Gourgeist Average

Using Gourgeist Average in a Playthrough

Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist when traded. Both are Ghost/Grass and come in four size varieties—Small, Medium, Large, and Jumbo—with smaller forms trading HP and Attack for greater Speed while larger forms become slower, bulkier, and physically stronger. Gourgeist has excellent base 122 Defense in every size and can use Seed Bomb, Power Whip, Shadow Sneak, Poltergeist in later generations, Will-O-Wisp, Leech Seed, Synthesis, Trick, Foul Play, Explosion, and the unique Trick-or-Treat. Pickup can recover an item used by another Pokemon in certain situations, Frisk reveals opposing held items on entry, and the Hidden Ability Insomnia prevents sleep. Ghost/Grass grants Normal and Fighting immunities plus four useful resistances, but Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost, and Dark are super effective. Small Gourgeist is best when Speed matters, Jumbo is the strongest and bulkiest physical form, and the intermediate varieties offer compromises between those extremes. Impish is excellent for defensive variants, while Adamant can support more offensive size choices.

Gourgeist Average in Competitive Pokémon

Gourgeist is unusual because size selection materially changes its competitive role. Small Gourgeist is the fastest and can exploit Will-O-Wisp, Leech Seed, Substitute, Destiny Bond, or Trick more aggressively, while Jumbo Gourgeist sacrifices Speed for greater HP and Attack and has historically been the preferred physically defensive form. Smogon's XY analyses treat the varieties almost like separate lower-tier Pokemon because their stat tradeoffs meaningfully change which threats they outspeed or withstand. Frisk is generally the most useful ability because scouting Choice items, Eviolite, or other key held items can guide a switch or burn decision, while Insomnia has niche value against sleep. The family remains constrained by five weaknesses, limited immediate Ghost STAB in early generations, and competition from bulkier or stronger Grass- and Ghost-types. Its best competitive value therefore comes from physical checking, Will-O-Wisp, Leech Seed, and size-specific utility rather than raw sweeping.

Gourgeist Average in Nuzlockes

Gourgeist can be very safe against physical attackers because every size has base 122 Defense, and Will-O-Wisp can further cut opposing physical damage. Normal and Fighting immunities create predictable switch opportunities, while Synthesis and Leech Seed can provide recovery without recoil. The size matters in a Nuzlocke: larger Gourgeist generally offer a larger HP buffer and stronger physical attacks, while smaller forms are more likely to move first and avoid a second hit. Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost, and Dark attacks should still be scouted carefully, and Destiny Bond is generally too dangerous for routine permadeath play because it requires Gourgeist to faint. Like Trevenant, Gourgeist's greatest accessibility problem is trading—without it, Pumpkaboo cannot evolve.

Gourgeist wanders towns on nights of the new moon while singing an eerie song said to curse anyone who hears it. Its long hair-like tendrils function as arms and can wrap around prey while Gourgeist sings happily, giving the species a much more predatory reputation than Pumpkaboo. Like its pre-evolution, Gourgeist occurs in four size varieties whose size preferences are linked to the people or spirits they target; Small forms may imitate children, Large forms may imitate adults, and Jumbo forms are described as less selective. Gourgeist can also retract its upper body into the pumpkin-like lower body, temporarily resembling a conventional jack-o'-lantern.