How to catch Gimmighoul in Pokémon Go

Pokémon is known for implementing unique crossover content between games across the series, and ever since Pokémon Go launched in 2016, that has been the focal point for several tie-ins for the main series. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are just the latest games to receive the crossover treatment, as Niantic was the first to actually implement a Gen IX Pokémon in a way that players around the world could interact with. 

Now, after months of waiting, Pokémon Go players can actually catch Gimmighoul in the game—and in a form not available in Scarlet and Violet, too. 

Similarly to Meltan’s introduction through Pokémon Go in November 2018, Gimmighoul started appearing suddenly following a Community Day last November. No details about the Pokémon were available for roughly two days before The Pokémon Company shared an official trailer and some lore surrounding Gimmighoul and its two forms. 

How to find Gimmighoul Chest and Roaming Form in Pokémon Go

With full connectivity now available for this little crossover, players can officially capture Gimmighoul in Pokémon Go following Pokémon Day 2023. But only one form of the Ghost-type Pokémon is available to catch in the mobile game. 

Gimmighoul (Chest Form) is encounterable and catchable in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, though players should approach with caution as the mimic-like Pokémon is known to control people who get too close using its ghost energy. It can be found mostly in tall watchtowers or within ruins spread throughout Palea. 

While exploring the region, players might spot a variant of Gimmighoul that is not bound to a chest. This is known as Gimmighoul (Roaming Form), and it will run away from players who interact with it in the overworld, making it impossible to catch. But it does give out Gimmighoul Coins when startled. 

This is where the differences come into play for Pokémon Go since players will only encounter Gimmighoul’s Roaming Form in the mobile title and can freely catch it there. 

How to catch Gimmighoul Roaming Form in Pokémon Go

To catch Gimmighoul in Pokémon Go, you will first need to connect your mobile game to your copy of Pokémon Scarlet or Violet. This will let you send Postcards from Go to your Switch, thus unlocking the full contents of this crossover feature. 

Related: How to connect Pokémon Go to Nintendo Switch

Once you send your first Postcard through this connection, you will have access to a Coin Bag in your Items menu. Using this will act as a sort of Incense for Gimmighoul, making them spawn in your area for a limited amount of time. 

Catching Gimmighoul will net you Gimmighoul Coins. These items, which can also be earned through sending more Postcards to Scarlet or Violet, act just like they do in the Gen IX games. Collecting 999 of them will let you evolve Gimmighoul into Gholdengo.