Copycat (move)

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

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 " used !" is shown), that move becomes the last-used move. This is regardless of the move's result&mdash;whether it hit or missed or its effect was successful or failed (such as a 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.
 * : the initial turn does not count as a valid move.
 * : the recharge turn does not count as a valid move.
 * : the final turn does not count as a valid move.
 * If, 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, , or ), 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, , or flinching), the last-used move becomes invalid and Copycat will fail if it executes next.

Generation V to 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.

,, and 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
If powered up by a Normalium Z into Z-Copycat, the user's 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.

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

Description

 * }
 * }

Description

 * }
 * }

In other languages
Imitator Copión Photocopie Copione まねっこ 仿效（招式）