WHO'S THAT POKEMON, Vol. 006
Who's that ghoul wearing the witch hat? They're the latest subject of our Pokémon profile!
Pokémon is a wonderful and mythical world of fantastical creatures that has survived for a quarter century in the form of anime, playing cards, collectible toys, and of course, a role-playing video game. Longtime fans can name a large percentage of the over 900 creatures that either have been released or announced for release with Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January 2022. Some people’s knowledge of Pokémon begins and ends with Pikachu. There is nothing at all wrong with that kind of casual fandom, but I feel like I must do a service and at least let you know about the other wonderful creatures you can raise in the universe where these monsters do battle, play, work, and keep people company. It’s time to play WHO’S THAT POKÉMON???!?!?
MISMAGIUS (NO. 429)
Evolutionary Line – Misdreavus → Mismagius (use a Dusk Stone)
Type – Ghost
First Appears In – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
Misdreavus hit the scene in Generation II, and they were a nice addition to a National Pokedex that at the time only had one Ghost-type that was also helplessly owned by Psychics, most notably the Alakazam line. The big drawback was that lil’ ghostie with a cute necklace of ORBS didn’t really have the oomph you’d have liked. When Generation IV hit, they got a glow-up, like many other non-evolvers from Gens I and II in the form of Mismagius. A delightful little witch of a Pokémon, Mismagius realizes their true power as one of my favorite spooky ‘Mons. Allow me to give them the profile treatment, especially now that the Generation IV remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are so hot right now.
Aesthetics and Biology – Mismagius might be the most stereotypically spooky Pokémon by appearance with the witch hat and the long, flowy body. They were envisioned by a mind influence by Deviant Art years before that site really took its place on the top of the Internet’s cultural apex. That’s okay, because Pokémon are supposed to look like outsized caricatures of ideas and archetypes. Mismagius is a natural team member for the goths who play the games, but even if you’re a jock or a nerd or whatever, you’ll want to have this ghoul in your ranks. They’re gorgeous for being so outwardly grotesque in inspiration, and as you’ll see later on, they pack quite the punch too.
In The Games – You can catch a Misdreavus quite early in the game in Generation IV, but you’ll have to wait until you complete seven gyms to be able to get the item to evolve them. Still, the wait is worth it. Mismagius can be a late game monster for you. In Generation IV, Mismagius was nerfed a little bit because Steel-type Pokémon were still strong against Ghost-type attacks. After Generation VI though, they rejiggered the weakness charts, and all of a sudden, Bronzong wasn’t so tough against the witchy wonder.
Regardless, Mismagius has been a staple in several games since their introduction. In Diamond and Pearl, they were a monster against Lucian, the Psychic-specialist in the Sinnoh Elite Four. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Mismagius will help you immensely against Morty in the Ecruteak City gym, and you don’t necessarily have to wait until too far in the game to get that evolution available. In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Mismagius will be a monster not just in the Mossdeep City Gym and against Phoebe in the Elite Four, you can teach them Thunderbolt and use their massive Special Attack to hurt Wallace in Sootopolis City. In Sun and Moon, you can use Mismagius’ might to give you the upper hand against Acerola in the Elite Four. Regardless of what game you find them in, Mismagius can be a huge help for you to get through the trials of the mainline RPG.
The Nerd Section – With base stats of 105 in Special Attack and Speed (and Special Defense), Mismagius has some real potential as a sweeper, even if their use might be in lower tiers. They have a diverse movepool as well. Shadow Ball, boosted with Nasty Plot, is the obvious vector for attack. One Nasty Plot will make every Pokémon that isn’t Normal-type quake in their boots. If I’m talking about immunities, Mismagius has a HUGE advantage on switching in because with their ability, Levitate, they have three immunities. Normal, Fighting, and Ground attacks won’t even leave a scratch on this gorgeously grotesque ghost. After those two moves, you’ll have a lot of room to decide which threats you want Mismagius to take out. They have access to Psychic, Energy Ball, Thunder/Thunderbolt, Mystical Fire, Dazzling Gleam, and Power Gem. It’s not a wide Dragon-style access to a diverse slate of moves, but it works.
The downside is that the 105 base Special Defense is kinda useless. Mismagius’ viability as a defensive Pokémon is severely hampered by base 60 in both Hit Points and Defense. You can build a good wall from a Pokémon that has two of those stats with high base, but if they only have one, you’re going to have a bad time focusing on anything but the attack. It’s a shame too, because Ghost-types often have access to some pretty neat annoyance moves like Grudge, Spite, Curse, Destiny Bond, Thunder Wave, Rain Dance, Will-o-Wisp, and the Perish Song/Mean Look combination. You’ll want to stick to attacking. In fact, if you do want to use a defensive/annoyance set with this family, you’re better off trying to play with a Misdreavus set that holds Eviolite. The HP and Defensive bases are still at 60, and the Special Defense is a below-average but respectable 85. With the 150 percent boost from Eviolite, all of a sudden, Misdreavus might have some gimmick viability.
Standard Set – The Holy Ghost
Timid Nature (Speed ↑, Attack ↓)
Ability – Levitate (default)
EVs – 4 HP/252 Special Attack/252 Speed
Hold Item – Life Orb
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Mystical Fire
- Nasty Plot
Ghost, Fire, and Electric are some of the best attacking types in the game. To wit, you’ll get super effective coverage on a wide swath of some of the biggest threats in the game. Shadow Ball is obviously going to be your major attack, but Thunderbolt is a great secondary punch if someone gets sneaky and switches in a Normal-type. You can use your three immunities to switch in and get a free Nasty Plot, after which you can cook with both that boost and the Life Orb juice. Mystical Fire isn’t the best Fire attack, but at 75 base power, it’s not frivolous, especially with boosts. Plus, it can act as a pseudo-Haze maneuver by lowering your target’s Special Attack.
Finale – Misdreavus doesn’t get a lot of respect in the metagame because their stats aren’t as sky high as some other more viable attackers. Three immunities help out a ton, plus they’re a cool-looking Pokémon. Aesthetic matters for something in this world. Plus, using the same Pokémon that everyone else is using is boring. Spice up your life and find some room for the lil’ ghostie in the witch hat.