Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist when you trade it to another player. There’s no level, no item and no friendship requirement: it evolves the moment the trade finishes, and it keeps its size (Small, Medium, Large or Jumbo). In Pokémon GO you can skip the trade and spend 200 Pumpkaboo Candy instead, or trade it and evolve it for free.
That covers Pokémon X and Y, Sword and Shield, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, plus Pokémon GO. One thing trips people up straight away: Pumpkaboo isn’t in Scarlet and Violet at all, per Bulbapedia, so you can’t evolve it there.
Questions trainers ask about Pumpkaboo
“How do I tell what size my Pumpkaboo is?”
This is the most common Pumpkaboo headache, and it’s been around since Sword and Shield. In a GameFAQs Pokémon Sword thread, a player with two Pumpkaboo couldn’t tell them apart because the summary shows no height or weight. Replies pointed out that only the Super Size has its own cry and that the Pokédex has a separate entry per size. In a Legends: Z-A board thread on checking sizes, players found an easier trick: the Pokédex jumps to your most recent catch, so check the size right after each one, and nickname or mark the keepers. Another reply there compares how much of the Poké Ball symbol behind the Pokémon its body covers on the summary screen.
“Why doesn’t my XL Pumpkaboo count as Jumbo?”
Because the size forms and the random XS-to-XL size you see in Legends: Z-A are two separate things, as players in that same Z-A thread explain. A side mission there asks for a Jumbo form, and a large-looking Medium won’t do. Players also report Jumbo only turning up at night, which matches Bulbapedia’s spawn notes: Medium and Small by day, Large and Jumbo by night in Wild Zone 15.
“I need someone to trade with”
Trade evolutions are a hurdle if you play solo. A PokéCommunity thread from a Pokémon Sword player asked strangers for help evolving a Pumpkaboo, and the request still wasn’t sorted the next day. The usual fix is a “trade-back”: you send Pumpkaboo to a friend, it evolves on their side, and they send Gourgeist straight back. Agree on the plan before you trade.
How to evolve Pumpkaboo into Gourgeist
Trade it, in any main game that has it. Bulbapedia notes that a trade evolution starts right after the trade completes, whichever trading method you use. The steps in Legends: Z-A, as described in a Z-A trading guide:
- Finish Main Mission 3 and complete Mabel’s five-Pokémon challenge at the Pokémon Research Lab; trading opens up after that.
- Press X, choose Link Play in the bottom-left corner, then Link Trade.
- Pick local or internet play. Internet trading needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Both players enter the same 8-digit Link Code.
- Offer Pumpkaboo. It evolves on the other player’s screen as soon as the trade ends.
- Ask your friend to trade Gourgeist back.
Make sure Pumpkaboo isn’t holding an Everstone. Bulbapedia’s Everstone page explains that a held Everstone stops a trade evolution from happening. Take it off before you trade.
In X and Y, Sword and Shield, the idea is identical: trade it, and it evolves on arrival. Serebii also notes that a Pumpkaboo’s size is set when you first encounter it and can’t be changed.
Pumpkaboo evolution in Pokémon GO
GO gives you two options. Evolve it with 200 Pumpkaboo Candy, or trade it: per Bulbapedia’s Gourgeist (GO) page, a Pumpkaboo you got through a trade evolves for no Candy at all. Trading in GO costs Stardust, needs the other player close by, and each Pokémon can only be traded once, as Dexerto explains.
Two hundred Candy is a lot, so the trade route is usually smarter if you have a friend nearby. Sizes carry through in GO as well, and they’ve been in the game since Pumpkaboo’s debut in the October 2021 Halloween event.
Does size matter? Every Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist size compared
Yes, for battling. A Pumpkaboo always becomes a Gourgeist of the same size, which Bulbapedia’s Gourgeist page confirms from the Sword and Shield Pokédex. Size changes HP, Attack and Speed; everything else stays the same (every Gourgeist has 122 Defense, 58 Sp. Atk and 75 Sp. Def).
| Size | Pumpkaboo HP / Speed | Gourgeist HP / Atk / Speed | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 44 / 56 | 55 / 85 / 99 | Players who want Gourgeist to move first |
| Medium (Average) | 49 / 51 | 65 / 90 / 84 | A balanced pick |
| Large | 54 / 46 | 75 / 95 / 69 | A bulkier middle ground |
| Jumbo (Super Size) | 59 / 41 | 85 / 100 / 54 | Slow, tanky teams and Trick Room |
Base stat figures from Bulbapedia’s Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist pages. Legends: Z-A renamed the sizes to Small, Medium, Large and Jumbo Variety; older games call them Small, Average, Large and Super Size.
Where to catch Pumpkaboo
As of October 2026, here’s where Bulbapedia lists it:
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A: Wild Zone 15 in Jaune District. Small and Medium appear by day, Large and Jumbo at night. All sizes also appear in Hyperspace Lumiose in the Mega Dimension content.
- Pokémon X and Y: Route 16, all sizes.
- Pokémon GO: spawns depend on current events, and Dexerto notes that the bigger sizes are harder to find.
Want a specific size for a Trick Room team or a Z-A request? Catch several at the right time of day and check each one in the Pokédex before you move on.
Frequently asked questions
What level does Pumpkaboo evolve?
Pumpkaboo has no evolution level. It evolves into Gourgeist the moment it’s traded, at any level, or with 200 Candy in Pokémon GO.
Can Pumpkaboo evolve without trading?
In the main Nintendo Switch games, no. Pokémon GO is the exception: you can spend 200 Pumpkaboo Candy instead, or trade it and evolve it for free.
Is Pumpkaboo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
No. Bulbapedia lists Pumpkaboo as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet, so you can’t evolve one there. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the current Switch game that has it, as of October 2026.
Which Gourgeist size is best?
It depends on what you need. Small Gourgeist has the most Speed (99), while Jumbo has the most HP (85) and Attack (100) but only 54 Speed; Defense is 122 on every size.
What type is Gourgeist?
Gourgeist is Ghost and Grass, the same as Pumpkaboo. Both can learn Trick-or-Treat, a move only these two Pokémon learn.
Sources
- Bulbapedia: Pumpkaboo
- Bulbapedia: Gourgeist
- Bulbapedia: Gourgeist (GO)
- Serebii: Pumpkaboo
- GameFAQs: Checking Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist sizes (Legends: Z-A)
Featured image: Nintendo / The Pokémon Company
