The Smeargle Method (Building Smeargles for Catching and Profit)

[shamorunner]

Smeargle
The pokemon with the greatest potential in a single-move kit, all due to the only move he learns being sketch. Once used after an opponent, it will copy their move and permanently make it smeargle's (it doesn't steal the move; it just permanently copies it for smeargle). The downside: Smeargle has the 40th lowest base stat total, with attack and special attack no better than a baby azurill. Its redeeming factors are a below-average speed with a base 75, below average HP with a base of 55, and the move sketch. If speed EV trained, then Smeargle's speed can match an equivalent Garchomp without training or without a positive speed nature. With the ability to have any preferred move kit and being able to competatively compete for speed, Smeargle is one of the most invaluable utility pokemon. Below is a guide on how to obtain your Smeargle, obtaining hard to get moves, locations to build your move kit, and a brief stint on EV training.

 

 

Other helpful guides:

 

 

 

Getting your Smeargle

Spoiler

Getting your Smeargle

What to look for:
Recommended IVs: Attack and Speed. The tank stats are wicked helpful for smeargle (HP, Defense, Special Defense)
Recommended Nature: Lonely, Adamant, Naughty (all of these increase the attack stat without reducing your speed stat).

 

Breeding  Smeargle
- If breeding for your smeargle, it is best to prioritize attack and speed, with secondaries for your tanking stats (HP, DEF, S.DEF). A 31 in attack or a 31 speed IV are both nice to have; however, a base 28 attack or a base 28 speed will still do well. The extra 2-3 increase of an IV at lvl 100 can be nice, so don't scoff at it, but don't blow through 20k extra on a stat and think it will fix Smeargle's low base stats.
- The cheapest way is to search for a smeargle with the desired attack and speed but not nature (31 ATT and 31 SPD smeargles are costly, even with only ATT or SPD maxed it'll still run you around 30k, 70k+ if ATT and SPD are both at 31). My recommendation is to go for a smeargle with an ATT and SPD IV between 25-31. Whichever you pick, it is best to aim for two stats and a nature, of which smeargle will either have both stats or one of the stats and the nature. (If your smeargle and breeder have the same ATT/SPD, either the same acceptable range or an exact number like 31, then only the mon with the nature needs an everstone and the other won't need an item.)
- The next part is to get a mon to breed with your smeargle, of which your options are limited to your smeargle's gender. If your smeargle is a male, you'll need a ditto that has the missing IV or nature that the smeargle is missing and then a matching IV/Nature belonging to your smeargle (make sure the overlapping attribute is amongst the IV or Nature you want, otherwise you'll finish with a smeargle without the desired IVs and/or nature). If your smeargle is a female, then you will have a broader pool to pick from, being dittos but also male field mons. Similar to above, look for a mon that has two of the desired attributes: one that overlaps with your smeargle and one that isn't present on your smeargle. When breeding, the mon with nature will need an everstone, and the mon with the non-overlapping IV will need a breeding item. To transfer the SPD IV, a power anklet is needed; to transfer the ATT IV, a power bracer must be held; to transfer nature an everstone must be held. If you don't know if the correct mon is holding the correct item, after submitting the two pokemon to breed but before submitting them to breed, the expected stats and nature will be shown and what species you will get.

 

Breeding Guide and picture from it

 

 

Buying a Smeargle with desired stats
- It is best to aim for a smeargle with a high attack and high speed. I recommend a range of 25–31 for both stats and then a nature that increases your smeargle's attack stat but doesn't reduce his speed (Lonely, Adament, Naughty). A smeargle with 31 Attack IV and a 31 Speed IV and natured is best, but the difference between a 31 and a 28 is negligible in the long run for most smeargle builds. This smeargle will cost between 70-200k if the IVs are between 25-31 and is natured or will cost between 95-200k (with markets extremely vulnerable to manipulation due to low market shares) with SPD/ATT IVs maxed at 31 and natured (Due to the high costs, a smeargle can be bred for cheaper than market value) (Breeding Guide: https://forums.pokemmo.com/index.php?/topic/117438-simple-breeding-guide/)
-Side Note: Pre-Built smeargles can cost about 80-120k for move kits and some times also EV trained. If you're good with that price, then go for that instead of building a smeargle. Learning to build a smeargle is good knowledge to have, but it's not for everyone.
 

Getting Moves (Specifically: Hard to get Moves)

Spoiler

Getting Moves (Specifically: Hard to get Moves)
As a note, most attacking and stasis moves can be learned by simply sketching them. If your smeargle is faster than the pokemon with the move you're trying to sketch, put a lagging tail on your smeargle. If your smeargle is at lvl 1, I would recommend leveling it up a little bit or giving it an XS EXP Candy to get it to level 8 so that it will be more durable.

 

To Sketch a move using a double battle, or double battle grass, here is the method:
- Send out smeargle and other lead pokemon with move for smeargle to sketch
- If Smeargle is slower, use move on other lead pokemon and have smeargle sketch them to learn the move. If not then have other lead pokemon use the move and smeargle use something other than sketch or rotate smeargle in on turn one to then sketch the following term
- Relearning Sketch: Use heartscales at the silver-haired NPC in the Poke Center to relearn Sketch or get smeargle up 10 levels to relearn sketch (Smeargle learns sketch at lvls 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91)
- Popular moves: Spore (paras), Soak (psyduck), False Swipe, (cubone), sweet scent (oddish)  (Courtesy of Dragotamer)

 

 

There are some moves, which are much more difficult, below is a list of them and how to get them.

 

Memento
- To sketch Memento, you'll need to get taunt onto your smeargle. Once it is there, you'll have to taunt the target with memento the same turn that it uses memento and then sketch it the following turn. If you are slower than the target, it will kill itself with memento the same turn that you needed to taunt it. This is easiest done during a double battle encounter or a double trainer battle by taunting your other lead pokemon and trying to memento the same turn and then having Smeargle sketch it. Memento can only be sketched in a wild single encounter (which must be timed correctly) or in a double battle or double wild encounter. Skuntank (courtesy of Dragotamer) and Hopip are mons that can learn memento (You can also learn protect instead of taunt. You can also get memento used with prankster against a dark type to fail, but it gets more complex to go that route)

 

Self Destruct/Explosion
- Similar to Memento, this is a self killing move. Unlike memento, both of these moves are offensive moves and can't be stopped by taunt, they can, however, be stopped by having a damp mon on the field. There are a few ways to sketch the two moves. One is to get into a double battle against a wild mon with the move and have your other lead mon have the Damp ability (Quagsire, HA Parasect, Poliwag line, et cetera). Once the opposing mon uses the move, have Smeargle sketch it the following turn. The other method is to sketch Roleplay onto smeargle, lead with a Damp pokemon and have smeargle use Role Play on the mon to gain damp, swap in a mon with Self Destruct/Explosion and use it, smeargle's Damp will prevent it from killing itself and then sketch it the following turn. Most mons found in in Rock Smash encounters have self destruct or explosion as well as koffing or weezing (courtesy of Dragotamer)

 

Healing Wish/Lunar Dance
- To sketch Healing Wish/Lunar Dance, you'll need to get taunt onto your smeargle in advance. Once it is there, you'll have to taunt the target with Healing Wish/Lunar Dance the same turn that it uses it and then sketch it the following turn. If you are slower than the target, it will kill itself with the move the same turn that you needed to taunt it. This is easiest done during a double battle encounter or a double trainer battle and taunting your other lead mon and trying to use Healing Wish/Lunar Dance the same turn and then having smeargle sketch it. Healing Wish can only be sketched in a wild single encounter (must be timed correctly) or in a double trainer battle or double wild encounter battle. Lunar wish appears to not be accessible by players, so no mons to sketch. Healing wish has a handful of mons (Ex: clefairy, lopunny, chimecho, gardevoir, ect) but most of them tend to learn them at higher levels than found in the wild and it is easiest to catch one of them, level them up to learn Healing wish, and the getting into a double battle and taunting them and then sketching the move the following turn

 

Substitute
- The taunt method will work on this if your smeargle is faster and then sketches the following turn. The easier method is to get into a double battle and then spam substitute with your other lead mon. Once your HP gets too low, substitute will fail and smeargle will be able to sketch it. Rotom (courtasy of Dragotamer), Kadabra, Mr. Mime, ect learn substitute naturally or you can get the TM substitute, teach it to a mon, and then use them for this method for smeargle to sketch it

 

Transform
- This one is untested, just in case it can't be sketched after ditto transforms, using the taunt method should work as well as also having your smeargle use substitute and then sketch transform as ditto's transform will just fail. Dittos are best found in Kanto, Hoenn's Desert Underpass, Johto, or the GTL

 

Teleport
- Get into a double battle and have your other lead mon use teleport. It will fail and can be sketched. Abra and Ralts are notoriously known for having teleport

 

Dig/Fly
- Must wait until the following turn when they attack and aren't in an invulnerable state. Diglett is a commonly found mon in Kanto and the GTL with dig

 

Mimic
- Make sure your mimic pokemon uses mimic on a target that hasn't used a move yet. Mimic will then fail and can be sketched.

 

Taunt
- This is just a normal status move, it can be a little annoying to get sketched. The easiest method is to get into a double battle and have your other lead mon spam taunt and then have your smeargle sketch it. (Due to taunt being required for specific moves, taunt is getting it's own place on the list). Pidove is able to learn taunt at a decently low level

 

Protect
- Sketch is supposed to bypass protect and be able to sketch it, untested by me though. If the previous method doesn't work for sketching protect, get into a double battle and have your other lead mon spam protect. Once protect fails, have your smeargle sketch it. One way to guarantee that smeargle will outspeed your protect mon is to give the protect mon a lagging tale. Pineco learns protect as a starting move

 

Metronome
- Use the taunt method, by taunting the target the turn they chose metronome but before they are able to use it, you'll have to outspeed the target. Then sketch Metronome the following turn. Togepi line get's metronome

 

Final Gambit

-Get into a double battle with one of the opponents being a ghost type (Lavender town pokemon tower, Mt Pyre, Old Chateau, Celestial Tower, Sprout Tower (night)) and your secondary lead mon having final gambit. Have your secondary lead mon use final gambit on the opposing ghost mon, it will fail as final gambit is a fighting type move. Then sketch the move once it has failed. The Taunt should work for this too, but would require smeargle to spend time sketching taunt to use it in this method, while looking for a ghost type will be faster and save money form trying to get another sketch learned just for taunt. Basculin is notoriously known for learning final gambit

Locations to build your move kit:

Spoiler

Locations to build your move kit:
- Wild mons that have the move you want to sketch (depending on the move you want to learn and if any wild pokemon learn it or need leveling)
- Double trainer battles (pending)
- Double Battle Grass in unova
- Anywhere using a lure until you get a double battle
- Wild Dittos
- Wild Smeargles

 

Double Battle Grass in Unova: Route 3 (There are plenty of Dark grass locations in Unova, Route 3 is the lowest level Dark grass location).
- This is a popular spot to sketch moves for Smeargle. No lure is needed and the mons are all low level
- Caution: Blitzle has quick attack and will kill a lvl1 smeargle; normally this is not an issue since smeargle will most likely be a high enough level to easily tank a quick attack. Purloin will have fake out, it is best to wait to sketch anything until the first turn has past and Purloin's fake out will no longer cause a flinch. Pidove can know taunt, it is best to kill any pidoves to prevent them from taunting your smeargle and causing the sketch to fail. Patrat can know bide, it won't normally be an issue since your smeargle will normally be high enough level to easily tank and bide can be played around rather easily.
- Use lure here to more quickly get a double battle encounter.

 

Anywhere using a Lure, low level locations recommended:
-Kanto Route 1: Pidgey, Ratatta, Senret, Hoothoot, and Pichu can be found here. There aren't any major disruption moves like those seen in Unova Route 3. Good location with low level mons for your smeargle to safely sketch off of your other lead mon
-Hoenn Route 101: Jigglypuff, Zigzagoon, Poochyena, and Wurmple can be found here. Jigglypuff might possibly have sweet kiss, sing, or disable, kill jigglypuff to prevent disruptions. A few mons will have sand attack, just a note as its impact can be negated by rotating your mons
-Sinnoh Route 201: Starly, Bidoof, Kricketot, and Mime Jr. can be found here. Kricketot can have bide, but it can be played around or you can kill him to prevent issues from arising.
-Unova Route 3: breakdown listed above
-Johto Route 29: Ratatta, Sentret, Hoppip, Pidgey, Hoothoot, and Cleffa can be found here. Cleffa can have some sleep moves, kill him to prevent issues from arising.

 

Wild Dittos:
- Single encounter a wild ditto and have the ditto transform into a mon with the target move to be sketched. Then rotate Smeargle and sketch the move when it is used (easiest if the mon with the targeted move only knows the single move so that sketch doesn't accidentally get it's PP used up by accident

 

Artisan Cave and Wild Smeargles:
- Single encounter a Smeargle with your lead mon knowing the targeted move. Use the targeted move and the opposing Smeargle will sketch it. Then send out your Smeargle to then sketch it off of the wild smeargle

Brief EV training stint:

Spoiler

Brief EV training stint:
- The two major stats to focus is Attack and Speed. The greater Smeargle's Attack stat, the more damage Smeargle can do to the target. Speed is beneficial, but a level 100 smeargle will be able to outspeed even some of the fastest alpha mons (not including buffed stat stages), Dragotamer's Smeargle guide covers the specific level needed for this stat
- If you have leftover EVs, or decided not to fully invest in Attack and/or Speed then your tanking abilities can be nice to help Smeargle last longer
- If you are going to have a horde clearing move on your smeargle, having some investment in Special Attack EVs is recomended
-A good rule of thumb is that a max trained stat is the same as increasing the given base stat by roughly 30 points

 

 

Attack and Speed EVs easily accessible pre-E4:
Kanto: Speed EVs from Poliwhirl and Poliwag hordes in Viridian City and West of Viridian City. Nidorino Attack EV hordes on route 15.
Hoenn: Speed EVs from Linoone on Route 121. Attack EVs from Mighteyena on Route 120.
Sinnoh: Speed EVs from Floatzel on Route 218. Attack EVs from Machoke on Route 211.
Unova: Speed EVs from Liepard on Route 5. Attack EVs from Bouffalant on Route 10.
Johto: Speed EVs form Poliwhirl on Route 28. Attack EVs from Gyarados on Lake Rage (painful on time due to five intimidates. There are better locations though)
Full Horde List: https://forums.pokemmo.com/index.php?/topic/108705-2023-all-horde-locations-ev-and-shiny-johto-updated/#comment-1664257

Thanks goes out to @Manny for checking the whole guide for errors, @DragoTamer for the work done in his guide that allows this one to focus on hard to learn moves and keep the rest semi-brief, and @superworldsun for helping find the initial need for this guide earlier in the year

 

Other Helpful Guides related to this:

Spoiler

https://forums.pokemmo.com/index.php?/topic/117438-simple-breeding-guide/
https://forums.pokemmo.com/index.php?/topic/154451-the-smeargle-guide/
https://forums.pokemmo.com/index.php?/topic/108705-2023-all-horde-locations-ev-and-shiny-johto-updated/#comment-1664257

 

Edited September 3, 2023 by shamorunner