How to get Gimmighoul and Gholdengo in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go now has Gimmighoul and Gholdengo officially, though you’ll need some good luck or a copy of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to get it.

Gimmighoul works similarly to the Meltan; you’ll need to connect your Pokémon Go to your Nintendo Switch, exchange some items, and then use the Coin Bag (which works like an Incense) to attract the Roaming Form Gimmighoul.

Below, we explain how to get Gimmighoul using various methods.

How to connect Scarlet and Violet to Pokémon Go

Before you get your Coin Bag, you’ll need to connect your Pokémon Go account to your Scarlet and Violet game.

1. Open the Poké Portal in Scarlet/Violet.
2. Select “Mystery Gift” from the menu.
3. Select “Connect to Pokémon Go” from that menu.
4. Go to your settings in Pokémon Go and scroll all the way down, and tap “Nintendo Switch.”
5. Select “Pair with a Pokémon Go account” in Scarlet/Violet.
6. It should prompt you to connect with your Pokémon Go account, stating your account name. Choose to connect.

How to get Gimmighoul using the Coin Bag in Pokémon Go

Image: Niantic via Polygon

1. Make sure your accounts are connected as shown above.
2. Open Mystery Gift through the Poké Portal in Scarlet/Violet and select “Connect to Pokémon Go” twice. (It’s an option on two menus.)
3. Open your Postcard Book in Pokémon Go (below your trainer level your main profile page).
4. Select a postcard and click the three-line menu. Select “Send to Nintendo Switch.”
5. Wait for your Switch to receive the postcard as a Mystery Gift.
6. After the postcard is sent, use the Coin Bag from your Pokémon Go inventory.
7. Catch as many Gimmighoul as you can for 30 minutes.

How to get Gimmighoul in Pokémon Go without Scarlet and Violet

So far, the only way to get a Gimmighoul (without Scarlet/Violet) is to head to a PokéStop that was turned gold using a Golden Lure Module.

Very lucky players will be able to find Gimmighoul at golden PokéStops, but note that it cannot be just a regular randomly created golden PokéStop; it needs the Golden Lure Module.

In future, it’s also possible that there will be a Special Research Task set that may reward a Gimmighoul or two, similarly to how they did it with Meltan.

How to evolve Gimmighoul into Gholdengo with Gimmighoul Coins

Gimmighoul does not use candy to evolve. You’ll need to find and collect 999 Gimmighoul Coins, just like in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Catching a Gimmighoul can make it drop some coins, but you’ll primarily need to grab them from golden PokéStops, which reward them if you spin them.

Once you have the coins, you can just select to evolve the Gimmighoul into Gholdengo from the Pokémon’s summary screen.

How to get Golden Lure Modules in Pokémon Go

You get Golden Lure Modules for sending multiple Postcards to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. When you send your first postcard, you’ll get the Coin Bag, but for subsequent sends, you’ll get a Golden Lure Module. If you already have one Golden Lure Module in your inventory, you’ll get Gimmighoul Coins.

As of writing this, there is no way to get Golden Lure Modules without Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Other tips for Gimmighoul and the Coin Bag in Pokémon Go

• You cannot use the Coin Bag while you have other Incense items activated (including the Meltan Mystery Box).
• The Coin Bag can only be used once per day.
• Wandering Form Gimmighoul is only available in Pokémon Go. Once Pokémon Home support begins for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you’ll be able to transfer this version from Go to Scarlet and Violet.
• The Chest Form Gimmighoul is not available in Pokémon Go (yet).
• At launch, the in-game shop is gifting all players nine free Gimmighoul Coins for a limited time.

Best of luck with your Gimmighoul hunt!