Gourgeist Best Moveset
122 Defense gives Gourgeist real physical bulk, and 90 Attack fires Ghost and Grass TermStab back with force. 84 Speed keeps cooldowns in the mid-range. 65/75 on the special side is the gap. The moveset is a defensive physical attacker from a rare typing. No Mega access.
Ghost/Grass pumpkin with Frisk in Gen VI (X & Y). Trick or Treat added Ghost typing to opponents. 65 base Speed with Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed stalling.
Best Moves
Best Build
Gourgeist best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Seed Bomb
- Shadow Sneak
- Phantom Force
- Trick Or Treat
Recommended Teammates
Same stalling set in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Ghost/Grass brought five weaknesses. Trevenant did the Harvest strategy better.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Seed Bomb
- Trick Or Treat
- Shadow Sneak
- Phantom Force
Recommended Teammates
Three gens of Ghost/Grass stalling in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Different sizes offered different stat spreads but all landed at the same tier.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Trick Or Treat
- Phantom Force
- Seed Bomb
- Shadow Sneak
Recommended Teammates
Gourgeist Weakness
Gourgeist's Ghost/Grass typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost, and Dark. It shrugs off Normal and Fighting-type attacks completely. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Gourgeist's physical bulk (base 122 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
What is Gourgeist Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Gourgeist
Vaporeon's Ice Beam hits Gourgeist for 66-77%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Vaporeon builds →Scald14-17% Ice Beam 2x66-77% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemAir Balloon NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Excadrill builds →Earthquake19-23% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Slowking builds →Scald13-16% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Slowbro builds →Scald13-16% Psychic30-36% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPowerconstruct ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves View Zygarde-10% builds →
| ||
Evolution
Gourgeist doesn't evolve through normal leveling. You'll need a trade to get here from Pumpkaboo's line. Breed this form to get Pumpkaboo eggs (average hatch time). Evolving from Pumpkaboo gave Gourgeist the biggest boost in Defense (+52), bringing the total to 494 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Gourgeist to get Pumpkaboo eggs easily using 63 partners from the Indeterminate egg group.
How to Get Gourgeist
Gourgeist's 2-stage line starts with Pumpkaboo, which appears at moderate rates in the locations below. Level through 2 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
Where To Catch Gourgeist in LZA
Pumpkaboo is your first catch on the way to Gourgeist. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 42-64 across 3 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PumpkabooWild Zone 15Lv.42-43OverworldLegends: Z-A- Step 2Gourgeist ✓Wild Zone 15Lv.52-53OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 20Lv.63-64OverworldLegends: Z-Aor evolve from Pumpkaboo (Step 1)
Gourgeist's 2-stage line starts with Pumpkaboo, which appears at decent rates in the locations below. Level through 2 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
How to Obtain Gourgeist in SwSh
Pumpkaboo is your first catch on the way to Gourgeist. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 14-31 across 88 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PumpkabooRoute 4Lv.14-16OverworldRate 10%All WeatherRoute 4Lv.14-16OverworldRate 5%All WeatherRoute 4Lv.14-16OverworldRate 1%All WeatherGiant's MirrorLv.28-30OverworldRate 25%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 20%ThunderstormGiant's MirrorLv.28-30OverworldRate 10%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 10%ThunderstormGiant's MirrorLv.28-30OverworldRate 5%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%SnowstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%RainingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%SandstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%Heavy FogHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%Intense SunHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%ThunderstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%SnowingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 5%OvercastHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%SnowstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%Heavy FogHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%RainingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%Intense SunHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%OvercastHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%SnowingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%SandstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 3%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%OvercastHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%SandstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%SnowingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%SnowstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%RainingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%Heavy FogHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 2%Intense SunGiant's MirrorLv.28-30OverworldRate 1%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%SandstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%ThunderstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%SnowstormHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%Normal WeatherHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%RainingHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%Heavy FogHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%Intense SunHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%OvercastHammerlocke HillsLv.29-31OverworldRate 1%Snowing
Step 2Gourgeist ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Gourgeist egg.
Gourgeist can't be caught in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Transfer Pumpkaboo from X & Y or Sword & Shield and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Gourgeist in USUM
- Step 1Obtain PumpkabooLATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 16 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Sword & ShieldNot TradeableAppears in Sword & Shield via Overworld · Giant's Mirror · Normal Weather. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Gourgeist ✓
Gourgeist can't be caught in Sun & Moon. Transfer Pumpkaboo from X & Y or Sword & Shield and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Gourgeist in SM
- Step 1Obtain PumpkabooBREEDINGAvailableLeave Gourgeist with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Pumpkaboo egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 16 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Sword & ShieldNot TradeableAppears in Sword & Shield via Overworld · Giant's Mirror · Normal Weather. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Gourgeist ✓
Base Stats
Gourgeist's spread isn't flashy. Defense leads, Sp. Atk trails, 3 stats clear the bar. Moderately hard to find and worth 2 Defense EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Supersized Gourgeist aren’t picky. They will forcefully drag anyone off to the afterlife.
Gourgeist Guide
Gourgeist has a 494 base stat total and ranks as C-Tier: a situational pick that fills a niche. It works best as a balanced. Base 122 Defense is where it shines.
Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Walrein (Ice), and Talonflame (Flying) when using Gourgeist. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
No. Gourgeist is not catchable in the wild. It only comes from trade-evolving Pumpkaboo. Trade needs a Game Boy Advance link cable and a second GBA running another Gen 3 game (FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald). Trade Pumpkaboo to a friend, then have them trade it back. The 2026 Switch re-release supports the same trade through local wireless on the Pokemon Center 2F Wireless Club, with no cables required.
Pickup picks up other Pokémon's used and Flung held items. That's the one you want on Gourgeist. Insomnia is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Frisk works too if your team needs something different.
Gourgeist fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. Base 84 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Game Availability
Introduced in X & Y, Gourgeist has appeared in 6 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves