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Mimikyu is a massive threat in PvP. In PvE? Not so much....

  • Shadow Claw is better than Hex.
  • Shadow Sneak is... bad... but it's the only move that matches types with Shadow Claw.
  • Play Rough can be used if you want to counter something weak to both Ghost and Fairy... but you really shouldn't be using Mimikyu in general, so....
    Thunder is not good.

  • Hex is better than Shadow Claw on defense.
  • Play Rough has better coverage, but Shadow Sneak comes out more frequently.
  • Thunder is still bad here.

Before we get to movesets, it's important to understand the gimmick behind Mimikyu and its two formes in PvP:

  • At the start of the battle, Mimikyu will be in its "Disguised Forme". That is to say, it looks entirely normal.
  • While in its Disguised Forme, Mimikyu basically has a shield constantly active. It can completely block a single Charged Move without taking any damage.
  • After Mimikyu has used this capability once, it will enter its "Busted Forme", and the fake Pikachu head that's a part of its costume will slump over. Note that using a shield while Mimikyu is in its Disguised Forme will protect it from entering its Busted Forme.
  • Once Mimikyu has entered its Busted Forme, it suffers from the equivalent of a -1 stage Defense drop for the remainder of the battle. This effect persists even if Mimikyu is switched out and in again.

On the whole, this creates a bit of a paradox for Mimikyu; it's one of the most shield-efficient Pokemon in the game due to the fact that it comes with its own built in shield, but it also kind of wants to only use its natural shielding capability as a last-resort, as the defense drop makes it a bit spongey defensively.

As for Mimikyu's performance, we start with Shadow Claw, which is an AMAZING Fast Move for Mimikyu. This move not only has good damage output with STAB and great neutral coverage, it also generates energy very quickly for Mimikyu's Charged Moves. Hex could be used for its slightly higher energy gains, but the difference is very small and will at most will result in 1 extra charged move most of the time. The loss of damage from dropping Shadow Claw offsets this in most situations is also a major strike against it.

Speaking of Charged Moves: we start with Shadow Sneak. This move is not great for the most part; it takes a moderately high amount of energy for a relatively low damage output. However, it's Mimikyu's lowest-cost Charged Move, so it's practically a must-have. For the second move of choice, we start with Play Rough, which has similar DPE (Damage per Energy) as Shadow Sneak with a higher energy cost. Still, Fairy is a valuable type for its coverage and neutral damage profile, and it gives Mimikyu the opportunity to unload more damage at once, so it's definitely worth considering. Finally, Thunder is very close to Play Rough in terms of DPE, sporting the same energy requirement and a higher base Damage that's offset by a lack of STAB. It's a bit less pervasive than Play Rough in terms of neutral coverage in the Great League, but it's worth considering to counter a lot of the Water Types near the top of the tier list.

Mimikyu's unique forme change mechanic makes it pretty threatening when it hits the field, in particularly walling out anything that doesn't deal good Fast Move damage and/or lacks a spammy Charged Move to quickly force Mimikyu into its Busted forme. It's extremely threatening, but takes a bit more skill to play properly when compared to many other Pokemon in the league, as you have to play carefully with your shields and switches. Getting Mimikyu into a situation where it's facing down something with high Fast Move damage and/or very spammy Charged Moves can put it in an EXTREMELY tight position. That said, a well-played Mimikyu is the crown jewel of most teams, as it can SEVERELY threaten most of the Pokemon in the league.

%
Flee Rate
5 KM
Buddy Distance
%
Catch Rate
50%
Female Ratio
50%
Male Ratio