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It evolves into Gholdengo when leveled up while the player has 999 Gimmighoul Coins. After the evolution, the Gimmighoul Coins disappear. Gimmighoul's evolution cannot be canceled with the B button.
Gimmighoul has two separate forms: Chest Form and Roaming Form. Only Chest Form Gimmighoul can be battled and caught, while Roaming Form Gimmighoul will flee when interacted with, leaving behind Gimmighoul Coins. Roaming Form can only be obtained by transferring it from Pokémon GO via the GO Transporter.
Gimmighoul is a small, blue-gray, metallic, bipedal Pokémon, with bands of two thin black stripes present around its torso and between its gold, circular eyes. It has a pair of thin black antennae and a tail, which are bent near the base and tipped with small gold circles. These antennae vibrate when detecting something it deems notable. In its Chest Form, Gimmighoul hides inside a red chest, decorated with black and golden accents and a silver buckle with an ornate oval pattern, resembling the number 1,000 when viewed from the side. The chest it resides in is full of Gimmighoul Coins. In its Roaming Form, Gimmighoul carries one of these coins on its back. Both forms of Gimmighoul have different personalities.
In its Chest Form, Gimmighoul's treasure chest provides defense but makes it hard for it to move due to its weight. Its disguise and low movement speed cause it to be commonly mistaken for an antique and get left behind or taken away. When Chest Form Gimmighoul senses an approaching person or Pokémon, it will use ghost energy to possess its target and force them to collect Gimmighoul Coins. It tends to hide in less frequented places such as warehouses and shop corners to ambush people and Pokémon, and its control has notable persistence;[2] one old tale tells of a Gimmighoul who manipulated a young girl to gather 999 coins to fill its chest.[3] It is also known to drain the life out of anyone who attempts to steal its coins. When Gimmighoul has gathered 999 of the coins, it is able to evolve into Gholdengo. Chest Form Gimmighoul was said to have been born inside its chest 1,500 years ago. Chest Form Gimmighoul can live in a variety of different areas in Paldea, such as ancient ruins, watchtowers, and secluded islands in the Paldean Sea.
Roaming Form Gimmighoul is among the smallest and lightest of all Pokémon, and is created from coins infused with passion. In its Roaming Form, Gimmighoul is extremely timid, running away and dropping its coin as soon as anyone approaches.[2] It does not manipulate people and Pokémon to give it coins like its Chest Form counterpart; instead, it is able to gather coins by itself.[3] Despite being found everywhere in Paldea, no one has apparently been able to capture Roaming Form Gimmighoul. It constantly wanders, believed to be searching for the chest it used to live in. For sustenance, it drains the life force of humans who try to steal its coin. This form of Gimmighoul has also been seen appearing in the world of Pokémon GO, where it tags along near Trainers who pick up Gimmighoul Coins.[2] Gimmighoul has also been observed being lured over through the Coin Bag and Golden Lure Modules.[4]
Forms
Gimmighoul has two separate forms: Chest Form and Roaming Form.
Gimmighoul has two non-interchangeable forms: Chest Form and Roaming Form. Both can be found in Paldea's overworld, but only Chest Form can be battled and caught, while Roaming Form will flee upon being interacted with, leaving behind Gimmighoul Coins, which are necessary for Gimmighoul to evolve. Roaming Form can only be obtained by transferring it from Pokémon GO via the GO Transporter.
It evolves when leveled up while the player has 999 Gimmighoul Coins.
It was first teased through a website with a counter that periodically counted to 999.
A promotional video about Gimmighoul tells the tale of a Gimmighoul who manipulated a young girl to fill its chest with 999 coins.[3]
Due to its Ghost type, Roaming Form Gimmighoul's Run AwayAbility is redundant unless its type changes, such as via Reflect Type or Soak.
Gimmighoul learns the least moves of all Ghost-type Pokémon by level-up, which is 2.
Pre-release teasers
Chest Form Gimmighoul was teased through a special website[1] that went live on November 5, 2022 at 13:00 UTC. It showcased Gimmighoul's chest and a counter, which periodically ticked upwards every few hours as it was slowly filled with coins. The counter eventually capped out at 999 on November 6, 2022 at 14:00 UTC, and the site became a redirect to a new page on the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website.[5]
Roaming Form Gimmighoul was also teased on November 5, 2022, appearing in Pokémon GO after the DratiniCommunity Day Classic event ended. Golden PokéStops were added to the game, and spinning one would cause a Roaming Form Gimmighoul to show up and follow the player for a short time, although it could not be properly encountered or caught.
Prior to the release of its teasers, an obscured Roaming Form Gimmighoul could be seen very briefly in the English version of the "Jump into a Paldean Journey" trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, posted on October 6, 2022.[6] It does not appear in the Japanese version of this trailer.
Two of the stages of Gimmighoul's Chest Form shown during the initial website teaser.[7]
Origin
As indicated by its English name, Gimmighoul may be based on the ghoul, a mythical creature from Arabic folklore known for luring people into deserted places before preying on them, and stealing coins. The word ghoul (Arabic: غُول ghūl) stems from the Arabic word غَالَ ghāla, meaning "to seize". Gimmighoul's antennae and tail resemble dowsing rods, which are believed to be able to help people locate buried treasures. The association of a ghost with coins, as well as its eyes resembling coins, may also draw inspiration from Charon's obol, where the deceased are buried with coins as a preparation for the afterlife. The coins were frequently placed in the mouth or on the eyes.
Gimmighoul's Chest Form may be based on the mimic, a monster archetype commonly found in RPGs, known for disguising itself as treasure chests. Its Roaming Form may be based on the Catalan folktale of Patufet, a tiny child who carries a coin. It may also be based on the toyol (also known as tuyul), an infant-like spirit from Indonesian and Malay folklore invoked to steal riches from people. Gimmighoul's association with the number 999 may be a reference to 999 fine gold, equivalent to 24 karat gold.
Considering its evolution, Gimmighoul's design may also draw inspiration from El Dorado, a legend now believed to originate in Spanish conception of Muisca rituals performed in pre-colonial Colombia. Its laminated body shape resembles tunjos, Muisca figurines made of molded gold in the shape of divine humans or animals. Its Ghost-type could be based on the fact that tunjos are commonly found in burial places and places of worship.
Name origin
Gimmighoul may be a combination of gimme (informal pronunciation of "give me"), gimmick or mimic, and ghoul. Altogether, it sounds like the phrase "Give me gold."
Collecurei may be a combination of collect, 霊 rei (spirit), and a pun on the phrase これくれ kore kure ("Give me this").