How to evolve Haunter in Brilliant Diamond

Gen 1 trade evolutions should be done right away since they learn all the same moves at the same levels. Stone evolutions you usually want to hold off on until they learn all the moves you want. Unless you've got heart scales for the Move Relearner, anyway.

You can evolve Haunter into Gengar in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but as longstanding fans will know, this requires trading your precious Pokémon to another player. So what do you do if you can't find a friend? Well, luckily, you can evolve it on your own, and all it will cost is one Pinchurcin.

Trading is one of the Special Evolution methods found not only in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but every Pokémon game since Red and Blue in 1996.

Here’s where to find a Haunter if you haven't caught one already, and then how to evolve it into Gengar in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

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If you'd like to learn more about your Paldea adventure, visit our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet walkthrough.

Where to find Gastly and Haunter in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Gastly can both be found early on in Scarlet and Violet; the trick is to look for it at night, as you would with most Ghost-type Pokémon. If you haven't caught one yet, you can find them at the locations below:

If you are catching the former, know Gastly evolves into Haunter starting at Level 25.

Our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet walkthrough can take you through the entire game - including The First Day of School, Victory Road, Starfall Street, Path of Legends and when you're ready, The Way Home and the final boss. Elsewhere, we can help with the Normal Gym test Secret Item menu, version differences, the best Scarlet and Violet starter, EXP farming, shiny Pokémon and learning how to fly, swim, climb and dash. When it comes to individual Pokémon, we can help with Gimmighoul, Ditto, Bellibolt, Pawmot, Scovillain, Frigibax, Sinistea, Brambleghast, Annihilape, Farigiraf, Dudunsparce, Lycanrock forms, Armarouge and Ceruledge.

How to evolve Haunter into Gengar in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Trading is probably the most famous Special Evolution method in Pokémon, with roots dating back to the franchise’s inception - and trading is how you evolve Haunter into Gengar.

To trade Pokémon, simply open the Y menu and go to the Poké Portal. If you have a friend to trade with, connect to the internet, agree on a Link Code and take it from there.

However, in Scarlet and Violet, you don't need another person - instead, there's an in-game method involving a computer-controlled character.

How to solo evolve Haunter into Gengar in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

But what if you don’t have someone to trade with, or can’t trade Pokémon for another reason?

Well, in that case, you want to trade a Pinchurchin with an NPC. You can see the NPC in question below, found in Levincia - the same location as the electric gym.

Pinchurchin location in Scarlet and Violet

To find Pinchurchin, know they are very common on Paldea’s beaches, so simply head out of the city limits and grab one before heading back up to the location above.

Thankfully, unlike one trolling NPC from a previous game, this one is not holding an Everstone and will evolve as soon as it lands in your possession.

Congratulations - you now have a Gengar without needing another player!

Gastly, Haunter and Gengar Pokédex entries

If you're keen for a preview of what the Pokédex entries for the Gas and Shadow Pokémon look like, we’ve included them for you below:

For more help in Paldea, we've got a walkthrough, including help with the Starfall Street, Victory Road, and Path of Legends stories.

Can you evolve a Haunter without trading?

What level does Haunter evolve in brilliant diamond?

Can you get Gengar without trading Brilliant Diamond?