Smearguru: The Painter Pokemon Finally Gets Its Due

Smearguru is a new variant of Smeargle exclusive to Pokémon Pokopia. Unlike the original Smeargle with its single color tail, this guy is covered in vibrant paint splotches all over its body. Think of it as what happens when you give a Smeargle access to an entire art supply store and say go wild. The Pokemon Company describes Smearguru as a "prolific painter" – which is a fancy way of saying this thing actually creates art instead of just looking like it should. In the extended Pokopia trailer, you can see it painting on a canvas using that massive tail brush of its.

Here's the thing about the original Smeargle: it had potential but never really delivered. You had one move (Sketch) that could copy any attack, but that was about it. Smearguru? This variant embraces the painter aesthetic in ways the regular version never did.

• Colorful design: Instead of just green, Smearguru's got paint splatters everywhere – reds, blues, yellows, the whole rainbow basically
• Larger tail brush: The brush on its tail is noticeably bigger, like it graduated from art school
• Character role: In Pokopia, Smearguru is actually a supporting character, not just some random encounter

It's like Game Freak realized they wasted Smeargle's potential for 25 years and decided to make up for lost time.

What's cool about Smearguru is how it fits into Pokopia's whole crafting and building theme. This isn't a game about battling – it's about creating stuff. So having a Pokemon that's literally about making art? That's actually perfect for the game's vibe. Smearguru isn't just a reskin with some extra colors. The variant embodies the painter concept better than the original ever did. When you see it in action, using its tail like an actual brush to paint on canvas? That's the kind of detail that shows someone actually thought about this.

Here's the question everyone's asking: is Smearguru staying in Pokopia, or will it show up in mainline games later? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. The Pokemon Company has been tight-lipped about whether these Pokopia variants are getting full Pokedex entries or if they're just exclusive to this spinoff. Given how long fans have been waiting for a proper Smeargle evolution or variant, you'd think they'd want to share the love. But then again, this is the same company that took forever to give Pikachu a variant (that would be Peakychu, by the way). For now, Smearguru is confirmed as a character in Pokopia when it launches March 5, 2026. Whether it becomes a permanent addition to the Pokemon universe remains to be seen.