Is Smeargle Good in FireRed & LeafGreen Playthrough?
Sketch copies any move from any Pokemon. AbilityOwn Tempo blocks confusion. Smeargle builds a custom moveset by learning one move per fight. Available in the Sevii Islands. The gimmick is the appeal. Combat stats are terrible. Useful for breeding and novelty, not for serious battles.
Brock's Pokemon outpace and outclass Smeargle here.
Misty's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Lt. Surge's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Erika's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Koga's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Sabrina's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Blaine's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Giovanni's team hits Smeargle's weaknesses hard.
Lorelei's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Bruno's team hits Smeargle's weaknesses hard.
Agatha's Pokemon outpace and outclass Smeargle here.
Lance's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Terry's typing presses Smeargle's defenses.
Smeargle cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. On GBA, cross-region trading unlocks post-game after Celio's Sevii Islands Ruby & Sapphire quest. The Switch re-release supports only one-way transfers out to Pokemon HOME.
How to Get Smeargle in FireRed & LeafGreen
Smeargle stays out of the FRLG encounter pool. Trade one from Ruby or Sapphire, where it roams the long Hoenn grasslands. Kanto has nothing comparable, so imports are the only option.
Smeargle cannot be caught in the wild in FireRed & LeafGreen, but you can still get it via these paths:
Pokemon HOME · Switch Rerelease
Playing the Switch version of FireRed & LeafGreen? Pokemon HOME compatibility is post-launch but deposit-only by design (FRLG → HOME). Inbound HOME transfer of Smeargle into FRLG is not possible — an original GBA cartridge with a Link Cable is the only inbound route.
Catch in the wild and trade from these games:
Then trade to FireRed & LeafGreen.
Also Obtainable In:
Direct cartridge trade across generations isn't possible — but the Pokemon HOME path above bridges this gap once Switch support launches.
Smeargle Weakness
Smeargle's Normal typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting. It shrugs off Ghost-type attacks completely. Just 1 weak spot to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ghost |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Smeargle Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Smeargle
 Mankey Fighting | C | |
Mankey Fighting | C | |
 Machoke Fighting | C | |
 Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
 Primeape Fighting | C | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
 Heracross BugFighting | A | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
In FireRed & LeafGreen, Blissey's Ice Beam hits Smeargle for 38-45%. Porygon2 deals 34-41% with Ice Beam.
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Smeargle View Blissey builds →Ice Beam38-45% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySynchronize ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Smeargle View Umbreon builds →Pursuit9-11% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityTrace ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Smeargle View Porygon2 builds →Ice Beam34-41% Thunderbolt34-41% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Smeargle View Vaporeon builds →Surf36-42% Ice Beam36-42% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Dusclops builds →
| ||
Smeargle Evolutions
Smeargle doesn't evolve, so breeding's where the action is. You'll find a massive partner pool across one egg group, and eggs are average hatch time. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Smeargle easily with 102 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
FRLG Smeargle Best Moveset
MoveSketch permanently copies any move in the game, giving Smeargle access to every moveset combination possible. AbilityOwn Tempo prevents confusion. 20 base stats across the board means Smeargle never deals damage. The value is entirely in move access: MoveSpore, MoveSpikes, and MoveExplosion on one Pokemon.
Best Build
Smeargle best EVs are Speed and Sp. Def
Pivot Moveset
- Spore
- Spikes
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Not a lot to pick from. Smeargle gets Normal STAB for same-type damage, and limited coverage rounds things out. You're building around what's available rather than choosing from a deep bench.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Once it becomes an adult, it has a tendency to let its comrades plant footprints on its back.
A special fluid oozes from the tip of its tail. It paints the fluid everywhere to mark its territory.
Smeargle FireRed & LeafGreen Guide
Smeargle isn't catchable in FireRed & LeafGreen. Catch one in Emerald, then trade it to FireRed & LeafGreen.
Game Availability
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Smeargle spans 9 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves