Utility
Balanced
250Low
75Moderate
BTier

Technician boosts weaker moves to surprising damage levels, letting Smeargle hit way above its stat class. Normal typing helps — Ghost moves can't touch it, and only a single type hits it super-effectively. Introduced in Gen 2.

Speed and HP carry most of Smeargle's stat budget. Attack's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a fast 800K XP curve.

Base Stats
250Below
HP55
D
Attack20
F
Defense35
F
Sp. Atk20
F
Sp. Def45
D
Speed75
C
Total250
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Smeargle yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch45Challenging•Fast800,000 XP•1.2m / 3'11"•58kg / 127.9 lbs•88Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It marks its territory by using its tail like a paintbrush. There are more than 5,000 different marks.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Smeargle Weakness

Good

Smeargle's Normal typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting moves. It shrugs off Ghost-type attacks completely. Just 1 weak spot to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
Fighting
½xResisti
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
Ghost
STABi
No super-effective STAB
1Weak
0Resist
1Immune
Scorei+1
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Own TempoPrevents confusion.
TechnicianStrengthens moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× their power.
MoodyHARaises a random stat two stages and lowers another one stage after each turn.

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.

How to Evolve

No Evolution
Smeargle
#235SmeargleDoes not evolve
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed Smeargle easily with 195 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.

Egg Groups
Ground
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
raichupikachugolduckampharosrhydondewgongarbokgranbullquagsireflaaffyrhyhornpsyduck
12 of 195·

Baton Pass keeps your team's momentum going. Smeargle doesn't need to stay in long, Focus Sash provides a guaranteed survive from full HP and max HP and Speed EVs make every visit count. Baton Pass threatens on the way out. Moody adds passive value.

Best Build

Pivot
Ability
Moody
Item
Focus SashSURVIVAL
Nature
Timid+SPE
EVs

Best Smeargle Moveset

  • Baton PassSTAB
  • SporeUtility
  • MinimizeUtility
  • SubstituteUtility

Recommended Teammates

Smeargle
SmeargleDecent

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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Sketch
——1Normal

TM Moves

Smeargle can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Smeargle doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Smeargle can't learn any Tutor moves

Smeargle doesn't appear in Scarlet & Violet. Transfer it from Gold, Crystal, or Brilliant Diamond to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.

Smeargle is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Also found in:

GoldCrystalEmeraldDiamondPlatinumHeartGold

  • Technician changes the entire equation for Smeargle. The 250 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier.

  • Watch for Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Smeargle. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • Smeargle doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Normal-type Pokemon with a 250 base stat total.

  • Technician is what you want on Smeargle. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Own Tempo, Moody) work on paper but Technician is what makes Smeargle worth using.

  • Base 75 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Smeargle is leaning toward the physical side (base 20 Attack). Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

  • Smeargle appears in 16 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.

Available in 16 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Smeargle spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.