Smearguru

Overview

Smearguru is one of the seven Special Pokemon in Pokemon Pokopia. It is a Smeargle distinguished by the variety of colorful paint splotches covering its body and an unusually large brush at the end of its tail. Smearguru is a prolific painter found in Bleak Beach, where it can be seen obsessing over its art. It holds the exclusive Paint specialty, the only specialty in the game that allows players to change the color of placed furniture and decorations.

Appearance

While a standard Smeargle has a single paint-tipped tail, Smearguru's brush tail is notably larger than average, and its body is covered in a rainbow of paint splotches from its constant artistic endeavors. These colorful markings set it apart from any other Smeargle and make it instantly recognizable. Smearguru is frequently shown painting on canvas in promotional materials and the game's extended trailer.

Location

Smearguru is found in Bleak Beach, in a small hut near the coast. It can be spotted near its painting setup, surrounded by canvases and paint supplies. Players encounter Smearguru during their exploration of the area. To recruit Smearguru, you need to complete a short quest that involves bringing it a crushed Leppa Berry (which produces Red Dye). Once Smearguru sees the dye, it becomes excited about the painting possibilities and agrees to join you.

Habitat

Smearguru's habitat recipe is the Tantalizing Restaurant, listed as habitat #067 in the Habitat Dex. Building this habitat requires the following furniture items:

Once the Tantalizing Restaurant habitat is completed and placed, Smearguru moves in and its Paint specialty becomes available for regular use.

Paint Specialty

Smearguru possesses the exclusive Paint specialty. This allows it to change the colors of furniture and add decorative patterns to items the player has placed.

The Paint specialty has a cooldown between uses, like all specialties in Pokopia. After Smearguru paints one item, you need to wait before requesting another paint job.

Creating Dyes

Before Smearguru can paint anything, you need dyes. Dyes are created using the Crush specialty, held by Onix and Pawmo. The Crush specialty grinds berries and food items into colored paint. Different berries produce different colors:

Leppa Berry producing Red Dye is the only fully confirmed berry-to-dye mapping. Other berries likely produce different colors, but the full list has not been documented yet. Gathering a wide variety of berries is recommended to unlock more color options.

Two Painting Methods

There are two ways to paint items in Pokopia:

1. Smearguru as Follower: Set Smearguru as your follower Pokemon, then interact with a placed furniture item. If the item is paintable (indicated by a paintbrush icon on the item), Smearguru will paint it directly. This is the straightforward method.

2. Paint Balloons: Craft Paint Balloons from dyes and throw them at furniture to paint items from a distance. This is useful for hard-to-reach decorations or when you want to paint multiple items quickly without walking up to each one.

Not all furniture can be painted. Only items displaying the paintbrush icon are compatible with the Paint specialty. Building kits, raw materials, and some special items cannot have their colors changed.

Paint Balloons

Paint Balloons are a crafting item made from dyes. Once crafted, they work as throwable items that apply color on impact. The color of the Paint Balloon matches the dye used to make it. This method is especially handy for painting elevated decorations or items placed in tight spaces where walking up and interacting with Smearguru would be awkward.

Role in Gameplay

Smearguru provides a purely creative service. Once befriended, players can use the Paint specialty to repaint or recoat placed furniture in new colors. This does not affect the functional properties of items but dramatically changes their visual appearance. For players who enjoy the building and decorating aspects of Pokopia, Smearguru is an invaluable ally.

The Paint specialty works alongside the broader customization system. Combined with Tinkmaster's Engineer specialty and the Build specialty Pokemon, players have a complete workflow for creating, placing, and customizing every piece of their settlement.

Name Origin

The name "Smearguru" combines "Smear" (as in Smeargle, and the act of smearing paint) with "guru," meaning a master or expert. This reflects Smearguru's status as a painting master.

Tips

• Recruit Smearguru early by bringing a Leppa Berry (Red Dye) to its hut in Bleak Beach.

• Gather a wide variety of berries to unlock more paint color options through the Crush specialty.

• Smearguru's painting service is cosmetic only. It will not change the functional properties of furniture, so feel free to experiment with colors.

• Look for the paintbrush icon on furniture items. Only items with this icon can be painted.

• Craft Paint Balloons for painting hard-to-reach or elevated decorations without needing to walk up to them.

• Pair Smearguru's Paint specialty with Tinkmaster's Engineer specialty and the Build specialty Pokemon for a complete customization workflow.

• The Paint specialty has a cooldown, so plan your painting sessions accordingly.