#0686 · Kalos · Generation 6

Inkay

Revolving Pokémon · Dark/Psychic-type

Inkay is a Dark/Psychic-type Pokémon, the Revolving Pokémon, number 686 (#0686) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 6 and comes from the Kalos region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 3.5 kg.

Inkay is the Revolving Pokémon, a Dark and Psychic squid that flashes glowing spots to daze its enemies. It only evolves if you hold your game console upside down.

How to pronounce Inkay

Inkay is pronounced IN-kay. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Inkay said out loud:

In Japanese it is マーイーカ (Maaiika).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Inkay is an amphibious Pokémon that looks like a blue squid, 0.4 m tall and weighing 3.5 kg. A transparent mantle surrounds a rounded pink body marked with glowing yellow spots, four on its front and another two behind. Eight tentacles trail below its round black eyes and pink beak.

Behaviour

Inkay flashes its spots in complex rhythms to talk to others of its kind, and to daze enemies so it can scuttle away and hide. The Pokédex says it draws prey close with the blinking lights and holds it in its long tentacles. Floating upside down, it adds, improves its blood flow, clears its mind and boosts its psychic moves dramatically.

Habitat

The Pokédex names no habitat; Bulbapedia calls it amphibious. In Scarlet and Violet it only arrives with The Indigo Disk, in the Coastal Biome and Torchlit Labyrinth. In Legends: Z-A it is found in Wild Zone 11 and the Sewers, with more in Hyperspace Lumiose.

Powers

Its standard Ability is Contrary, which inverts stat changes, alongside Suction Cups, which stops it being forced out of battle; the hidden Infiltrator slips past Light Screen, Reflect and Safeguard. It strikes with Psycho Cut, Night Slash and Foul Play. With only 54 base Attack and 45 Speed it is a fragile early-stage squid.

Name origin

Inkay may combine ink, inky or inkfish with okay and m'kay. The Japanese name is Maaiika (マーイーカ), from ika (squid) plus a play on mā, iika, roughly 'well, whatever'.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia credits Hitoshi Ariga with designing Inkay and Malamar. Inkay seems modelled on a squid, with traces of cuttlefish, and its flashing lights may have been inspired by vampire or Humboldt squid. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Inkay evolves into Malamar from level 30 when it is levelled up with the game system held upside down. On Nintendo Switch this only works in handheld mode with no other controllers connected.

In the games

In X and Y Inkay is wild around Route 8 and Azure Bay, and in the Dark-type Friend Safari. It returned in Sword and Shield, including the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra.

In the anime

James caught an Inkay in 'A Battle of Aerial Mobility!'. It stayed at Team Rocket HQ while he visited Alola in 'Loading the Dex!', rejoined him in 'Rocket Revengers!', and in 'Facing the Grand Design!' helped rescue wild Inkay and Malamar.

Fun facts

• Shigeru Ohmori thought up the upside-down evolution while the team hunted for uses for the Nintendo 3DS gyroscope, and found players stumbling on it by accident amusing.
• Apart from Mega Evolutions, Inkay and Malamar are the only Pokémon that have Contrary as a regular Ability instead of a Hidden one.
• Before Generation VIII, Topsy-Turvy was known to be learnable only by Inkay and Malamar.

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

Base stats

• HP: 53
• Attack: 54
• Defense: 53
• Sp. Atk: 37
• Sp. Def: 46
• Speed: 45

Inkay’s base stat total is 288. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Inkay weak to?

Inkay takes extra damage from Bug (4×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It is immune to Psychic moves.

Evolution

How does Inkay evolve?

Inkay evolves into Malamar at level 30 (holding the console upside down).

The whole family: Inkay, Malamar.

Abilities

• Contrary: Inverts stat changes.
• Suction Cups: Prevents being forced out of battle by other Pokémon's moves.
• Infiltrator (hidden ability): Bypasses Light Screen, Reflect, and Safeguard.

Moves

Moves Inkay learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (42)

Inkay can learn 42 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Fake Tears, Protect, Psybeam, Thief, Facade, Aerial Ace, Swift, Stored Power, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Psyshock, Foul Play, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Light Screen, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Skill Swap, Substitute, Trick, Liquidation, Psychic, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, Nasty Plot, Trick Room, Tera Blast, Spite, Gravity, Knock Off, Lunge, Lash Out, Psych Up, Future Sight, Expanding Force.

Egg moves (3):Acupressure, Destiny Bond, Disable.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 1, Water 2.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack effort value.
• Base experience yield: 58.

Pokédex entries

By exposing foes to the blinking of its luminescent spots, Inkay demoralizes them, and then it seizes the chance to flee. (Shield)

It spins while making its luminescent spots flash. These spots allow it to communicate with others by using different patterns of light. (Sword)

When exchanging information with others of its kind, it flashes the light-emitting spots on its body in a complex rhythm. (Ultra Moon)

It draws prey near with its blinking lights and then wraps them up in its long tentacles and holds them in place. (Ultra Sun)

It flashes the light-emitting spots on its body, which drains its opponent's will to fight. It takes the opportunity to scuttle away and hide. (Y, Alpha Sapphire)

Opponents who stare at the flashing of the light-emitting spots on its body become dazed and lose their will to fight. (X, Omega Ruby)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Psychic type in Gen 6: 3.5 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Slowest Psychic type in Gen 6: 45 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Psychic types in Gen 6: 288.
• Lightest Dark type in Gen 6: 3.5 kg.
• Shortest Dark type in Gen 6: 0.4 m.
• Slowest Dark type in Gen 6: 45 Speed.
• Lowest base stat total among Dark types in Gen 6: 288.
• Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
• Heavier than 11% of all Pokémon (3.5 kg).
• Base stat total 288, ranked #903 of 1,025.
• One of 2 Pokémon that are both Dark and Psychic.
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 37 of 72 Pokémon introduced in Generation 6 (Kalos).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 58 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% 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: Inkay (Pokémon), Serebii: Inkay (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (IN-kay): 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

Dark-type Pokémon · Psychic-type Pokémon · Dark/Psychic weaknesses and matchups · Kalos region guide · Contrary ability · Suction Cups ability · Infiltrator ability · Compare Inkay · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 6 Dark-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Psychic-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 1 egg group · Water 2 egg group · Pokémon that start with I · Octopus and Squid Pokémon

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