Ditto (Pokémon)

This article is about the species. For a specific instance of this species, see Ditto.

**Ditto** (Japanese: **メタモン** *Metamon*) is a Normal-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I.

It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.

It can breed with any Pokémon other than the Pokémon in the Undiscovered group and other Ditto, including some Pokémon with unknown gender, to produce Eggs of the other's species.

## Biology

 File:Duplica Ditto Pikachu.png
In its natural state, Ditto is a light-purple or pink, amorphous Pokémon with vestigial facial features. The face consists of a simple mouth and beady eyes. It also appears to have two pseudopods protruding from its body that it uses as arms. It is capable of transforming into an exact replica of any physical object, including its form and abilities. However, if Ditto tries to transform into something based on memory, it may get some of the details wrong.

Each Ditto has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to transforming. The anime and the TCG have shown that occasionally Ditto cannot change its face. It will also be unable to remain in a transformed state if it starts laughing. While its transformation ability allows it to get along with almost anything, it does not get along with its own kind. When two Ditto meet in the wild, they will attempt to transform into each other. It transforms into a rock when sleeping to avoid an attack. Ditto is never far from civilization or people. Ditto is the only Pokémon capable of using the Metal Powder and Quick Powder items.

## Game data

### NPC appearances

 File:132Ditto Ranger3.png
* Pokémon Pinball: Ditto appears on the Red Table blocking the evolution cave, once the evolution arrows are lit, it moves out of the way, allowing the player to evolve one of the Pokémon they have captured.
* Pokémon Trozei!: Ditto serves as a "wild card", meaning it can Trozei with any Pokémon and must be used to get rid of Jammer Balls. One will appear when a Trozei is made with more Pokémon than necessary and multiple appear at the beginning of a new round in Endless and Forever mode to clear out the remaining Pokémon.
* Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: Ditto is the guardian of Limestone Cavern and its Time Gear. It plays a major role in the Special Episode Here Comes Team Charm!.
* Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs: A Ditto under the ownership of Kasa appears as a boss at the Sky Fortress. It will transform into Entei, Raikou and Suicune to attack.

### Stats

#### Base stats

* Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.
* This Pokémon's Special base stat in Generation I was **48**.

### Type effectiveness

While Ditto is Transformed into other Pokémon, type effectiveness depends on the type(s) of the Pokémon transformed into.

### Learnset

#### By leveling up

 * **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Ditto
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Ditto
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see level-up moves from other generations

#### By TM/TR

* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Ditto

#### By breeding

 * Moves marked with an asterisk (\*) must be chain bred onto Ditto in Generation VIII
* Moves marked with a double dagger (‡) can only be bred from a Pokémon who learned the move in an earlier generation.
* Moves marked with a superscript game abbreviation can only be bred onto Ditto in that game.
* **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Ditto
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Ditto
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Egg moves from other generations

#### By tutoring

 * **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Ditto
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Ditto
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Move Tutor moves from other generations

## Trivia

* Ditto is the only Pokémon to date with a catch rate of 35. However, in Generations III and IV, if Ditto transforms into another Pokémon, its catch rate will become that of the new Pokémon.
* Ditto and Manaphy are the only Pokémon that are both able to breed yet unobtainable through breeding. Ditto, however, is the only one of the two that is not available at level 1 legally (legitimately the lowest level it is able to be is 10, in Generation II and its Generation IV remakes.
* In Pokémon Snap, Ditto takes the form of Bulbasaur in the Cave stage. The player can cause them to return to their Ditto form by hitting them with an object. When the player takes their picture, Ditto has the same eyes when it is transformed as when it is not. This trait is shared by Duplica's Ditto in the anime, although it was understood that this was not natural. Ditto cards from the EX Delta Species Template:Trading Card Game expansion, the Clefairy Ditto that may appear in the Veilstone Game Corner's slot machines, and Howard Clifford's Ditto in *Template:Mov* also have this trait.
* Ditto is one of two Pokémon to have two different species-specific Stat-enhancing items associated with it, the other being Clamperl. Ditto's two associated items, the Metal Powder and Quick Powder, seem to be the same colors as Ditto's normal and Shiny forms, respectively.
* In Pokémon Rumble, since Transform was not programmed into the game, Ditto can only know Struggle. Since PP does not exist in Rumble, this makes Ditto the only Pokémon in Rumble that can use Struggle. However, Transform does exist in Pokémon Rumble Blast, so Ditto has a move.
* Ditto is the most common Pokémon in Pokémon Trozei!, appearing in every area. This is due to its ability to transform, enabling the player a way to advance further if no links are available before Ditto appears.
* Prior to Generation VI, Ditto and Poliwag had the same cry.
* Since Transform copies its target's stats (except HP), Ditto cannot utilize its Special Attack stat before Transforming, though it can use its Attack stat for Struggle and confusion damage.
* In Generation II, a transformed Ditto keeps its original purple color palette (blue if Shiny).
* Since Ditto's only move, Transform, cannot copy moves in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series and has only one PP, its only move after transforming is Struggle.
	+ However, in Red/Blue Rescue Team and in Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, a player-controlled Ditto can learn the TM moves Vacuum-Cut and Wide Slash.
	+ Since Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Ditto is able to get the moveset of the target Pokémon when it transforms.
* In Generation VI, Ditto is only given one move animation (despite the two animations minimum most Pokémon have for contact and non-contact moves).
* On October 4, 2017, The Pokémon Company posted a Ditto-themed music video onto their YouTube channel titled Dit-to Ditto.
* In Pokémon GO, Ditto appears in the wild disguised as other Pokémon. After being caught, it will reveal its true form. At one point, a large amount of Ditto were seen disguised as the then-unrevealed Mythical Pokémon, Meltan.
* Ditto is the only non-playable Pokémon that can be defeated in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
* In Pokémon GO, Ditto and Shedinja are the only Pokémon that cannot be used in Trainer Battles.

### Glitches

#### Index 000 post-capture

In Generation I, if the player manages to capture an 'M (00), it will still be in battle with the player, and the battle will not end. Catching 'M (00) again results in the second one becoming a Ditto of the same level.

### Origin

In the sixth issue of Best Buy's @Gamer magazine, Game Freak developers Junichi Masuda and Ken Sugimori revealed that Ditto was originally based on the iconic smiley face. Its eyes and mouth are exactly like ":)", which is an emoticon representing the smiley.

Additionally, Ditto strongly resembles an *amoeba*, a single-celled organism with no definite shape. This may emphasize its ability to alter its cellular composition. This could also explain why Ditto is unavailable through breeding, since single-celled organisms reproduce differently from multi-cellular plants and animals. It also could partially be based on an undifferentiated cell, a cell in the body that can change into any other cell by sampling it. In addition, it could have been based on a blob or modeling clay.

#### Name origin

Ditto's name is the English word *ditto*, meaning "that which has been said before" (itself from Italian, where it means "having been said"). It was also a brand name for spirit duplicators, and came to mean copies of master documents created by those duplicators.

Metamon is a combination of *metamorph* and *monster*. Alternatively, *Meta* as a prefix can mean "all-encompassing," which Ditto's Transform move does do to Pokémon.

## Related articles

* Duplica's Ditto
* Ditty
* Master Ditto
* Ditto (Pokémon Newspaper Strip)