Introduced in generation two, with the Pokemon Gold and Silver games, Smoochum is a dual type ice and psychic Pokemon. It is the first stage evolution of its two stage evolution line, and evolves into Jynx once it reaches the level threshold. Smoochum is classified by the Pokedex as the “Kiss Pokemon” which is likely a nod to its general design and behavior. This guide will showcase Smoochum’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Smoochum.
About Smoochum
While Smoochum is a generation two Pokemon, Smoochum first appeared in the Pikachu Short first featured in theaters Pikachu & Pichu. In this episode, a Smoochum is shown as one of the best friends of the Pichu brothers. The Pokedex mentions that Smoochum is an active Pokemon, constantly running around and using its lips to identify unknown objects.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Pikachu Short Pikachu & Pichu |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Gold and Silver |
| Region | Johto |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Jynx, not known to evolve from any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 30 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Smoochum actively runs about, but also falls quite often. Whenever the chance arrives, it will look for its reflection to make sure its face hasn't become dirty. |
Smoochum Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 30 |
| DEFENCE | 15 |
| SP. ATTACK | 85 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 65 |
| SPEED | 65 |
| TOTAL | 305 |
Appearance
Smoochum is a small pink and yellow Pokemon that resembles a baby human. Most of its body is pink, but its body and hair is yellow. It has two large eyes and a large pair of lips as it uses its lips to identify unknown objects. There are a few tufts of hair sticking upwards on Smoochum’s head, but the rest of its hair falls neatly onto its shoulders. While Smoochum has two arms and legs, they seem to have no extra appendages like fingers or toes. Smoochum is a small Pokemon at only 1 foot and 4 inches, or 0.4 meters, tall.
Behavior
Since Smoochum is meant to represent a newborn Pokemon, it is curious about the surrounding world. It is also conscious about its appearance and will often spend time in front of a mirror to ensure that nothing seems off. If it finds dirt on its face, it will immediately seek a bath to clean itself. Smoochum are female-only Pokemon and it has no male counterpart. They can be commonly found living in cities and cold caves. The Pokedex mentions how active Smoochum is and how it always rocks its head back and forth.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a base evolution Pokemon, there are not many strengths regarding Smoochum. It does have a good special attack stat for a base evolution Pokemon, but its physical resistance, weak defensive typing, and low health makes it exceptionally frail. It does have a good speed stat making it a good early offensive Pokemon. As a dual type ice and psychic Pokemon, Smoochum takes 2x damage from rock, bug, ghost, steel, fire, and dark type moves. It is not immune to any types but it is resistant to psychic and ice type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Smoochum finds the most success in the LC (Little Cup) bracket. Here it can be used as a strictly offensive Pokemon that tries to get through the opponent’s Pokemon as quickly as possible. With Life Orb, as a held item, and the Oblivious ability, Smoochum has the makings of a powerful offensive Pokemon. Consider running Ice Beam, Psychic, Hidden Power Fighting/Shadow Ball, and Substitute/Nasty Plot. These moves take advantage of Smoochum’s higher than average special attack. Hidden Power Fighting gives you a clever way of avoiding physical moves while maintaining a fighting type move, while Shadow Ball can lower the special defense of a bulky Pokemon. Finally, Substitute can give your Smoochum more resilience, while Nasty Plot can help you against Pokemon that can stall well.
| Ice Beam | Psychic |
| Hidden Power Fighting/Shadow Ball | Substitute/Nasty Plot |
How to Catch Smoochum in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Smoochum in Pokemon Go, the only way to do so would be to hatch one from an egg. Unlike other Pokemon, Smoochum does not spawn naturally in the wild. Even in boosted weather or location conditions, Smoochum will not spawn in the wild. Smoochum has not yet been featured as a raid boss, but you can find Jynx as a tier three raid boss. You can hatch a Smoochum from 5, 7, and 10 km eggs. Furthermore, to evolve Smoochum into a Jynx you will need 25 candies.
Trivia
- Of all the ice type Pokemon in the entire franchise, Smoochum has the lowest base physical defense.
- The inspiration for Smoochum’s design is likely based on ganguro, a word to classify blonde-haired, tanned Japanese girls.
- The name Smoochum is a combination of the words smooch and chum (meaning friend).
FAQ
Is Smoochum rare?
Typically Smoochum is only available by breeding Jynx or through trade. In the games where Smoochum is available in the wild, you can find them spawning anywhere from 10-40% encounter rates. It is not the most exclusive Pokemon and given that it can be bred from Jynx, Smoochum is not a rare Pokemon.
Where can I get Smoochum?
In the generation two games, where Smoochum was introduced, you will need to breed Jynx in order to obtain Smoochum. In Pokemon Crystal, you are given one free Smoochum on Route 34 as an Old Egg that you can hatch. In most other games, you will need to breed Jynx, trade it from a previous game, or find it in the location it spawns naturally.
How do you evolve Smoochum into Jynx?
There are no unique conditions to evolve Smoochum into Jynx. Instead, you will just need to reach level 30 with your Smoochum and it will begin to evolve into Jynx. Once it reaches this level threshold, you just need to allow the evolution animation to play without pressing the “B” button.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Kiss Pokemon”. While Smoochum’s impact on competitive play is limited to a unique format, it is remarkable as a base evolution Pokemon that is capable of dealing significant damage on its own. However, Smoochum does not have the best resilience so you will need to keep it safe for Smoochum to deal high amounts of damage. Reserve a slot on your team for Smoochum if you want an offensive dual type ice and psychic type Pokemon.
