Pumpkaboo waits at a rebuilt Pokémon Center, but Gourgeist needs its own Halloween habitat. To recruit both during Pokémon Pokopia’s first Halloween event, “Pumpkaboo’s Sweet Surprises,” you’ll need to befriend Pumpkaboo, then earn pumpkin candies to buy the furnishings that attract Gourgeist.
Table of Contents
How to start the Pokémon Pokopia ‘Pumpkaboo’s Sweet Surprises’ event
The event runs from Oct. 17 at 5 a.m. until Nov. 1 at 4:59 a.m., based on your Nintendo Switch’s console time. If you miss that window, you can use time travel to access it.
You can participate once you’ve rebuilt at least one Pokémon Center. To earn the event currency, you’ll also need to learn Camouflage from Zorua after progressing through the Bleak Beach questline. Without that ability, you can’t pull off the tricks that earn pumpkin candies.
When you boot up the game, look for the usual message that “a Pokémon is the talk of the town.” Head to your rebuilt Pokémon Center and speak to Pumpkaboo. It explains that it will exchange items for pumpkin candies, then becomes your friend after the conversation.
Enter the Pokémon Center to browse and buy Pumpkaboo’s event furnishings. You can use these decorations to give each region a spooky touch. If you only want to buy one or two furnishings, you can make additional copies with the 3D printer.
Recruiting Gourgeist is a separate step, not an evolution you need to trigger here. Creepy pumpkins, one of the two new event habitats, attracts it. The other habitat attracts Pumpkaboo; both recipes are listed below.
How to get pumpkin candy in Pokémon Pokopia
Pumpkaboo asks you to trick other Pokémon by using Camouflage to turn Ditto into “one of their favorite things.” Your disguise needs to suit the Pokémon you’re trying to scare. One object won’t fool everyone.
A common furnishing such as a mushroom streetlight works for Pokémon that like bright habitats. You can also pick something more specific: a punching bag works for tricking Hitmonchan.
- Use Camouflage to disguise Ditto as an object the target Pokémon likes.
- Get close and wait for the Pokémon to say something about that object.
- Once it has identified your disguise, undo the transformation to startle it.
- Wait for the Pokémon to catch its breath and give you a few pumpkin candies.
Timing matters. Removing the disguise before the Pokémon identifies the object won’t scare it. You also can’t scare the same Pokémon twice, so you’ll need to find different targets as you collect candy.
Polygon’s guide author reported receiving between one and three candies per Pokémon, but couldn’t confirm whether the amount was random or determined by specific factors. That’s an observed range, not a confirmed reward formula.
All Pokémon Pokopia ‘Pumpkaboo’s Sweet Surprises’ event rewards
There are nine new furnishings to buy, and one copy of each costs 20 pumpkin candies in total. Since the candy rewards seem to vary, Polygon’s guide estimates that you may need to scare seven to 20 Pokémon to buy the full set.
If you’re focusing on the new habitats, prioritize these five event items: a candy bucket, a ghost smoke projector, a pumpkin lantern, a pumpkin lantern tower, and a Trevenant streetlight. Obtaining all the event items also awards the “Trick or Treat” photo frame.
- Candy bucket: 2 pumpkin candies. A small Pikachu-shaped bucket filled with assorted candy and chocolate.
- Cofagrigus locker: 3 pumpkin candies. A coffin-like locker resembling Cofagrigus, with a door you can open to store your things inside.
- Eerie statue: 3 pumpkin candies. A stone statue depicting Duskull, Dusclops, and Dusknoir. Its description hints at something happening when night falls, without explaining what.
- Fun balloons: 2 pumpkin candies. Pikachu and Drifloon balloons that sway in even a slight breeze.
- Ghost smoke projector: 3 pumpkin candies. A small, lightweight device that billows ghostlike smoke.
- Huge table: 1 pumpkin candy. An extra-large table with seating for many, intended for parties and celebrations.
- Pumpkin lantern: 2 pumpkin candies. A faintly glowing pumpkin lantern with a face resembling Haunter.
- Pumpkin lantern tower: 2 pumpkin candies. A small Pikachu resting on a Mimikyu, which can be placed on top of a pumpkin lantern.
- Trevenant streetlight: 2 pumpkin candies. Place two side by side and their connecting branches form an arch.
All Pokémon Pokopia ‘Pumpkaboo’s Sweet Surprises’ event habitats
Exchange your pumpkin candies for the furnishings, then assemble the two new habitats using the recipes below. Each habitat’s description and required-item list appear in the Habitat Dex only after you’ve built it once.
Habitat 8: Give me something good to eat
This habitat attracts Pumpkaboo. You need one of each of the following:
- 1 table of any kind
- 1 ghost smoke projector
- 1 candy bucket
You don’t need to buy the event’s huge table for this recipe. Any table works.
Habitat 9: Creepy pumpkins
This habitat attracts Gourgeist. Assemble it with these three furnishings:
- 1 Trevenant streetlight
- 1 pumpkin lantern tower
- 1 pumpkin lantern
If Gourgeist is your immediate goal, its three required furnishings cost 6 pumpkin candies in total.
