Stats & Training
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.
Singing in eerie voices, they wander town streets on the night of the new moon. Anyone who hears their song is cursed.
It enwraps its prey in its hairlike arms. It sings joyfully as it observes the suffering of its prey.
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 |
In X & Y, Weavile can KO Gourgeist with Knock Off (95-112%). Zapdos's Heat Wave also KOs at 86-102%.
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Weavile builds →Knock Off 2x95-112%KO Ice Shard 2x58-69% Pursuit 2x58-69% | ||
 Heatran FireSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave 2x86-102%KO Thunderbolt31-36% | ||
 Gengar GhostPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Gengar builds →Shadow Ball 2x205-241%KO Sludge Bomb115-135%KO | ||
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemSafetygoggles NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Gourgeist View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x120-142%KO Snarl 2x38-44% | ||
X & Y 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 49 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Bestow, Destiny Bond, Disable.
X & Y Gourgeist Best Moveset
This build takes hits and hits back. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn, Pickup supports the gameplan, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs mean Gourgeist doesn't crumble to chip damage. Plus Fire coverage backing it up.
Best Build
Gourgeist best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Flame Charge
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Seed Bomb
- Shadow Sneak
- Phantom Force
- Trick Or Treat
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The natural movepool does the job, but Bestow and Destiny Bond from the egg pool give Gourgeist something extra. Pair those with Solar Beam and Phantom Force for STAB and coverage across 9 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Gourgeist in X & Y
The chain to Gourgeist requires a trade evolution through a trade. Catch Pumpkaboo at solid rates and level through the stages, but line up the trade first. The rest of the chain runs on levels alone.
How to Obtain Gourgeist in X & Y
To get Gourgeist, start by catching Pumpkaboo through walking encounters at Lv. 34-36. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PumpkabooRoute 16XGrass Lv.34-35 RouteCommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16YGrass Lv.34-35 RouteCommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16XGrass Lv.35-36 RouteCommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16YGrass Lv.35-36 RouteCommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16YGrass Lv.36 RouteUncommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16XGrass Lv.36 RouteUncommonLateTall grass onlyRoute 16YGrass Lv.36 RouteRareLateTall grass onlyRoute 16XGrass Lv.36 RouteRareLateTall grass only
Step 2Gourgeist ✓
Gourgeist Guide
In X & Y, Gourgeist has a 494 base stat total and ranks as C-Tier: a niche pick in X & Y's meta. It works best as a balanced. Energy Ball with Leftovers is the standard set.
In X & Y, 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.
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.
In X & Y, Gourgeist fills the balanced role. It's a special attacker with base 58 Sp. Atk. Base 84 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In X & Y, run Energy Ball, Flamecharge, Flamethrower, and Shadow Ball on Gourgeist. Energy Ball is the most common pick at 25% usage. This set covers the balanced role with a mix of damage and utility.
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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves