What is the best moveset for Mega Sableye in Pokemon GO?

Mega Sableye is one of Pokemon GO's newest additions following the introduction of the current Dark Flames event. As such, there is going to be a large number of players who will want to give this creature a try. However, using a new creature in the popular mobile game comes with its fair share of trial-and-error scenarios, and the most prominent of these variables is how you choose to build the creature's moveset.

Mega Sableye is arguably the most interesting Mega Evolutions in the franchise because of the changes to Sableye's stat spread and playstyle after it Mega Evolves. Most other Mega Evolutions offer type changes and stat increases that generally still feed into a similar playstyle for the species, so Mega Sableye is the only variation of this design philosophy.

Since Mega Evolutions cannot be used for competitive PvP, there are bound to be some things that hardcore players learn from a brief refresher on Mega Evolutions and how they are used in the mobile experience. Here's what you should know about Mega Sableye if you intend on using it on Pokemon GO's live servers.

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Tips for using Mega Sableye in Pokemon GO

Mega Sableye as seen in the animated trailer for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Before going into a summary of Mega Sableye's capabilities, you must first understand Sableye and how it has been used in the past. This will help you understand how drastically Mega Sableye changes the playstyle that the creature is typically catered towards. In its base form, Sableye is a utility attacker but not a very good one.

Alhough a great choice for Pokemon GO's Great League, the creature sees no viability in any other position, whether it be for multiplayer experiences or single-player NPC battles. Not only does Mega Evolving give Mega Sableye the boost in combat power it needed, but it also adjusts Sableye's stat spread and playstyle, marking this the only occasion where a creature's Mega Evolution changes it from an attacker to a defender.

Sableye keeps its amazing Dark and Ghost typing upon Mega Evolving. This is great since Mega Sableye is a tank, meaning the elemental combination only has one weakness, making it much harder to burst down. Knowing this, you may want to opt for Mega Aggron instead if the Raid Boss you want to battle is a Fairy-type like Gardevoir or Sylveon.

In regards to its optimal moveset in Pokemon GO, you should refer to the standard distribution of moves commonly used for tanks: a Fast Attack that charges moves quickly and two potent Charged Attacks. In the case of Mega Sableye, this leaves it with a moveset of Feint Attack, Power Gem, and Shadow Sneak.

This particular combination of attacks also utilizes every type of attack Sableye has access to, giving it the best possible coverage for any battle. However, if you are going against creatures more susceptible to Ghost or Dark-type attacks and have the resources to do so, it may be best to adjust the moveset to favor an advantageous offensive match-up with Shadow Claw and Foul Play.