As Pokemon fans know, the whole essence of the series is catching the critters. To be the very best, like no-one ever was, you’ve got to catch them all. That just the way things work around here. The trouble is, catching them can be a heck of a pain at times, can’t it?
Many factors go into the likelihood that the target ‘mon will stay in the Poke Ball. The biggest one, as many NPCs have told us, is the amount of HP they have remaining. As such, False Swipe (a weak Normal-type attack that will always leave the opponent with at least one HP), can be an invaluable tool. It’s quite a rare move, though, so let’s take a look at some of the best Pokemon from across the series that were able to learn it.
Updated December 27, 2021, by Jerrad Wyche: Whether it's Pokemon Sword & Shield, the recently released Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, or the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Arceus, having a team of Pokemon good at catching other Pokemon is a must for series veterans. There are several Pokemon that can learn the move False Swipe, but some offer additional strengths that make them worth training and teaching the move to.
20 Kingler
Kingler is a Pokemon with a rather basic case as to why you as a trainer should catch this Pokemon and teach it False Swipe. It happens to have a rather high base stat for physical attacks, which is exactly the category that False Swipe falls under.
Other than that it doesn't offer much else outside of looking cool, depending on if you're into its design. That's where Kingler's case starts and ends, unfortunately.
19 Bisharp
Similar to someone like Gallade, the reason Bisharp is solid in terms of a Pokemon that can learn and use False Swipe is due to it also being able to know Rain Dance.
Often it's not you that you have to worry about knocking out a Pokemon after using False Swipe and bringing it's health down to one point. It's the weather environment and the Pokemon you're trying to catch that can self-inflict harm. Rain Dance removes Hail from the battlefield, which hits and damages non-Ice-type Pokemon.
18 Zacian
Zacian is a legendary Pokemon, so it naturally feels like a cheat code to begin with, but it has an advantage very few other Pokemon in the Galar region have.
As a creature that can learn False Swipe, it is encountered in Pokemon Sword at level 70. This means that the moment you catch it and teach it False Swipe, it already has a sizable advantage over all of the other creatures you'll be looking to catch to complete your Pokedex.
17 Pangoro
Anyone who's watched Jujutsu Kaisen knows how cool pandas are, and as fighters how incredibly dangerous and strong they can be. Pangoro lives and breathes that sentiment between each bite of bamboo it takes living in the jungles of the Pokemon world.
A look at its stats might not build the case for it as a solid False Swipe candidate, but its hidden ability called Scrappy certainly does. This ability allows Pangoro to hit Ghost-types with Normal-type moves such as False Swipe. This allows you as a trainer to catch pesky Ghost-types that can be a headache and a half to wrangle up.
16 Smeargle
Smeargle is sneakily a great utility Pokemon that many people overlook, simply because of its appearance. As a Pokemon inspired by artists, thematically designers felt it was only right to give the creature the ability to craft its existence. By that, it means that a move it can learn called Sketch allows it to permanently learn a move used on it.
This means that you as a trainer can have it learn False Swipe, in addition to three other Pokemon catching moves such as the various status ailment moves.
15 Falinks
Falinks is an odd Gen 8 addition to the game. It is a pure fighting type that boasts a collection of buffing moves and some interesting moveset options. It also has decent bulk and serviceable speed. Most importantly for our purposes, it can learn False Swipe through a TM in Sword and Shield.
Falinks is a funny Pokemon, but not a great one. Sure, it has a lot of options, but it isn't particularly great at anything. Its design still makes it a very fascinating addition to any team, so giving it new life as a False Swipe user is ideal. It'll be able to efficiently hold the line as you chuck Poke Balls with reckless abandon.
14 Absol
Absol is a beloved Pokemon that, unfortunately, doesn't have a lot going for it. It has a cool design and great folklore surrounding it. It also has niche use in competitive battles. Overall though, especially with the loss of its Mega evolution, Absol is more of a disaster for its own trainer.
However, Absol's high attack makes it ideal for quickly weakening a Pokemon with False Swipe. Against weaker opponents, Absol will make quick work of their HP. It doesn't have any status ailments to enhance this capability, so keep that in mind. For those who want to find a use for Absol, this is Absol-utely a best-case scenario.
13 Gallade
Good Pokemon should not be relegated to using False Swipe. Gallade is never awful and is about on par with its sibling in Gardevoir. It also has a cool design, good special defense, and high attack to give it a serious punch. Its typing isn't awful either, though not exactly amazing.
The best reason to make Gallade a False Swipe user is that it does have access to a status move: Hypnosis. Although not reliable, Hypnosis can work after weakening a Pokemon with False Swipe to make catching that much easier. It isn't always necessary, but having that option is what makes Gallade a cut above others.
12 Breloom
Breloom, although not currently available in Sword and Shield at the time of writing, is ideal for False Swipe usage. It has high attack and decent enough bulk to make up for its poor defensive typing. It can make use of False Swipe through TM and break down Pokemon with ease.
However, like Gallade, it has access to multiple status ailments. Most importantly, it has access to 100 percent accurate Spore, which guarantees Sleep. Poison Heal with a Toxic Orb also allows it to regen HP while the trainer chucks Poke Balls. It can keep itself alive and basically guarantee easy catches in any game it's available in.
11 Mew
A good False Swipe user needs solid stats for taking hits, the ability to keep itself alive, and status ailments. No Pokemon is lucky enough to get every single one of those characteristics. Well, unless you're a trainer who's ready to really think outside the box.
That's right, Mew is actually ideal for False Swipe catches. It has access to every TM and TR in the game, along with its own moves. This includes False Swipe and Thunder Wave, among other useful techniques for Pokemon capture. Sure, it seems like a total waste to have the mythical Mew be relegated to capturing Pokemon, but it's unsportsmanlike to use it in casual battles anyway. Might as well give Mew a job it can handle with ease.
10 Terrakion
This False Swipe user is none other than Terrakion, a mighty member of the Swords of Justice Legendary group that debuted in Pokemon Black and White.
Being the noble, knightly Pokemon that Terrakion, Virizion, Cobalion, and Keldeo are, it’s no surprise that they all learn this restrained move. As the most physically powerful of the group, Terrakion might be the best user of it, and with the great coverage of Rock and Fighting STAB, it can spare a move slot for False Swipe. Whether it should is another matter.
9 Garchomp
Much like Terrakion, Garchomp is among the best Pokemon (from an all-around competitive standpoint) that can learn False Swipe. This super-strong Dragon-type dominated the Pokemon battling scene for quite some time, with its excellent stats, versatility, and terrifying STAB moves.
Why is it here on our list, then? Because great Pokemon that happen to be able to learn False Swipe and great users of False Swipe are very different things. Also similarly to Terrakion, it can spare a move slot for it if needs be but would much rather have something stronger there and save that job for something else.
8 Farfetch’d/Sirfetch'd
That’s right, friends. Farfetch’d officially ranks as ‘better’ than Garchomp and Terrakion. Have we slipped through a dimensional crack into Bizarro World? Perhaps we have.
The interesting thing is, Farfetch’d is in a much better place than it’s ever been before. With the addition of its Galarian form in Pokémon Sword and Shield, its previous miserable life as the subject of the fanbase’s snark and memes are far behind it. It used to have STAB on False Swipe, which was a plus, but it’s now a competent and usable (viable might be pushing it) Fighting-type. It even learns False Swipe naturally (which is rare). At the same time, though, we can’t put it any higher on this list because… well, it’s still Farfetch’d.
7 Aegislash
When it comes to great Pokemon that learn False Swipe, there’s another factor to consider. Some targets, as we know, just point blank refuse to stay in the Poké Ball until something like 8,000 attempts (especially if it’s a Legendary Pokemon). This means the Pokémon you have out is likely to be taking all kinds of attacks from them.
If you want a great Pokemon that can take hits like a champion and learns False Swipe, look no further than Aegislash. This Steel and Ghost-type can weather just about anything in its Shield Forme. It does suffer from four move slot syndrome, though, so you’re hampering it quite a bit by going that route (not that any of these Pokemon will be rocking False Swipe in competitive battles, of course).
6 Shedinja
Well, which other Pokemon could we have put in the middle slot on the list? After all, there’s no more situational critter in the entire franchise than Shedinja.
This unique Bug/Ghost Pokemon has a maximum of 1HP and boasts the Ability Wonder Guard, which renders it immune to all direct attacks except those it’s weak to. Naturally, this means it can be either very effective or hilariously useless, depending on the situation it’s sent into. Against something that can’t touch it, you’re free to throw Poké Balls to your heart’s content. In less favorable situations, Shedinja will just immediately keel over.
5 Parasect
Continuing our hilarious series of Pokemon that are officially and hilariously ranked ‘better’ than Garchomp and Aegislash, we have Parasect. Now, this unfortunate Bug/Grass Pokemon is usually only seen in snarky calculations that make it as weak to Fire as a Pokemon can be (with its Dry Skin Ability and sun factored in).
When it’s not being theoretically flambéd, though, Parasect is an excellent user of False Swipe. Why? Because it boasts another trait that not many users of the move offer: status shenanigans. With access to Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, it can maximize your chances of a successful catch and save you from switching around. These are super useful assets, but Parasect isn’t good for much else.
4 Escavalier
Escavalier has several traits that make it a great pick for a False Swipe user. For one thing, it learns the move naturally, and very early on. Karrablast gets it at level 12. If you’ve missed it, you can quickly relearn it at any time and be on your way. For another, its excellent typing, tanky nature, and high Attack means that it shouldn’t have much trouble reducing the target’s HP to a single point and taking hits in return.
It’s also a darn good Pokemon outside of that role, really shining when Trick Room is on the field. The rest of our False Swipe users just beat it out, though.
3 Scyther/Scizor
Another Bug-type that is often underappreciated (and can be an invaluable asset for an in-game team) is Scyther. In a unique case, its evolved form, Scizor, isn’t strictly ‘better’ in the False Swipe role. Their base stat total is the same, just distributed differently. Scyther has the Speed, while Scizor trades that off for bulkiness and the fantastic defensive typing of Bug/Steel (like Escavalier).
Competitive-wise, Scizor is far and away the more common pick of the two, and its effectiveness against Fairies has only helped that lately. Its main asset is the Technician-boosted Bullet Punch, which reminds us: False Swipe also gets that boost, giving it a sort of pseudo-STAB on the move. Generally, you might want to take the Escavalier route, taking hits with Scizor as you attempt the catch.
2 Zangoose
Zangoose certainly isn’t a common sight near the top of best *anything* Pokémon lists, but we think it’s a worthy choice for the runner-up spot here. It ticks a lot of the boxes we’ve identified so far: It gets STAB on False Swipe, learns it naturally and early on, has the Attack to make an impact with the weak move, and it’s actually a solid offensive Pokemon in its own right outside of that one role.
All that’s missing here is the capacity to inflict status, meaning that some time-consuming switching will be needed if you’re struggling to catch a pesky Legendary Pokemon.
1 Venusaur
It was tough to pick between Zangoose and Venusaur for our number one spot, but the original Grass-type starter just barely wins out here. After all, STAB isn’t exactly the biggest concern when it comes to False Swipe, and Venusaur is a Pokemon that shines with all of the virtues that a valuable Pokemon-catching partner needs.
Like Parasect, it can spread status and safely reduce the HP of targets to its absolute minimum (barring annoyances like Ghost-types and damaging weather), but it’s also just a fantastic Pokemon in its own right. Thick Fat Mega Venusaur was one of the greatest tanky Grass-types ever, even if we may never see it again.