How do I sketch Substitute on my Smeargle?!?

[DrDuffenstein]

Hey,
the Question I need help awnsering is how to sketch substitute on Smeargle in Generation 2 ( Pokemon Crystal )

I have tried to use a wild ditto to make it transform into my pokemon that had substitute, then switch in Smeargle and sketch it, but when the transformed ditto gets sub up I cant sketch it, and if I try to false swipe it it runs out of subs (3) before it has low HP enough to fail Substitute and usees struggle and faints.....Help please.

If I can't find a reasonable method i might just go with spikes instead, got Spore,Agility,False Swipe & Baton pass atm just need to remove false swipe and lvl to 81 to learn second to last sketch.

 

[R8]

I have tried to use a wild ditto to make it transform into my pokemon that had substitute, then switch in Smeargle and sketch it, but when the transformed ditto gets sub up I cant sketch it, and if I try to false swipe it it runs out of subs (3) before it has low HP enough to fail Substitute and usees struggle and faints.....Help please.

Not really a GSC game expert but I think it it can work if ditto copies a pokemon (with substitute) slower than your smeargle, and if you break the substitute with Future Sight. I tried to simulate this scenario in battle, and it should look like this:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen2ou-2029115501
(Sketch fails when used in link battles but this should work in game I believe)
(Zubat clicked whirlwind here but sub would have worked too, since it's still slower)

EDIT: I looked it up and apparently you can't sketch a transformed Pokemon. The only other way I see it is finding a substitute pokemon in the game and pp stall all its other moves (or be lucky with what it clicks)

 

[ThinkGraser10]

Since Ditto won't work, you could make a wild Smeargle learn Substitute by using it with less than 25% health and then sketch it from the wild Smeargle. Wild Mr. Mime won't work since it's at too high of a level to know Substitute. According to the disassembly, the only trainer with Substitute is Schoolboy Chad on Route 38. His Mr. Mime will be at a low enough level to know it in his initial battle and first rematch, but not after that.

 

[DrDuffenstein]

Ok, I will try to make a wild smeargle sketch a failed substitute, then sketch his sub after depleting its HP down to 1.

posting my results after some testing.

 

[DrDuffenstein]

GOT IT!!!
THANKS!!!