Introduced in generation two, with the Pokemon Gold and Silver games, Misdreavus is a monotype ghost Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Mismagius, which was introduced in generation four, and evolves upon using a Dusk Stone. Misdreavus is classified by the Pokedex as the “Screech Pokemon” which is a nod to its horrifying wail. This guide will showcase Misdreavus’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Misdreavus.
About Misdreavus
As a generation two Pokemon, Misdreavus first appeared in the Pokemon Chronicles in the movie The Legend of Thunder!. It also appeared in the episode Entei at Your Own Risk which left only Suicune as one of the legendary beasts that Misdreavus was not a part of. While Misdreavus was originally a standalone Pokemon, it received another evolution in generation four. This makes it a two stage evolution as it will evolve into Mismagius when a Dusk Stone is used. The Pokedex states that Misdreavus feeds on the fearful feelings of its opponents and nourishes itself on these fears.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon Chronicles: The Legend of Thunder! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Gold and Silver |
| Region | Johto |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Mismagius, not known to evolve from any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | Evolves into Mismagius when a Dusk Stone is used |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Misdreavus frightens people with a creepy, sobbing cry. The Pokémon apparently uses its red spheres to absorb the fearful feelings of foes and turn them into nutrition. |
Misdreavus Base Stats
| HP | 60 |
| ATTACK | 60 |
| DEFENCE | 60 |
| SP. ATTACK | 85 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 85 |
| SPEED | 85 |
| TOTAL | 435 |
Appearance
Misdreavus is a ghost-like Pokemon with a red pearl necklace around its neck and has no visible arms or legs as it seems to float everywhere it goes. Most of Misdreavus’s body is a dark blue-ish green colour and it has flowing “hair” with pink tips. It also has red eyes, black pupils, and a yellow sclera while its lower half appears like it is wearing a short flowing dress. It is fairly short at only 2 feet and 4 inches, or 0.7 meters, tall.
Behavior
Misdreavus is a nocturnal Pokemon and is often encountered in caves as it tends to sleep all day and will startle people with screams or wails at night. The Pokedex states that it will feed on the fearful feelings of foes but while it sounds like a horrifying Pokemon, it is more mischievous than it is malevolent. The tricks it plays on trainers or Pokemon are harmless for the most part and it enjoys frightening people, but it does not attempt to prey on neighboring Pokemon or people.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Misdreavus has fairly balanced stat distributions which skews towards its special stats and speed. While it is not the bulkiest, its lore implies that its battle capabilities are more of a disabler/supporter than it is an all out attacker. As a monotype ghost Pokemon, Misdreavus is 2x weak to ghost and dark type moves, and is immune to normal, fighting, and ground types as it can only have the ability Levitate. Furthermore, it is resistant to poison and bug type moves.
Shiny Misdreavus
While Shiny Misdreavus and its evolution received the lime-green shiny treatment, it is at least a very distinct shiny. Quite a lot changes between regular and Shiny Misdreavus as only the pearl necklace and Shiny Misdreavus’s eyes stay the same colour. It’s body is now a dark green-ish while the tips of it’s “hair” are now a dark yellow colour. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Misdreavus gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
Misdreavus was one of the best Pokemon in the generation two bracket of competitive play but things have changed since. Instead, with more recent releases in the franchise, Misdreavus has fallen from grace and now sits near the bottom of competitive tiers. To succeed with Misdreavus you will want to use it as a disabler and use moves that will hinder your opponents. Consider running Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Foul Play/Shadow Ball, and Pain Split/Memento. Will-O-Wisp is a powerful move that inflicts burn on your opponents, Taunt can prevent any problems from arising from your opponents while Foul Play/Shadow Ball function as Misdreavus’s sources of damage. Finally, Pain Split can take advantage of Misdreavus’s lack of bulk while Memento can ruin your opponent’s offensive Pokemon.
| Will-O-Wisp | Taunt |
| Foul Play/Shadow Ball | Pain Split/Memento |
How to Catch Misdreavus in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Misdreavus in Pokemon Go, there are a few options of doing so. You can hatch a Misdreavus from 2 km eggs which makes it a fairly easy Pokemon to obtain and it has also appeared as a tier one and tier two raid boss in the past. Finally, as a base evolution, it is fairly common to encounter in the wild especially if you can search where ghost type Pokemon tend to spawn. You can find ghost type spawns boosted nearby churches, cemeteries, and during nighttime, afternoon, and early morning. To evolve Misdreavus you will need 100 Misdreavus candies and a Sinnoh Stone.
Trivia
- Misdreavus and Murkrow can be considered parallels of each other as both received an evolution in generation four, both evolve through use of a Dusk Stone, and Misdreavus was exclusive to Pokemon Pearl while Murkrow was exclusive to Pokemon Diamond.
- Of all the Pokemon introduced in generation two, Misdreavus was the only ghost type.
- The name Misdreavus incorporates words like mistress, miscreant, as well as mischievous.
- Misdreavus’s design as a disembodied head represent many different mythological creatures. It is likely based on the nukekubi (Japanese yokai) or banshee.
Video
FAQ
When should I evolve Misdreavus?
You should evolve it as soon as possible while also considering its moveset. Mismagius will not learn any moves naturally through leveling and you will only be able to change its moves through TMs/HMs or move tutors. As long as you are satisfied with your Misdreavus’s moveset you should use a Dusk Stone to evolve it.
Is Misdreavus a Word?
Misdreavus is the name of the Pokemon and is a combination of the words mistress, miscreant, and mischievous while twisting the lettering a little bit. Misdreavus is not an English word and does not mean anything other than signifying this Pokemon.
How do you evolve Misdreavus?
Misdreavus has no level threshold requirement in order to evolve into Mismagius. You just need to use a Dusk Stone on your Misdreavus in order to evolve it. After using the item, you 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 “Screech Pokemon”. While Misdreavus’s time at the top of competitive brackets was short-lived, it at least received another evolution in generation four to boost its viability. As a ghost type Pokemon, it lives up to the archetype very well by operating as a disabling Pokemon that plays with tricks and status effects. Reserve a slot on your team for Misdreavus if you want a Pokemon that can throw a wrench into your opponent’s plans.
