Copycat (move)

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If you were looking for the NPC living in Saffron City, see Copycat (character). For the TCG card featuring said character, see Copycat (Expedition 138).

Copycat
まねっこ Imitate
Copycat IX.png
Copycat IX 2.png
Type  Normal
Category  Status
PP  20 (max. 32)
Power  —
Accuracy  —%
Priority  {{{priority}}}
  • Does not make contact
  • Not affected by Protect
  • Not affected by Magic Coat
  • Not affected by Snatch
  • Not affected by Mirror Move
  • Not affected by King's Rock
Target
Foe Foe Foe
Self Ally Ally
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 move used just before it.

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

Effect

151Mew.png This move effect may be in need of research.
Reason: What effects do the Choice items have from Generation V on?
You can discuss this on the talk page.

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.
    • 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 validly 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.

Generations V and VI

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).

Generation VII onwards

If powered up by a Normalium Z into Z-Copycat, the user's accuracy rises one stage. Additionally, if the move to be copied isn't a status move, then it will become its corresponding Z-Move.

Copycat fails if the most recently used move is a Z-Move, regardless of whether Copycat was powered up into Z-Copycat or not.

If the most recently used move is a Max Move, the user will copy the base move that was powered up. For example, if a Dynamax Pokémon used Max Guard by selecting a move slot that originally contained Trick Room, and the next Pokémon to move used Copycat, it would copy Trick Room, rather than copying Max Guard or failing entirely.

Uncallable moves

151Mew.png This move effect may be in need of research.
Reason: Uncallable moves in Generation VIII; Sketch in BDSP
You can discuss this on the talk page.

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


Additionally, Copycat fails if the last move used was a Z-Move.

Description

Games Description
DPPtHGSSPBR
BWB2W2
XYORAS
SMUSUM
SwShBDSPLA
SV
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
0035 Clefairy FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0036 Clefable FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 1 1 Rem.
0039 Jigglypuff NormalIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0040 Wigglytuff NormalIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0113 Chansey NormalIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0122 Mr. Mime PsychicIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Human-Like Human-Like 4 4 4 4 1 1
0122 Mr. Mime
Mr. Mime
Galarian Form
IceIC Big.png
PsychicIC Big.png
Human-Like Human-Like 1
0124 Jynx IceIC Big.png
PsychicIC Big.png
Human-Like Human-Like 1 1
0133 Eevee NormalIC Big.png Field Field 30 30 30
0134 Vaporeon WaterIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0135 Jolteon ElectricIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0136 Flareon FireIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0173 Cleffa FairyIC Big.png No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 13 13 13 13 1 1 1
0174 Igglybuff NormalIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 17 17 17XY
11ORAS
11 1 1 1
0185 Sudowoodo RockIC Big.png Mineral Mineral 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0196 Espeon PsychicIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0197 Umbreon DarkIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0238 Smoochum IceIC Big.png
PsychicIC Big.png
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 38 41 41 41 8 8
0242 Blissey NormalIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0300 Skitty NormalIC Big.png Field Fairy 11DP
18PtHGSS
18 18XY
19ORAS
19 19
0301 Delcatty NormalIC Big.png Field Fairy 1
0311 Plusle ElectricIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22 22 22
0312 Minun ElectricIC Big.png Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22 22 22
0327 Spinda NormalIC Big.png Field Human-Like 10 10 10XY
5ORAS
5 5
0438 Bonsly RockIC Big.png No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0439 Mime Jr. PsychicIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 4 4 4 4 1 1
0440 Happiny NormalIC Big.png No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 5 5 5 5 1 1 1
0447 Riolu FightingIC Big.png No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 29 29BW
19B2W2
19 19 48 48 48
0448 Lucario FightingIC Big.png
SteelIC Big.png
Field Human-Like 1 1 1
0470 Leafeon GrassIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0471 Glaceon IceIC Big.png Field Field 1 1 1
0481 Mesprit PsychicIC Big.png No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 61 61 1, 61 1, 61 70 70 70
0700 Sylveon FairyIC Big.png Field Field 1 1
0778 Mimikyu GhostIC Big.png
FairyIC Big.png
Amorphous Amorphous 1 1 1
0802 Marshadow FightingIC Big.png
GhostIC Big.png
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 20 1
0831 Wooloo NormalIC Big.png Field Field 8
0832 Dubwool NormalIC Big.png Field Field 1
0866 Mr. Rime IceIC Big.png
PsychicIC Big.png
Human-Like Human-Like 1
0924 Tandemaus NormalIC Big.png Field Fairy 41
0925 Maushold
Maushold
All forms
NormalIC Big.png Field Fairy 46
0931 Squawkabilly
Squawkabilly
All forms
NormalIC Big.png
FlyingIC Big.png
Flying Flying 27
0973 Flamigo FlyingIC Big.png
FightingIC Big.png
Flying Flying 1
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 Egg Groups Egg Move
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
0653 Fennekin FireIC Big.png Field Field
0669 Flabébé
Flabébé
All forms
FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy
0684 Swirlix FairyIC Big.png Fairy Fairy
0906 Sprigatito GrassIC Big.png Field Grass
0926 Fidough FairyIC Big.png Field Mineral
0944 Shroodle PoisonIC Big.png
NormalIC Big.png
Field Field
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.


Special move

Generation IX

# Pokémon Types Egg Groups Obtained with
0945 Grafaiai PoisonIC Big.png
NormalIC Big.png
Field Field Wild Tera Pokémon - Tagtree ThicketSV
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

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Copycat copies the target's last used move. Not all moves can be copied, such as Encore, Sketch, Assist, Metronome, Mirror Move, or Mimic.

Game Base
Power
Max
Power
Base
PP
Max
PP
Base
Accuracy
Max
Accuracy
Range Target Cuts
corners
MDTDS - - 19 - —% - Front Enemy No
BSL - - 19 - —% - Front Enemy No
SMD - - 10 30 —% - Front Enemy No
With some exceptions, Pokémon learnsets match those from the core series 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.
BSL しょうめんの てきポケモンが さいごに くりだしたわざと おなじ わざをくりだす いくつか まねっこできないわざも ある
MDGtI IconKanji2MD.pngUNUSED
SMD You counter the enemy by mimicking the enemy's last move.
MDRTDX You counter the enemy by mimicking the enemy's last move. There are some moves that can't be used in this way.


In the anime

Cameron Riolu Copycat Leaf Blade.png
Riolu;
copying Leaf Blade
Chloe Eevee Copycat.png
Eevee;
copying a Water move
Cameron Lucario Copycat.png
Lucario;
copying a Steel move
Chloe Eevee Copycat Heal Pulse.png
Eevee;
copying Heal Pulse
The user mimics the move used immediately before it.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
Riolu After the opponent has used a move, Riolu becomes surrounded by 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 a move, Lucario becomes surrounded by 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
Sudowoodo When Sudowoodo sees a Pokémon about to use a move, it uses the same move the Pokémon is using.
Callahan's Sudowoodo The Power of Us Incorrectly referred to as Mimic in the English dub
Eevee When Eevee sees a Pokémon about to use a move, its body becomes surrounded by an aura and it uses the same move the Pokémon is using. The color of the aura depends on which type of move Eevee is copying.
Chloe's Eevee To Train, or Not to Train! None
Alternate World Chloe's Eevee Showdown at the Gates of Warp! None


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures


In other generations

Core series games

Side 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
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Sao Chép


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.