Darkrai

The Pitch-Black Pokémon
#491 - Darkrai
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond Version Pokémon: Pearl Version
Species Info
Type	+
Height	1.5 m (4'11")
Weight	50.5 kg (111.3 lbs.)
Color	Black
Gender Ratio	Genderless
Ability	Bad Dreams
Hidden Ability
Egg Group	Unbreedable
Icon		Sprite
		File:491sprite.png
Footprint
30px
Base Statistics
Hit Points	70	Speed	125
Attack	90	Sp. Attack	135
Defense	90	Sp. Defense	90
Training Info
Catch Rate	003	Hatch Steps	30,720
Base Exp.	210	Effort Points	SpA
Happiness	0		SpA
To Lv.100	Slow		Spe

Kanto #	Johto #	Hoenn #	Sinnoh #
< 491 >
Unova #	Johto (IV) #

Darkrai is a nightmare-inducing legendary Pokémon that was introduced in the fourth generation Pokémon games and is obtained primarily through Nintendo events.

Information

Darkrai is a Pokémon that resembles a shadowy ghost. It can lull people to sleep and make them dream, being most active on nights of the new moon. Darkrai actually inflicts those around them with horrific nightmares. It's Pearl Pokédex entry implies this happens only on moonless nights, although its Platinum entry indicates that it gives people nightmares to protect itself and does not truly mean harm. This is supported within Platinum after Darkrai is caught by the player, when a voice implies that Darkrai specifically lives on Newmoon Island, close to the island where Cresselia (who negates Darkrai's nightmares) lives because it does not truly mean to harm people by giving them nightmares.

Within the fourth generation games, Darkrai terrorized the son of Sailor Eldritch at one point in the game, causing him to be trapped in a nightmare-filled sleep. The player could wake the boy with a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, at which point the player could go on to confront Darkrai,

Appearances

Mainstream Games

In Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Darkrai can be found on Newmoon Island, but this can only be reached with the Member Card after awakening Sailor Eldritch's son from Darkrai's coma. The Member Card allows the player to enter the locked hotel in Canalave City, where a mysterious man asks the player to stay the night, which sends the player to Newmoon Island. Darkrai could otherwise only be obtained either directly from a Nintendo event or by transferring one from Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia.

Moves

Generation IV

Name	Type	Cat	PP	Power	Accur	Gen	Cont	D/P	P

Weaknesses

x2

x0.5

x1

x1

x2

x1

x1

x0.5

x1

x1

x1

x1

x1

x0

x1

x1

x1

Other Games

Darkrai appears in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness as part of the post-game plot, where he is revealed to have manipulated the plot of the game disguised as a Cresselia as part of his plan to get rid of the player in order to rule over a world of darkness. Darkrai is faced as the boss of the Dark Crater, and after being defeated will escape through a Dimension Hole while losing his memory in the process. Darkrai than appeared as a roaming Pokémon that could be recruited if faced at the thirteenth floor of Mystifying Forest, the second basement floor of Crevice Cave, the third basement floor of Miracle Sea, the seventeenth basement floor of Mt. Trevail and the fourteenth basement floor of Spacial Rift, when the player has either the Mystery Part or Secret Slab in their bag.

In Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, Darkrai appeared in Altru Tower as the final boss being used by Blake Hall, and then afterwards the player could team up with it in the special Liberate the Tower! mission. After completing the latter mission, the Darkrai could be transferred to any of the fourth generation games. In Pokémon Rumble, its ticket can be unlocked by obtaining all of Rotom's forms. Darkrai also appeared in PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure at the Haunted Zone.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In the Super Smash Bros. series, Darkrai has appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as one of the Pokémon that can be summoned at random from the Poké Ball item. When summoned, it will pull opponents into its Dark Orb attack, which will cause damage and also put opponents to sleep. Darkrai has also been represented by a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a trophy in the 3DS/Wii U game, a Smash Tour item (which can make one opponent start a battle off asleep) in the Wii U game and an Ace-rank Support Spirit in Ultimate. When fought against in a Spirit battle, Darkrai's Spirit would possess a Greninja, with the battle taking place on a stage with a sleep-inducing floor, and the Poké Ball version of Darkrai would also be summoned in the battle.

In Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, Darkrai was featured in the tenth movie, where it initially appeared to be the antagonist, but it was ultimately revealed to be acting out of good in an attempt to break up Dialga and Palkia's battle. Darkrai was also featured in an episode of the anime which inconsistently showed it in an antagonistic light, as it terrorized Canalave City earlier than expected due to Team Rocket's nightmare machine and was ultimately driven away by Cresselia. Near the end of the Sinnoh series, it was featured as the signature Pokémon of the mysterious trainer Tobias, whom had used it alone to win all his gym battles and go through the Valley of the Lily Conference. Ash's Sceptile was finally able to finish it after an arduous battle where most of his team had been taken out, but Tobias still had a Latios that won the battle for him.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the FireRed/LeafGreen arc ended with Sird using some mysterious flash of light that was intended to be used on Deoxys, but instead it hit all of the Pokédex trainers and turned them all into stone. It was not until close to the end of the Diamond/Pearl arc when it was revealed that Sird had been using a Darkrai in that moment, but it has not been shown since.

Trivia

• Darkrai's name is a combination of "dark" with the Japanese word for dark, "kurai".