Mew, The New Specie Pokémon. Because it can use all kinds of moves, many scientists believe Mew to be the ancestor of Pokémon. Its DNA is said to contain the genetic codes of all Pokémon, so it can use all kinds of techniques. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people.
Overview
This week, we have a Pokemon who needs no introduction, as it's a timeless classic whose name goes down in infamy; it's Mew! As the original event Pokemon, Mew is VERY well known, due in no small part for the fact that Mew is capable of learning every TM, HM and Move Tutor attack (barring things like the Pledges, Draco Meteor, etc.), meaning this thing has so many options that it’s not even funny. In terms of movepool, Mew is arguably the most versatile Pokemon in the game, given the only thing with a larger movepool is Smeargle, and unlike Smeargle, Mew actually has the stats to properly utilize many of those moves. With such a ridiculous movepool, this thing’s crazy unpredictable. So why isn’t it used more? Simply put, although Mew can do almost anything in the game, the fact is that it’s not the best at doing any one thing. While its stat spread of 100 in every stat is certainly good, leaving it with no obvious weak spots in its stat spread, it often finds itself overlooked in certain roles by Pokemon that are more specialized, especially when it comes to offensive roles. Mono-psychic typing does nothing to help it either, as the typing is considered fairly lackluster both offensively and defensively. Still, the fact that Mew can have a staggering number of move sets has allowed it to stay relevant for generations, despite not being quite as potent as it was in the first generation. It may not be able to go toe-to-toe with Mewtwo as the first movie led us to believe, but underestimating the New Species Pokemon would be a mistake, as it has no problem surprising you with something you might not expect. Positives
+Mew learns every single TM, HM and tutor move (barring moves that are exclusive to specific Pokemon, such as Draco Meteor, Pledges, etc.), so to call this thing versatile would be an understatement. It has nigh limitless possibilities!
+A stat spread of 100 across the board means it doesn’t have any glaring weak spot in its stat spread; it’s got a decent mix of bulk and offenses.
+Its ability, Synchronise, does have some decent use, such as being able to cripple defensive Pokemon who rely on Toxic for damage.
Negatives
-Psychic typing is not particularly good typing. With only two resistances and some very easily exploited weaknesses to Ghost, Dark, and Bug, its typing doesn’t have much defensive utility.
-Although its stat spread is well balanced, it lacks specialization. Offensively a lot of Pokemon outclass it, at base 100 offenses and speed are definitely not what they used to be. This means that many of its sets are outclassed by other Pokemon.
-Four moveslot syndrome is always an issue. When you’ve got access to almost every move in the game, it can get tricky to settle on just four.
-Mew is banned in pretty much every Nintendo format, so its usage is limited.
Abilities
Synchronize: When this Pokémon becomes Poisoned, Paralyzed, or Burned, so does the opponent. However, Fire-type and Water Veil ability Pokémon cannot be Burned, Poison-type and Steel-type and Immunity ability Pokémon cannot be Poisoned, and Electric-type and Limber ability Pokémon cannot be Paralyzed. - Synchronize is a decent, albeit situational ability. This ability is most potent against defensive Pokemon that rely on Toxic to stall out opponents, as it can inflict the status right back onto them. This also helps punish Scald-spamming water types, as they will share the burns as well. Just be aware that standard status immunities still apply, so if a Pokemon is immune to the status it is inflicting, then Synchronize will do nothing to it. Likewise, if status isn’t being used, this ability does nothing, so it’s fairly lackluster against offensive teams.
Movesets
Happy Mew Year
-Defog / Taunt
-Soft-boiled
-Will-o-Wisp
-Psychic / Knock Off
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SpDef / 32 Spe
Calm / Careful Nature
Despite having a hugely expansive movepool, Mew has one set that’s most common, and that is a support set. In fact, Mew makes one of the best users of Defog, for two specific reasons. First, it has no Stealth Rock weakness, so it suffers less duress from switching in so it can blow them away. Second, its access to Will-o-Wisp lets it cripple Bisharp, who between Defiant and its typing loves nothing more than to switch into Mew and net an attack boost from Defog. Just be wary though because Mew hates to eat Knock Off from Bisharp. However, if you don’t need Defog, you can always opt or Taunt for some stall-breaking prowess, which can allow it to shut down more defensive threats. Of course, whether you’re Defogging or Stallbreaking, you need some staying power to keep Mew healthy. That’s where Soft-boiled comes in, being a reliable source of recovery for Mew. From there, Mew usually packs an offensive attack. Psychic works well for dealing with things like Keldeo and Mega Venusaur, while Knock Off has the ever-useful utility of ridding foes of their items.
Mew prefers a specially defensive nature, as it is better able to wall special attackers (fewer of whom prey on its weaknesses as easily), while also having Will-o-Wisp to help ward off physical attackers. In the event you use Psychic, you’ll want to use a Calm Nature. If you opt for Knock Off, you’ll want to use a Careful Nature. Regardless, 252 HP and 224 Special Defense help to maximize special bulk, while 32 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed both Adamant Bisharp and Jolly Tyranitar so that it can burn them with Will-o-Wisp. Leftovers is Mew’s preferred item as it is on most defensive and support Pokemon, as the steady recovery helps to extend longevity a bit.
The Mew, The Proud
-Nasty Plot
-Psychic / Psyshock
-Aura Sphere / Fire Blast
-Shadow Ball / Thunderbolt / Dark Pulse / Ice Beam / Dazzling Gleam (Filler)
Item Attached: Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
As a disclaimer, offensive Mew has fallen out of favor due to the fact that its offensive presence really isn’t up to snuff due to the power creep causing its base 100 offenses to be rather lackluster, and thus it’s often outclassed. However, this is an example of an offensive set to use in the event that you feel the need to use one. The benefit that offensive Mew brings to a team is its ability to fill in virtually any coverage gap your team may have, which of course makes it unpredictable.
Despite the fact that the power creep has not been kind to Mew, it’s still able to boost its offenses through its use of Nasty Plot. Not much likes eating a +2 Special Attack, after all. Psychic or Psyshock can be used as Mew’s STAB attack, with the choice coming down to preference; Psychic is stronger, but Psyshock can more easily break through Special Walls thanks to targeting the defense stat. However, there’s a number of things that resist or are immune to Psychic, so that’s where coverage comes in. Aura Sphere smashed through Tyranitar, Heatran, and Bisharp, while Fire Blast roasts Scizor and Ferrothorn, while also still hitting Bisharp decently hard as well. For the final moveslot… Mew can literally choose anything. It’s basically your “filler” moveslot to cover specific things. You can basically pick any move to cover any specific target, whether it be Slowbro, Gyarados, Hoopa-U, Gliscor… the list goes on. You can even opt for whichever coverage move you didn’t choose in the previous slot if you so desire.
A Timid Nature and 252 Speed EVs allows Mew to maximize its speed, and speed tie with the myriad of other base 100 speed Pokemon. 252 Special Attack EVs maximize its damage output as well, while the remaining 4 EVs are placed into special defense. Life Orb can stretch your damage even further at the cost of longevity, while Leftovers can do the opposite, giving you slightly more longevity but missing out on a bit of damage.
Kung Mew
-Swords Dance
-Zen Headbutt
-Drain Punch / Low Kick
-Knock Off / Fire Punch / Stone Edge
Item Attached: Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Attack / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
And on the other side of the offensive spectrum we have a physical set. Much like the previous set, this set should not be your first choice considering how many physical sweepers and wallbreakers can outclass Mew, but again this has surprise value and can fill some gaps in your team with its ridiculous coverage.
Swords Dance is the crux of this set, making Mew’s fairly unimpressive base 100 Attack quite a bit more threatening, since +2 definitely hurts. Zen Heatbutt is Mew’s best and only physical STAB attack. From there, a fighting type attack can smash through Tyranitar, Heatran, and Bisharp. Drain Punch offers reliable damage and healing, but Low Kick can deal higher damage to some of the heavier foes, although its variable damage can be an issue in some cases. Its final moveslot is again up to preference. Knock Off is its most useful choice, offering good coverage and annoying almost anything that can switch in by ridding it of its item. However, you can opt for things like Fire Punch to cover Scizor and Stone Edge to cover the myriad of flying types, amongst other various coverage moves to cover specific threats.
Much like with the previous set, a Jolly Nature and 252 Speed EVs allows Mew to maximize its speed, and speed tie with the myriad of other base 100 speed Pokemon. 252 Attack EVs maximize its damage output as well, while the remaining 4 EVs are placed into special defense. Life Orb can stretch your damage even further at the cost of longevity, while Leftovers can do the opposite, giving you slightly more longevity but missing out on a bit of damage.
Other Options
-Reflect and Light Screen can be decent support options, but it faces competition from Klefki who boasts better typing and Prankster.
-Roar can be used as a phasing option for those Pokemon who might try to set up on you.
-Stealth Rock is always useful for hazards, although watch out for blowing them away with your own Defog.
-Baton Pass can be used to pass basically any type of boost, be it Swords Dance, Nasty Plot, Agility, or something else.
-Calm Mind can be decent in place of Nasty Plot, but it’s got a lot of competition from other Calm Mind users, such as the Lati’s.
-Tailwind is another decent support option that can help slower Pokemon, although its short duration can be a bummer.
-Reflect Type is an interesting option that can help Mew escape Pursuit-trapping and wall certain Pokemon as well by copying their typing.
-Toxic can be used for stalling, although Mew wishes it had better defensive typing to take advantage of it, and it tends to be Bisharp and Scizor bait.
-Heal Bell is decent for team support, and can troll opponents in conjunction with Synchronize by ridding causing them to be afflicted by status while clearing Mew’s own status.
-Trick can be used with a Choice Item to cripple certain Pokemon, but it’s got competition from other Trick users as well.
-Virtually any offensive move can be used on Mew to lure in and dispose of certain threats. We’d be here all day if I listed them all, so just know that if you fear a certain Pokemon, Mew can pack a move act as a lure.
Countering Mew
When it comes to countering Mew, its unpredictability can make this a difficult task at times. However, Mew almost always runs a support set due to being outclassed in other roles, so that set in particular is a little easier to work around. In particular, Mega Sableye works well against Mew, as its Magic Bounce prevents it from being taunted, while also being able to Prankster Taunt Mew on the turn it Mega Evolves. Magic Bounce also renders it immune to Will-o-Wisp, while its typing renders it immune to Psychic, and Knock Off will do pitiful damage. Meanwhile, Mega Sableye can set up Calm Minds as it forces Mew out. Sets lacking Taunt tend to lose to Clefable, who can almost freely set up Calm Minds and heal off any damage from Psychic, while not being bothered by Will-o-Wisp due to Magic Guard. Just watch out though because Taunt can give Clefable trouble, since Mew’s Soft-boiled can allow it to stall Clefable out if it can’t boost. Both Mega Charizards can deal with Mew decently well, as they don’t fear Will-o-Wisp, and can overpower Mew with their powerful STAB attacks, 2HKOing it. Psychic can run the risk of 3HKO’ing, and Charizard speed ties with Mew so a few bad speed tie rolls can be a problem, but thanks to the Mega Stones, if Mew runs Knock Off it will deal pitiful damage and usually be forced out. Mew has trouble surviving a STAB Knock Off from the likes of Bisharp or Weavile, but both are screwed by burns from Will-o-Wisp. Bisharp is especially vulnerable due to being outsped if it’s Adamant, although Jolly Bisharp can outspeed Mew to check it. Weavile outspeeds Mew no matter what however, and both can freely switch into Psychic. Heatran can switch into Will-o-Wisp and takes pitiful damage from both Psychic and Knock Off, but it has trouble KOing Mew. Sets lacking Taunt can be Toxic stalled, but if Mew packs Taunt then it’ll usually end up stalemating against Heatran, which can often at least force it out. Fast U-Turns from the likes of things like Tornadus-T might not be enough to KO Mew due to its bulk, but it can add on some easy chip damage to take a chunk of its HP while also pivoting out to maintain momentum. Although not a common sight, Mega Absol can absolutely shut down Mew, with Magic Bounce making it immune to Will-o-Wisp, its typing making it immune to Psychic, and its Mega Stone making it not be bothered by Knock Off, while it can soundly 1HKO Mew with Knock Off. Gengar outspeeds Mew and can take up to about 75% of Mew’s HP off, but it also takes heavy damage from Psychic and Knock Off, so it should only check a weakened Mew. Thanks to Contrary, Serperior is capable of 2HKOing Mew with Leaf Storm, and it outspeeds Mew as well. It’s not too bothered by Taunt, but Psychic can 3HKO so it has to be wary if its taken prior damage. Hoopa-U can shred Mew with Hyperspace Fury on physical sets and is immune to Psychic, but it has to be wary of Will-o-Wisp crippling its damage output. Special variants can also 2HKO with Dark Pulse as well. Mega Beedrill can check Mew by 1HKOing with its Adaptability STAB U-Turn, but it can’t switch into Psychic or Will-o-Wisp, so it has to be wary. Scizor and Mega Scizor hate Will-o-Wisp, but on sets lacking Will-o-Wisp they can take huge chunks of Mew’s HP with a powerful U-Turn, or pick off a weakened Mew with Technician Bullet Punch. Tyranitar can pursuit trap Mew, although it hates Will-o-Wisp and is outsped; Choice Scarf variants can pursuit trap a weakened Mew with relative ease, however. Although most of these Pokemon focus on countering or checking the support sets, many can do likewise to offensive sets. It’s impossible to list a counter to every single offensive set due to the multitude of coverage moves Mew has access to. Fortunately, due to its offensive sets often being outclassed, they are very seldom seen. In addition, once you know what set Mew is running, it’s often not quite that threatening due to the fact that its offensive stats are not all that impressive by today’s standards. In addition, offensive stats don’t have the bulk investment that support Mew does, so it’s far easier to 2HKO Mew with powerful STAB attacks, especially since its defensive typing leaves a lot to be desired.
Locations in Games
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Faraway Island (Emerald)
Event Only (Ruby/Sapphire)
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Event Only
Colosseum/XD:
Event Only
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Event Only
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Event Only
Black/White:
Event Only
Black 2/White 2:
Event Only
X/Y:
Event Only
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Event Only
Animé Appearences
