Black Sludge
# Method Repeatable?
1 Held item from Wild Pokémon (5% chance):

  • Grimer – Fiery Path
  • Trubbish – Route 110
Yes

Black Sludge can only be obtained by using Thief to steal it from wild Grimer or Trubbish. Each of these Pokémon only has a 5% chance of holding a Black Sludge, but you can use your DexNav to improve your odds.

Location

Using TM46 Thief on a wild Grimer
Using TM46 Thief on a wild Grimer

Black Sludge can be obtained from either wild Trubbish or Grimer.

You can walk anywhere inside Fiery Path to find wild Grimer. But they are much more common in Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.

On the other hand, Trubbish are located on Route 110 only by using the DexNav after obtaining the National Dex.

When you encounter either of these Pokémon, there’s a 5% chance they will be holding a Black Sludge. To take the item, use a Pokémon that knows Thief.

Or if you want more tips on how to optimally farm held items from wild Pokémon then check out our guide here.

Uses

The Black Sludge is a held item that, if held by a Poison-type Pokémon, will restore 6.25% (1/16th) of the Pokémon’s maximum HP at the end of each turn.

But if the Black Sludge is held by a non-Poison-type Pokémon, it will instead inflict damage at the end of each turn, equal to 12.5% (1/8th) of the Pokémon’s maximum HP.

Black Sludge is a popular held item used by bulky Poison-type Pokémon in competitive battles.

Similar to Leftovers, it provides gradual healing over time. However, Black Sludge is especially effective for Poison-types because if it gets stolen by a non-Poison-type opponent using Trick or Switcheroo, the opponent will suffer damage over time.

Tip: You can also use the interaction between Trick/Switcheroo and Black Sludge to your advantage. By using Trick/Switcheroo to swap items with your opponent, you can force them to switch out or continue enduring damage from Black Sludge. This also deprives them of their held item, disrupting your opponent’s strategy.
Back to: Held Items