Smeargle

Author: Bryan Lance

Smeargle is a beagle-type Pokemon, it is also referred to as a Painter Pokemon. They are about 4ft in height and on average they weigh about 130lbs. Smeargles have brown and white fur, as well as brown floppy ears, a brown collar around their neck, and they have round eyes with brown rings around them. Smeargles have a round white structure with a pointed tip on the top of their head. It is a close resemblance to a beret, which is often worn by painters. They have a very long tail and the tip of the tail resembles a paintbrush. The paintbrush tail often oozes with paint. The color of the paint differs from one Smeargle to another. The tail will oftentimes change its coloring, depending on what kind of mood the Smeargle is in. Smeargle in the Pokemon games is shown with green, red, and brown on the tip of its tail. While Smeargles in the Pokemon Anime is depicted with the same colors as the ones in the games, but also the tips of their tails are sometimes blue and yellow. They have been known to use the paint from their tails to mark their territory. Smeargles can usually be found in urban areas.

Smeargle’s Abilities

One of the abilities used by Smeargle is an ability called Own Tempo. When you use the ability Own Tempo in battle, the ability prevents the Pokemon from being affected by Confusion. Own Tempo even protects the Pokemon if the move Confusion is self-inflicted. Another ability used by Smeargle is the ability Technician. Technician powers up the Pokemons weaker moves. When you use the ability Technician, it increases the power of the Pokemon’s moves, which have a power of 60% or lower by 50%. The ability Technician does not apply to the damage accumulated by the move Confusion. The damage will remain at a power of 40. Smeargles also have an ability called Moody. When you use Moody in battle, the ability raises one stat but lowers another. When you use this ability, at the end of your turn, at random, one of your stats will rise by two stages, while another stat will be lowered by one stage. Moody will not lower a stat that is at -6 or lower and it will not raise a stat that is at +6 or higher.

Major Appearances

Smeargles first appearance was in the episode Pikachu & Pichu. The episode was first released in Japan on July 8, 2000, and then in North America on April 6, 2001. It was a minor appearance where Smeargle was apart of the Pichu Brother’s posse. Three Smeargles appeared in the episode The Art of Pokemon, which was first released in Japan on May 10, 2001, and then in the United States on April 6, 2002. In the episode, three Smeargles that belonged to a Pokemon trainer by the name of Jack Pollockson. In the episode, the three Smeargles vandalized the town of Whitestone so they could spread their trainers Jack Pollockson’s art. The Smeargles act of vandalism got the attention of Team Rocket. A Smeargle appeared in the episode Crystal Clear Sleuthing. The episode was first released in Japan on March 9, 2017, and in the United States on July 1, 2017, the episode was part of a three-hour-long special. In the episode, a Smeargle was on a television show where it was the companion of a detective named Laki. There are a lot of pictures of the Smeargle on the walls of the Alola TV Studio. Smeargle made another appearance in the episode Smashing With Sketch. The episode was first released in Japan on March 15, 2018, and the in the United States on August 13, 2018. In the episode, Smeargle belonged to a Pokemon trainer named Llima. Smeargle was used in a ping pong tournament where Llima later won.

Pokemon Playing Cards

Since the release of the Pokemon playing cards, Smeargle has been featured on 9 different cards. Most of the cards classify Smeargle as a Colorless Pokemon. In the Wizards Black Star Promos, Smeargle has 40 HP and the ability called Paint. When you use Paint you have to flip a coin. If the coin lands on heads you choose another type (besides Colorless) and place a coloring counter on the defending Pokemon. That Pokemon then becomes the color that you chose. If the coin lands on tails, the attack fails. In the Neo Discovery expansion, Smeargle has 50 HP and the ability Sketch. When you use Sketch, if the defending Pokemon attacked on their last turn, Smeargle copies the attack but not the Energy cost. In the Aquapolis expansion, Smeargle has 60 HP and the abilities Paint Trick and Doubleslap. With the ability Paint Trick, you flip a coin, if the coin lands on heads, your opponent is now Confused. Then you choose one of your benched Pokemon to switch out with your Smeargle. With the ability Doubleslap, you flip 2 coins, The attack does 20 damage times the number of times the coin lands on heads. In the Ex Unseen Forces expansion, Smeargle has 50 HP and the ability Split Spiral Punch. Split Spiral Punch does 10 damage. You also flip a coin, and if the coin lands on heads, your opponent is now Confused. In the Secret Wonders expansion, Smeargle has 70 HP and the abilities Color Pick and Trace. When you use Color Pick, you get to search your deck for 3 Energy cards, you have to show them to your opponent and place them into your deck. With the ability Trace, you have to flip a coin, if it lands on heads you get to choose one of your opponents benched Pokemon and copy one of their attacks. In the Ex Dragon Frontiers expansion, Smeargle is classified as a Physic-type Pokemon. It has 60 HP and the abilities Collect and Flickering Tail. The ability Collect has you draw one card. When you use the ability Flickering Tail, if your opponents Pokemon is Pokemon-ex, the attack does 10 damage, plus another 10 damage and your opponent is now Asleep. In the Secret Wonders expansion, Smeargle has 70 HP and the abilities Color Pick and Trace. In the Undaunted expansion, Smeargle has 70 HP and the ability Tail Rap. You have to flip a coin and Tail Rap deals out 20 damage times the number of times the coin lands on heads. In the BREAKthrough expansion, Smeargle has 70 HP and the ability Beat. Using Beat deals out 30 damage. In the Lost Thunder expansion, Smeargle has 80 HP and the ability Tail Smash. When you use Tail Smash you have to flip a coin. If it lands on heads the attack does 30 damage. If it lands on tails, the attack fails.

Smeargle is a great Pokemon to have. Because they have the ability Sketch, they are capable of copying any move that is used against it in battle. This makes Smeargle a very strong Pokemon. If you can catch one and if you take the time to level it up, you can have a great Pokemon on your team. Hopefully, you don’t mind paint splattering everywhere.