Halloween is once again upon us. And this year the holiday has just happened to fall near the worldwide release of Pokemon X and Y. There have been quite a few new Pokemon introduced in this sixth generation of the franchise. Two of these new Pokemon just happen to be perfect for Halloween. Which also makes them perfect for this special Halloween edition of the Interesting Specimen series. Presenting two of the first Ghost/Grass-type Pokemon, Pumpkaboo and its evolved form, Gourgeist.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen. The game creators have finally come out with jack-o-lantern Pokemon. By appearance alone, Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist aren’t exactly the most frightening-looking Pokemon. In fact Pumpkaboo has a pretty high cute factor. Even I think it’s adorable (I love those cute little vampire fangs it has). But from what their Pokedex entries from the games state, these two Pokemon are pretty spooky.
According the Pokedex entry from Pokemon X, Pumpkaboo is said to have a trapped spirit inside its body that become restless at night. The Pokedex entry from Y meanwhile states that Pumpkaboo carries wandering spirits to where they belong so they can pass on to the afterlife, suggesting that Pumpkaboo has a certain benevolent nature. The Pokedex entries for Gourgeist on the other hand seem to suggest a Pokemon with a more sinister nature. According to the entry from Pokemon X, Gourgeist enjoys wandering through towns during the night of a new moon and sing with eerie voices. According to folklore, anyone who hears this tune is cursed. The Y Pokedex entry from Gourgeist meanwhile states that the spectral pumpkin likes to sing a joyful song as it strangles its prey with its hair-like arms.
Aside from being creepy ghost pumpkins, there’s another reason why Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist have landed a place in the Interesting Specimen Pokemon. These two Pokemon come in four different sizes, Small, Average, Large, and Super Size. The small size Pumpkaboo reaches a height of only a foot, while the super sized version reaches a height of two-foot seven. The small size Gourgeist meanwhile has a height of only two-foot four, while the super sized Gourgeist has a height of five-foot seven. Of course the different sizes aren’t merely an aesthetic feature. The different sizes also mean different stats. Larger Pumpkaboo have higher HP and lower speed. At the same time, larger Gourgeist not only have more HP but a higher attack stat as well.
In the Games: The only place to find Pumpkaboo in Pokemon X and Y is on Kalos’ Route 16. The Pokemon found on that route all seem to range from levels thirty-four to thirty-six. The smallest size Pumpkaboo is the most common size found, while the super sized ones are the most rare. So those who wish to get the largest Pumpkaboo they can find will have to do quite a bit of hunting. Another place Pumpkaboo can be found in X and Y is the Grass Pokemon zone of games’ new Friend Safari feature. As for Gourgeist, the only way to get that Pokemon is to evolve Pumpkaboo.
Evolution: The only way for Pumpkaboo to evolve into Gourgeist is to trade it, a very classic if not inconvenient method of evolution. And there isn’t even a hold item required. So there are a few ways to pull off this evolution. One way is to use the old trade then trade back method. The easier way though would be to just find someone else who has a Pumpkaboo and just trade one pumpkin Pokemon for another. Of course with the different sizes being a factor, those deciding to go this route might want to make sure they’re trading for is the same size as the one they’ve got.
Signature Move: Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist share a very chilling attack. It’s called Trick-or-Treat, and it adds the Ghost-type to the opposing Pokemon’s type. In other words, it turns the opponent into a ghost. This is actually a very good tactic when one considers that Ghost Pokemon are weak against Ghost-type moves. Of course the effects of this move wear off after the battle. Though the Pokemon that Trick-or-Treat is used on may be emotionally scared from the experience.
That covers it for this special Halloween edition of the Interesting Specimen series. Until next time, Happy Halloween.
