#0314 · Hoenn · Generation 3

Illumise

Firefly Pokémon · Bug-type

Illumise is a Bug-type Pokémon, the Firefly Pokémon, number 314 (#0314) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 3 and comes from the Hoenn region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 17.7 kg.

Illumise is the Firefly Pokémon, a female-only Bug type that conducts the night sky like an orchestra. The Pokédex says it uses a sweet scent to guide Volbeat swarms into drawing over 200 different patterns in light.

How to pronounce Illumise

Illumise is pronounced ee-loo-MEE-zay. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Illumise said out loud:

In Japanese it is イルミーゼ.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Illumise is a firefly-like biped, 0.6 m tall and 17.7 kg, with a black body, a blue belly and a yellow bib. Purple curls frame its blue face, which has big, slanted blue eyes. It has small yellow antennae and small wings, its limbs join its body at purple borders, and three oblong yellow spots sit on its rear.

Behaviour

Illumise is nocturnal and becomes active at nightfall, leading Volbeat in drawing designs across the sky. The Pokédex says the more intricate its patterns, the more respect it wins from its peers, and that scientists study the patterns it creates.

Habitat

Forest, in the Pokédex's habitat categories. In Scarlet and Violet it can be traded or transferred in, and it lives across Kitakami in The Teal Mask and in 2-star and 4-star Tera Raid Battles. It is not in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Illumise's Abilities are Oblivious, which prevents infatuation, and Tinted Lens, which doubles the damage of not-very-effective moves, with Prankster hidden. Bug Buzz and Play Rough are its hardest hits, Wish and Moonlight heal, and Charm, Encore and Zen Headbutt add variety. Its base Special Attack of 73 and Speed of 85 make it a nimble special attacker.

Name origin

Illumise may combine 'illuminate' and 'luciferase', a class of enzymes that produces bioluminescence. The Japanese name is イルミーゼ, which the games romanise as Illumise.

Design inspiration

Illumise seems to be a firefly like Volbeat, and Bulbapedia suggests 1920s flappers too, pointing to its bobbed purple 'hair', leotard-like body and a yellow collar-like bib. These are fan readings.

In the games

In Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, Illumise and Volbeat light up Fogbound Lake in a group display, and in Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire an Illumise swoops in to paint the new area once Travel Mode is completed on the Sapphire Field. Illumise first appeared in Ruby and Sapphire.

In the anime

Illumise debuted in 'Love at First Flight' as Juliet's Pokémon, in a May Festival show with five Volbeat. In 'Time Warp Heals All Wounds', Edna says Volbeat and Illumise used to gather in a large tree in Fuchsia City, which stays standing in the timeline May creates.

Fun facts

• Its name is pronounced 'EE-loom-MEE-zay', according to a mispronounced-names segment at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.
• Illumise and Volbeat share a base stat total of 430 and the Bug and Human-Like Egg Groups, and Bulbapedia says they are the only Bug types in the Human-Like group.
• Volbeat is in the Erratic experience group and Illumise in the Fluctuating one, the opposite of each other.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Illumise (Pokémon) · Serebii: Illumise (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 65
• Attack: 47
• Defense: 75
• Sp. Atk: 73
• Sp. Def: 85
• Speed: 85

Illumise’s base stat total is 430. Its highest stat is Sp. Def and Speed.

Type matchups

What is Illumise weak to?

Illumise takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Flying (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Fighting (½×), Ground (½×).

Evolution

Illumise does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Abilities

• Oblivious: Prevents infatuation and protects against Captivate.
• Tinted Lens: Doubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.
• Prankster (hidden ability): Raises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.

Moves

Moves Illumise learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (55)

Illumise can learn 55 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Fake Tears, Mud-Slap, Protect, Water Pulse, Acrobatics, Struggle Bug, Confuse Ray, Thief, Disarming Voice, Trailblaze, Pounce, Charge Beam, Facade, Aerial Ace, Swift, Draining Kiss, Air Cutter, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, U-turn, Air Slash, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Light Screen, Dazzling Gleam, Metronome, Thunder Wave, Rest, Substitute, Trick, Giga Drain, Tailwind, Shadow Ball, Encore, Thunderbolt, Play Rough, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, Bug Buzz, Thunder, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Bug Bite, Focus Punch, Psych Up, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Skitter Smack.

Egg moves (3):Attract, Growth, Roost.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 0% male, 100% female.
• Egg groups: Bug, Human-Like.
• Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
• Catch rate: 150 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Fast Then Very Slow (1,640,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 151.

Pokédex entries

Illumise leads a flight of illuminated Volbeat to draw signs in the night sky. This Pokémon is said to earn greater respect from its peers by composing more complex designs in the sky. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)

Illumise attracts a swarm of Volbeat using a sweet fragrance. Once the Volbeat have gathered, this Pokémon leads the lit-up swarm in drawing geometric designs on the canvas of the night sky. (Ruby, Omega Ruby)

With its sweet aroma, it guides Volbeat to draw signs with light in the night sky. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Y)

Its fragrance attracts a swarm of Volbeat, so they draw over 200 patterns in the night sky. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, X)

It guides Volbeat to draw signs in night skies. There are scientists that study the patterns it creates. (FireRed, LeafGreen)

A nocturnal Pokémon that becomes active upon nightfall. It leads a Volbeat swarm to draw patterns in the night sky. Over 200 different patterns have been confirmed. (Emerald)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
• Heavier than 39% of all Pokémon (17.7 kg).
• Base stat total 430, ranked #544 of 1,025.
• One of 92 Bug-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 87 purple Pokémon.
• Number 63 of 135 Pokémon introduced in Generation 3 (Hoenn).
• Can learn 66 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 150: about 19.6% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 6 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Illumise (Pokémon), Serebii: Illumise (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (ee-loo-MEE-zay): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Bug-type Pokémon · Hoenn region guide · Oblivious ability · Tinted Lens ability · Prankster ability · Compare Illumise · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 3 Bug-type Pokémon · Gen 3 Pokémon list · Purple Pokémon list · Bug egg group · Human-Like egg group · Pokémon that start with I · Bug Pokémon

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