Smeargle

Using Smeargle in a Playthrough

Smeargle is one of the strangest playthrough Pokemon ever designed because its base stats are extremely poor but Sketch allows it to permanently copy almost any move used in front of it. This means a deliberately trained Smeargle can theoretically assemble combinations unavailable to almost any other Pokemon—sleep through Spore, recovery, Baton Pass, hazards, setup, fixed-damage attacks, utility, or even field moves—yet acquiring those moves requires careful preparation and often exposing fragile Smeargle to the Pokemon using them. Its base 20 Attack and Special Attack make ordinary damaging moves weak even when they are powerful on other species, while 55/35/45 bulk and base 75 Speed leave little room for mistakes during direct combat. Smeargle therefore performs best as a custom-built support Pokemon rather than an attacker, and in casual story play the effort required to engineer the ideal Sketch targets can outweigh the benefit compared with simply using naturally stronger Pokemon. For players willing to plan around Sketch, however, no other ordinary species offers comparable freedom to design an entirely personalized four-move support set.

Smeargle in Competitive Pokémon

Smeargle has one of the most unusual competitive histories in Pokemon because almost every one of its base stats is terrible, yet Sketch gives it access to nearly every move in the game. Across generations it has built serious niches around Spore, Baton Pass, Spikes, Stealth Rock, Sticky Web, Shell Smash, Quiver Dance, Ingrain, Belly Drum, Endeavor, Trick Room, and countless other combinations that would be impossible on a normal Pokemon. In GSC it pioneered trap-and-pass or Agility Baton Pass strategies, ADV expanded its Baton Pass and Spikes roles, and later generations repeatedly forced competitive rules to account for strategies involving Baton Pass or Moody; modern Smeargle still appears as a dedicated hazard and disruption lead despite sitting in very low usage tiers. Focus Sash is especially important in later generations because Smeargle's poor bulk often means surviving one hit is all it needs to put something to sleep or establish a key hazard. Its competitive legacy is therefore almost entirely movepool-driven: Smeargle succeeds not by winning stat-for-stat battles, but by doing combinations of strategic tasks that no other Pokemon is legally capable of compressing into one moveset.

Smeargle in Nuzlockes

Smeargle is a high-effort, high-risk Nuzlocke Pokemon because its almost unlimited movepool is paired with defenses too weak to tolerate many mistakes. A carefully prepared Smeargle can learn exceptional safety tools such as Spore, recovery, Protect, priority, fixed-damage attacks, Substitute, screens, or other specialized moves through Sketch, potentially creating a set tailored to a particular boss fight. The problem is that setting up those moves safely can itself be dangerous, and Smeargle's low offenses mean it often depends on status, fixed damage, or teammates rather than defeating opponents directly. Its pure Normal typing at least provides a Ghost immunity and only a Fighting weakness, but strong neutral attacks can still be fatal because of its 55/35/45 bulk. Smeargle can reward a highly technical Nuzlocke player with extraordinary customization, but for an ordinary run it is usually much less reliable than a naturally stronger Pokemon that requires no elaborate Sketch preparation.

Smeargle produces a mysterious paint-like fluid from the tip of its brush-shaped tail, with the basic color determined individually and the intensity of that color capable of changing with the Pokemon's emotional state. It uses the fluid extensively to mark territory and express itself, and more than five thousand distinct Smeargle markings have been documented; especially unusual symbols can become valuable collectors' items among human enthusiasts. Upon reaching adulthood, Smeargle commonly allow companions to place paint-covered footprints on their backs, creating the characteristic mark associated with mature individuals. The species is frequently found in urban environments covered with graffiti, where territorial painting and artistic expression naturally overlap. Its biological paint behavior is mirrored by Sketch, the unique ability to observe another Pokemon's technique and permanently reproduce that move as part of its own repertoire.