely seen in most raid parties.