QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
Pretty surprised not to see Smeargle make any of the least-used lists for Johto, Kalos, or Alola (though it does come very close for all three).
Even despite it's lacklustre stats, Smeargle in GSC/HGSS requires going far out of your way to one very small patch of grass where it's a 10% spawn (and Crystal further restricts it by making it time-dependent) while Kalos has so many Pokemon available it's quite plausible that you'll already have a full team of 6 by the time you come to the area it's in (and it's not a particularly common spawn there, either). Alola makes it available quite early on, but again it's only restricted to one area and it's not an especially common spawn there either.
All this aside, if you're a new player or just plain inexperienced it's very easy to mess up raising one. The first Smeargle I ever caught became useless when I Sketched Belly Drum off a Poliwag in Ecruteak City, so I boxed it forever. Unless you get a powerful move with a lot of utility (unlikely in the early-game) it requires a lot of babying to raise. I guess I'm just surprised to see things like Fearow or Venomoth - which can at least pull their weight to a degree - finish behind Smeargle.
Even despite it's lacklustre stats, Smeargle in GSC/HGSS requires going far out of your way to one very small patch of grass where it's a 10% spawn (and Crystal further restricts it by making it time-dependent) while Kalos has so many Pokemon available it's quite plausible that you'll already have a full team of 6 by the time you come to the area it's in (and it's not a particularly common spawn there, either). Alola makes it available quite early on, but again it's only restricted to one area and it's not an especially common spawn there either.
All this aside, if you're a new player or just plain inexperienced it's very easy to mess up raising one. The first Smeargle I ever caught became useless when I Sketched Belly Drum off a Poliwag in Ecruteak City, so I boxed it forever. Unless you get a powerful move with a lot of utility (unlikely in the early-game) it requires a lot of babying to raise. I guess I'm just surprised to see things like Fearow or Venomoth - which can at least pull their weight to a degree - finish behind Smeargle.