Gimmighoul has two forms: Chest Form and Roaming Form. Chest Form Gimmighoul only appears in the core series, in which it is the only form that can be natively battled and caught, while Roaming Form Gimmighoul will flee when interacted with, leaving behind Gimmighoul Coins. Roaming Form appears in Pokémon GO, where it can be caught; it can then be transferred to the core series games 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.
Its antennae vibrate when detecting something it deems notable, and will point at objects of interest. When Gimmighoul gathers 999 Gimmighoul Coins, it evolves into Gholdengo.
Forms
Gimmighoul has two separate forms: Chest Form and Roaming Form. The two Forms are virtually identical to each other, with the main differences being their habits and personalities.
Chest Form
Chest Form Gimmighoul's closed chest
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 the coins that it collects.
Chest Form Gimmighoul was born inside a chest 1,500 years ago. Jacq is the one who discovered the Chest Form and coined its name. Its treasure chest provides solid defense but makes it hard for it to move due to the weight. Chest Form Gimmighoul are typically encountered in ancient Paldean buildings, such as watchtowers and fort ruins, and even secluded islands. Its disguise and low movement speed cause it to be commonly mistaken for an antique and get left behind or taken away. Chest Form Gimmighoul can move by hopping while its chest is closed. When Chest Form Gimmighoul senses an approaching person or Pokémon, it uses ghost energy to control its target and force them to collect coins for its chest. It tends to hide in less frequented places such as warehouses and shop corners to ambush people and Pokémon while pretending to be an old treasure chest. Its control has notable persistence;[1] one old tale tells of a Gimmighoul who manipulated a young girl to gather 999 coins to fill its chest.[2] It is also known to drain the life out of anyone who attempts to steal its coins.
Roaming Form
Roaming Form Gimmighoul, unlike its counterpart, doesn't hide in a chest and instead carries an ancient coin on its back, being held by its tail. Without its chest, it is among the smallest and lightest of all Pokémon.
Roaming Form Gimmighoul was born from passion that seeped into a coin. Professor Willow is the one who discovered the Roaming Form and coined its name. Roaming Form Gimmighoul can be spotted in hiding places across Paldea, such as by signs, rocks, and bridges, as well as ancient ruins. It is extremely timid, running away and dropping its coin as soon as anyone approaches.[1] 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.[2] Despite being found in Paldea, no one has ever been able to capture this form of 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 where Professor Willow lives in, where it tags along near Trainers who pick up Gimmighoul Coins.[1] Gimmighoul has also been observed being lured over through the Coin Bag and Golden Lure Modules.[3] Roaming Form Gimmighoul can sense when it's about to be found by a human or a Pokémon. If either of the two comes close, Gimmighoul will become invisible to avoid being detected, leaving only its Gimmighoul Coin visible.
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.
Roaming Form Gimmighoul made its animated series debut in a bonus scene that aired with HZ042, under the ownership of Professor Willow. This bonus scene was not dubbed into English.
A Roaming Form Gimmighoul appeared in The Terapagos I Don't Know, thus marking the form's English dub debut.
Gimmighoul, Roaming Form. The Coin Hunter Pokémon. A Ghost type. This Pokémon emerged from passion that seeped into a coin. It carries an old coin on its back.
Three Gimmighoul appeared in Breathe Together, during Ohara, Aliquis, and Hohma's video presentation about Naranja Academy. Two of them were in their Roaming Form, and the last one was in its Chest Form.
Gimmighoul only learns 2 moves by level-up, the fewest of all Ghost-type Pokémon.
It is not possible to flee from a Chest Form Gimmighoul; even if the player's Pokémon is a Ghost type or is faster. Attempting to flee via pressing the "Run" option or use a Pokémon with the Run Away Ability will give the "You can't escape!" message. Using the Poké Doll will give the same dialogue that a player would receive if they try to use certain Key Items such as the Shiny Charm. Using the moves Whirlwind or Roar will fail.
Pre-release teasers
Chest Form Gimmighoul was teased through a special website[4] 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, 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").
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Gimmighoul images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
