Copycat (move)

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

  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

  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     Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0036     Fairy Fairy 1 1 Rem.
0039    
 
Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0040    
 
Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0113     Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0122    
 
Human-Like Human-Like 4 4 4 4 1 1
0122  
Mr. Mime
Galarian Form
 
 
Human-Like Human-Like 1
0124    
 
Human-Like Human-Like 1 1
0133     Field Field 30 30 30
0134     Field Field 1 1 1
0135     Field Field 1 1 1
0136     Field Field 1 1 1
0173     No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 13 13 13 13 1 1 1
0174    
 
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 17 17 17XY
11ORAS
11 1 1 1
0185     Mineral Mineral 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0196     Field Field 1 1 1
0197     Field Field 1 1 1
0238    
 
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 38 41 41 41 8 8
0242     Fairy Fairy 1 1 1
0300     Field Fairy 11DP
18PtHGSS
18 18XY
19ORAS
19 19
0301     Field Fairy 1
0311     Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22 22 22
0312     Fairy Fairy 24 24 24XY
22ORAS
22 22 22
0327     Field Human-Like 10 10 10XY
5ORAS
5 5
0438     No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0439    
 
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 4 4 4 4 1 1
0440     No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 5 5 5 5 1 1 1
0447     No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 29 29BW
19B2W2
19 19 48 48 48
0448    
 
Field Human-Like 1 1 1
0470     Field Field 1 1 1
0471     Field Field 1 1 1
0481     No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 61 61 1, 61 1, 61 70 70 70
0700     Field Field 1 1
0778    
 
Amorphous Amorphous 1 1 1
0802    
 
No Eggs Discovered No Eggs Discovered 20 1
0831     Field Field 8
0832     Field Field 1
0866    
 
Human-Like Human-Like 1
0924     Field Fairy 41
0925  
Maushold
All forms
  Field Fairy 46
0931  
Squawkabilly
All forms
 
 
Flying Flying 27
0973    
 
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    
 
Water 1 Fairy
0427     Field Human-Like
0501     Field Field
0509     Field Field
0570     Field Field
0653     Field Field
0669  
Flabébé
All forms
  Fairy Fairy
0684     Fairy Fairy
0906     Field Grass
0926     Field Mineral
0944    
 
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    
 
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  UNUSED
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

 
Riolu;
copying Leaf Blade
 
Eevee;
copying a Water move
 
Lucario;
copying a Steel move
 
Eevee;
copying Heal Pulse
The user mimics the move used immediately before it.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
  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
  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
  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
  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 *
  French Photocopie
  German Imitator
  Greek Αντιγραφή Antigrafí
  Italian Copione
  Korean 흉내쟁이 Hyungnaejaeng-i
  Polish Imitacja
Portuguese   Brazil Imitador
  Portugal Copiar-Colar
  Spanish Copión
  Vietnamese Sao Chép


  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.