Ditto
Type: Normal
Stats: 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48
Introduction
Ditto stands out as being objectively the worst of all Pokemon before the fifth generation games due to being incapable of anything but wasting a turn turning into a copy of its foes, usually with heavily reduced HP. Even its own gimmick of Transform is outdone by Mew. Despite this, Ditto manages to actually have a niche competitive use in the RBY 1P metagame. Mew and Mewtwo stand head and shoulders above everything else in the game, so the potential of copying one and obtaining a second of these can be an attractive prospect, even with reduced HP and limited move PP. Slowbro is also an extremely common booster in the tier that Ditto naturally outspeeds, so it also has a third potential target for Transform. It still has many problems, stemming mostly from the fact it needs Mew and Mewtwo paralyzed or unboosted to have a shot at copying them, lacks any immediate impact, and is usually limited to trying to PP stall, but if you really want to use Ditto in the early generations, RBY 1P is the one place it isn't a complete joke.
Sets
Transform
Ditto
- Transform
Set Details
Ditto's only move is Transform. This can be exploited to some extent by the opponent switching in whatever they wish Ditto to Transform into, but depending on the sets of those Pokemon, it can be difficult to avoid giving Ditto any tools that it can work with. Ditto will also get a peek at the foe's full moveset, so if you need to switch out, you'll have all the information you need to make the best choice.
Team Options
Without paralysis support, Ditto's mostly limited to Transforming into Slowbro or hoping to get a free switch to Mew or Mewtwo before they've boosted, so teammates that spread paralysis are very important for it to be usable.
Checks and Counters
Paralyzing Ditto can strongly inhibit its ability to Transform into paralyzed Mew and Mewtwo, requiring a second paralysis Speed drop to be able to Transform before the foe moves. If there is a need to switch out from Ditto before it Transforms, a healthy Pokemon with a high HP stat can set up a fight against itself but with it having the advantage due to Ditto's locked 299 HP even after Transforming, though care must be taken not to switch in something that can provide Ditto with something useful regardless of low HP, such as Snorlax with Self-Destruct. After Transforming, the checks and counters list is generally the same as the Pokemon it Transformed into.
Type: Normal
Stats: 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48
Introduction
Ditto stands out as being objectively the worst of all Pokemon before the fifth generation games due to being incapable of anything but wasting a turn turning into a copy of its foes, usually with heavily reduced HP. Even its own gimmick of Transform is outdone by Mew. Despite this, Ditto manages to actually have a niche competitive use in the RBY 1P metagame. Mew and Mewtwo stand head and shoulders above everything else in the game, so the potential of copying one and obtaining a second of these can be an attractive prospect, even with reduced HP and limited move PP. Slowbro is also an extremely common booster in the tier that Ditto naturally outspeeds, so it also has a third potential target for Transform. It still has many problems, stemming mostly from the fact it needs Mew and Mewtwo paralyzed or unboosted to have a shot at copying them, lacks any immediate impact, and is usually limited to trying to PP stall, but if you really want to use Ditto in the early generations, RBY 1P is the one place it isn't a complete joke.
Sets
Transform
Ditto
- Transform
Set Details
Ditto's only move is Transform. This can be exploited to some extent by the opponent switching in whatever they wish Ditto to Transform into, but depending on the sets of those Pokemon, it can be difficult to avoid giving Ditto any tools that it can work with. Ditto will also get a peek at the foe's full moveset, so if you need to switch out, you'll have all the information you need to make the best choice.
Team Options
Without paralysis support, Ditto's mostly limited to Transforming into Slowbro or hoping to get a free switch to Mew or Mewtwo before they've boosted, so teammates that spread paralysis are very important for it to be usable.
Checks and Counters
Paralyzing Ditto can strongly inhibit its ability to Transform into paralyzed Mew and Mewtwo, requiring a second paralysis Speed drop to be able to Transform before the foe moves. If there is a need to switch out from Ditto before it Transforms, a healthy Pokemon with a high HP stat can set up a fight against itself but with it having the advantage due to Ditto's locked 299 HP even after Transforming, though care must be taken not to switch in something that can provide Ditto with something useful regardless of low HP, such as Snorlax with Self-Destruct. After Transforming, the checks and counters list is generally the same as the Pokemon it Transformed into.
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