Strange ways of evolving are just par the course for the Pokémon franchise at this point, but one particular newcomer really takes the cake.
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players can catch a new Pokémon called Gimmighoul. This unusual Pokémon doesn't evolve through the usual ways but instead, requires players to go on a treasure hunt. A very, very, very long treasure hunt. If you're lost about what's going on, just follow our guide and you can evolve Gimmighoul into Gholdengo in no time.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: How to catch Gimmighoul
Gimmighoul is not a version exclusive for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and can be found in both versions of the game. With that said, you'll find two different versions of Gimmighoul out in the wild, and you can only catch one. One version is the "Roaming Form" that can be found in numerous locations. You won't actually catch this Gimmighoul, but you will get Gimmighoul Coins by interacting with them, which is important.
The version of Gimmighoul that you can catch in the latest Pokémon games is the "Chest Form" that, appropriately enough, is in a chest. As opposed to having distinct regions and areas where it spawns, this Gimmighoul has set locations. You can find this catchable Gimmighoul in towers and a few other locations which are static, not free-roaming. We've marked these specific locations on the map above. After being defeated or caught, these Gimmighouls will eventually respawn.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: How to evolve Gimmighoul into Gholdengo
As opposed to the traditional method of simply leveling up whenever enough EXP is gained, Gimmighoul has one of the more interesting evolutions in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. You'll need to collect Gimmighoul Coins, in fact you'll need to max out your inventory space for them and acquire 999 Gimmighoul Coins, which is the limit of how many coins you can hold. Once you have 999 Gimmighoul Coins, your Ghimmighoul will evolve the next time it levels up and then the Gimmighoul Coins will vanish from your inventory. To evolve another one, you'll need to once more collect this large number of coins.
As you explore the island and find the innumerable Roaming Form Gimmighouls, you'll get anywhere from one Gimmighoul Coin to six coins from each one you find and interact with. They can be found in out-of-the-way locations such as behind rocks or signs, and you can also hear them, as they make a distinct noise. This process would be excruciatingly slow if that's all you do, but there's another way to make coin collecting go faster.
POKÉMON SCARLET AND VIOLET: Fastest way to collect Gimmighoul Coins
Every time you beat or capture a Chest Form Gimmighoul (which again, you can see marked on the map above), you'll get a random amount of Gimmighoul Coins. This number can vary, but in our experience is usually around 50 to 70 coins. This will greatly speed up the process of gaining 999 coins to evolve your Gimmighoul, so go hunting for these Chest Form versions.
Because 999 coins is the limit, any coins you earn after having your inventory maxed out will be sent to a man in Medali, which is located in West Province, Area 3. You can speak to him when your inventory is empty of coins, and he'll give you whatever excess coins you've collected that were sent to him.
An open world with treasure
Evolving your Gimmighoul is lengthy process even when you know what you're doing, but just pace it while you're doing other things, and it'll make the process far more enjoyable. There's a lot to do in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, from the Tera Raid Battles to becoming the Champion and filling out your Pokédex.
Take care to save your game and completely exit on a regular basis, which will help to improve your Nintendo Switch performance with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
