Getting Gastly in Pokemon GO: Can You Catch a Shiny Version?

If you’re eager to catch Gastly in Pokémon GO, it’s important to note that there are limited avenues available for acquiring this character. Niantic, the game’s developer, introduced Gastly when the game launched on July 6, 2016. The elusive Shiny Gastly made its first appearance at the beginning of the Gengar Special Raid Challenge on November 3, 2018. Gastly can evolve into both Haunter and Gengar as part of its evolutionary line.

Additionally, Gengar can undergo Mega Evolution to become Mega Gengar by using 200 Mega Energy. Due to the popularity of Gastly’s evolutionary family within the game, we have compiled a guide to help you find both Gastly and Shiny Gastly in Pokémon GO.

Ways to Obtain Gastly in Pokémon GO

Gastly in Pokémon GO (Image via The Pokémon Company)

On October 22, 2024, Gastly will be the highlight of the Spotlight Hour, meaning it will spawn more frequently in the wild. As of October 2024, trainers can acquire Gastly through the following methods:

Catching wild Gastly
Hatching Pokémon Eggs
Defeating Raid Battles
Completing Research Tasks
Taking GO Snapshots
Trading

1) Catching Wild Gastly

You are more likely to encounter wild Gastly in areas featuring Fog and Cloudy weather conditions in the game. Therefore, aim to explore these specific environments and avoid regions that spawn different Pokémon.

Gastly benefits from a Weather Boost during Fog and Cloudy conditions, and placing Lure Modules at PokéStops during these weathers can further increase its spawn rate.

Moreover, using Incense can also enhance the wild spawn rate of Gastly, so employ your lure items wisely for the best results.

2) Hatching Pokémon Eggs

Hatching eggs is another way to add Gastly to your collection. It is crucial to keep track of which eggs contain Gastly during special events. Mark your calendars for these event dates and hatch your eggs to potentially find this ghostly Pokémon.

3) Defeating Raid Battles

Gastly has a combat power (CP) of 1390, typically found in one-star raids. Whether you are playing solo or with a team, strong counters can help you defeat Gastly in Pokémon GO Raids.

As a dual-type Ghost and Poison Pokémon, Gastly is weak against the following types of moves:

Dark
Ghost
Ground
Psychic

Here are some effective counters to use against Gastly:

Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
Mega Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing
Shadow Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike
Dawn Wings Necrozma with Psycho Cut and Moongiest Beam
Hydreigon with Bite and Brutal Swing
Darkrai with Snarl and Shadow Ball

4) Completing Research Tasks

Since Gastly has been available since the launch of Pokémon GO, many trainers have captured this Pokémon through various Research Tasks. These tasks have included Field Research assignments, such as Catching five Pokémon during the Adamant Time event, as well as Special/Timed Research during events like the December Community Day in 2021, offering players chances to encounter Gastly.

5) Taking GO Snapshots

Gastly in the anime. (Image via The Pokémon Company)

Trainers can also occasionally obtain Gastly by taking snapshots with the GO Snapshot feature. This tends to happen during Community Day, when players can catch creatures by clicking their snapshots.

6) Trading

Trading serves as the final method for players who may struggle to find Gastly via the aforementioned methods. Although this is typically the simplest way to acquire the Pokémon, it requires you to have friends within the game willing to trade their Gastly with you.