Pokémon Go introduced Gimmighoul and Gholdengo officially in Feb. 2023, though you’ll need some good luck, or a copy of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, to get your hands on both.
Gimmighoul works similarly to 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.
It can also involve gold/yellow PokeStops, which may also appear as part of events.
Here’s how to get Gimmighoul and Gimmighoul Coins in Pokémon Go using various methods.
What are gold/yellow PokéStops in Pokémon Go?
Gold and yellow PokéStops appear in Pokémon Go for one of three reasons:
- Through the use of a Golden Lure
- As part of special events, including the “A Paldean Adventure” event in Sept. 2023 or the “9th Anniversary Party” event in July 2025
- As part of in-person events, such as Go Fest
Golden Lures turn the PokéStop gold/yellow. Spinning these stops gives you Gimmighoul Coins and you may find a Roaming Form Gimmighoul, if you’re lucky.
How to get Gimmighoul using the Coin Bag in Pokémon Go
The ability to catch Gimmighoul with the bag is a multi-step process, and requires connecting to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
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.
- Open the Poké Portal in Scarlet/Violet.
- Select “Mystery Gift” from the menu.
- Select “Connect to Pokémon Go” from that menu.
- Go to your settings in Pokémon Go and scroll all the way down, and tap “Nintendo Switch.”
- Select “Pair with a Pokémon Go account” in Scarlet/Violet.
- It should prompt you to connect with your Pokémon Go account, stating your account name. Choose to connect.
How to get a Coin Bag in Pokémon Go
- Make sure your accounts are connected as shown above.
- Open Mystery Gift through the Poké Portal in Scarlet/Violet and select “Connect to Pokémon Go” twice. (It’s an option on two menus.)
- Open your Postcard Book in Pokémon Go (below your trainer level your main profile page).
- Select a postcard and click the three-line menu. Select “Send to Nintendo Switch.”
- Wait for your Switch to receive the postcard as a Mystery Gift.
- After the postcard is sent, use the Coin Bag from your Pokémon Go inventory.
- 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 consistent way to get a Gimmighoul (without Scarlet/Violet) is to head to a PokéStop that was turned gold using a Golden Lure Module.
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.
Gimmighoul has been made available through Timed Research and Field Research during the “9th Anniversary Party” event, though this isn’t a consistent method to find the critter.
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.
Once you have the coins, you can just select to evolve the Gimmighoul into Gholdengo from the Pokémon’s summary screen. Finding 999 Coins will take you a while, so be patient.
Image: Niantic via Polygon
Can Gimmighoul be shiny in Pokémon Go?
Yep, as of the aforementioned 9th Anniversary event, Gimmighoul can be shiny in Pokémon Go, but you’ll need to be lucky to find one!
Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Niantic
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.
You need to send a Postcard for five days to get a Golden Lure in Pokémon Go. You do not need to do this for five days in a row — just five days in total.
Note you can only have one Golden Lure Module in your inventory at a time, otherwise you’ll earn Gimmighoul Coins instead.
At the time of writing, 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. As of the 9th Anniversary event in July 2025, you can ship it off to Pokémon Home and then Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
- The Chest Form Gimmighoul is not available in Pokémon Go (yet).
- On the feature’s debut, the in-game shop gifted all players nine free Gimmighoul Coins for a limited time.
Best of luck with your Gimmighoul hunt!
