Copycat (move)

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Copycat
まねっこ Imitate
Type  Normal
Category  Status
PP  20 (max. 32)
Power  —
Accuracy  —%
Priority  0
  • Does not make contact
  • Not affected by Protect
  • Not affected by Magic Coat
  • Not affected by Snatch
  • Not affected by King's Rock
Range
Opponent Opponent Opponent
Self Ally Ally
Self: Affects the user
Availability
Introduced  Generation IV
Condition  Cool
Appeal  0  
Jam  0  
Receives voltage points if previous Pokémon reaches maximum voltage
Condition  Cool
Appeal  0  
Steals the Voltage of the Pokémon that just went.
Condition  Cute
Appeal  1
Jamming  0  
Shows off the Pokémon's appeal about as well as the moved used just before it.

Copycat (Japanese: まねっこ Imitate) is a non-damaging Normal-type move introduced in Generation IV.

Effect

Generation IV

Copycat causes the user to use the last move that was used in the battle (even if the last move was by the user). If no move has been made, Copycat fails. If the copied move's target is not the user, an appropriate target is randomly chosen.

The last-used move is updated whenever any Pokémon attempts to use a move.

  • If a move successfully executes (generally, if the text "<Pokémon> used <move>!" is shown), that move becomes the last-used move. This is regardless of the move's result—whether it hit or missed or its effect was successful or failed (such as a Light Screen that fails because the previous Light Screen has not expired).
    • Some moves that require multiple turns to execute do not count as valid moves in all of their turns. If Copycat executes after a turn when a move was not considered valid, Copycat will fail.
      • Charging moves: the initial turn does not count as a valid move.
      • Recharging moves: the recharge turn does not count as a valid move.
      • Bide: the final turn does not count as a valid move.
    • If any move calls another, the calling move is counted as the last move used instead of the called move.
      • However, this only applies to the turn when the calling move was selected to be used. If a called move requires multiple turns to execute in full (such as Bide, Dig, or Thrash), it may vaildly become the last-used move in subsequent turns.
  • If a Pokémon tries to use a move but is prevented by a status condition or effect (such as sleep, paralysis, or flinching), the last-used move becomes invalid and Copycat will fail if it executes next.

Copycat will fail if any of the following moves are the last move:


Generation V

If any move successfully calls another, the called move now counts as the last move used instead of the calling move.

The last move used is now unaffected if a Pokémon tries to use a move but is prevented by a status condition or effect. In other words, the last-used move remains what it was before the Pokémon's turn.

Charging moves, recharging moves, and Bide no longer have invalid turns that will cause Copycat to fail. Instead, charging moves and Bide can be copied on any turn, while recharging moves are ignored on their recharge turn (the last move used remains whatever it was before the recharge message appeared).

Copycat will fail if any of the following moves are the last move:

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check ban list; probably similar to Assist

Generation VI

Copycat will fail if any of the following moves are the last move:

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check ban list; probably similar to Assist, but some (such as Dig) is definitely different

Generation VII

If powered up by a Normalium Z into Z-Copycat, the user's accuracy rises one stage. Additionally, the copied move will become its corresponding Z-Move. If the copied move is a status move, it will not receive its Z-Power effect.

Description

Games Description
DPPtHGSSPBR
BWB2W2
XYORAS
SM
The user mimics the move used immediately before it. The move fails if no other move has been used yet.


Learnset

By leveling up

# Pokémon Types Egg Groups Level
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
0122 Mr. Mime PsychicIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Human-Like Human-Like 4 4 4 4
0173 Cleffa FairyIC Big.png style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 13 13 13 13
0174 Igglybuff NormalIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 17 17 17XY
11ORAS
11
0185 Sudowoodo RockIC Big.png Mineral Mineral 1 1 1 1
0238 Smoochum IceIC Big.png
PsychicIC Big.png
style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 38 41 41 41
0300 Skitty NormalIC Big.png Field Fairy 11DP
18PtHGSS
18 18XY
19ORAS
19
0311 Plusle ElectricIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22
0312 Minun ElectricIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22
0327 Spinda NormalIC Big.png Field Human-Like 10 10 10XY
5ORAS
5
0438 Bonsly RockIC Big.png style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 1 1 1 1
0439 Mime Jr. PsychicIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 4 4 4 4
0440 Happiny NormalIC Big.png style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 5 5 5 5
0447 Riolu FightingIC Big.png style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 29 29BW
19B2W2
19 19
0481 Mesprit PsychicIC Big.png style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 61 61 1, 61 1, 61
0778 Mimikyu GhostIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Amorphous Amorphous 1
0802 Marshadow FightingIC Big.png
GhostIC Big.png
style="text-align:center; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" width="140px" colspan="2" | Undiscovered style="text-align:center; display:none; background:#Template:Undiscovered egg color;" | Undiscovered 20
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move.
Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.
A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method.
An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.


By breeding

# Pokémon Types Parent
Egg Groups
Egg Move
II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
0298 Azurill NormalIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Water 1 Fairy
0427 Buneary NormalIC Big.png Field Human-Like
0501 Oshawott WaterIC Big.png Field Field
0509 Purrloin DarkIC Big.png Field Field
0570 Zorua DarkIC Big.png Field Field
0669 Flabébé FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy
0684 Swirlix FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move.
Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.
A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method.
An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.


In other games

Description

Games Description
MDTDS Causes the user to unleash the same move as the last one used by the facing enemy. Some moves can't be copied.


In the anime

Cameron Riolu Copycat Leaf Blade.png
Riolu;
copying Leaf Blade
Cameron Riolu Copycat.png
Riolu;
copying a Fire-type move
Cameron Lucario Copycat.png
Lucario;
copying a Steel-type move
Cameron Riolu Copycat Air Cutter.png
Riolu;
copying Air Cutter
The user copies the opponent's last move and uses it.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
Riolu After the opponent has used a move, Riolu becomes surrounded in a waving aura of light. It then recalls how the opponent used the move, one of its eyes twinkles, and it uses the same move the opponent just used. The color of the aura depends on which type of move Riolu is copying.
Cameron's Riolu Mission: Defeat Your Rival! Debut
Lucario When it sees its opponent about to use an attack, Lucario becomes surrounded in a waving aura of light. It then recalls how the opponent is using the move, and it uses the same move the opponent is using. The color of the aura depends on which type of move Lucario is copying.
Cameron's Lucario A Unova League Evolution! None


In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga


In other generations

Core series games

Spin-off series games

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 仿效 Fónghaauh *
仿造 Fóngjouh *
Mandarin 仿效 Fǎngxiào *
仿造 Fǎngzào *
France Flag.png French Photocopie
Germany Flag.png German Imitator
Greece Flag.png Greek Αντιγραφή Antigrafí
Italy Flag.png Italian Copione
South Korea Flag.png Korean 흉내쟁이 Hyungnaejaeng'i
Poland Flag.png Polish Imitacja
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Imitador
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Copiar-Colar
Spain Flag.png Spanish Copión


Variations of the move Mirror Move
StatusIC HOME.png Mirror MoveCopycat


Project Moves and Abilities logo.png This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.