Ghost (type)

The **Ghost type** (Japanese: **ゴーストタイプ** *Ghost type*) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers who specialize in Ghost-type Pokémon are Agatha of the Indigo Plateau Elite Four, Morty of Ecruteak City, Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Four, Fantina of Hearthome City, Shauntal of the Unova Elite Four, and Acerola of the Alola Elite Four. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all damaging Ghost-type moves were physical, but they may now also be special depending on the attack.

## Battle properties

### Generation VI onwards

Ghost-type Pokémon are now immune to effects that prevent recall or escape (such as Mean Look and Shadow Tag), and they are also guaranteed to flee from any wild battle regardless of Speed.

## Characteristics

### Defense

The Ghost type is a valuable defensive type due to being immune to both the Fighting-type, one of the most popular attacking types, and the Normal-type, a type with a number of strong moves. As of Generation VI, Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to all trapping moves and Abilities, including Shadow Tag and partially-trapping moves such as Infestation. Ghost types are also guaranteed to run from wild battles regardless of Speed. Ghost-type Pokémon can learn variety of status ailment moves and alike, such as Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, Thunder Wave, or Will-O-Wisp.

Prior to Generation VI, Pokémon that are both Dark-type and Ghost-type have no weaknesses (excluding Fighting-type moves used under immunity-negating conditions such as Ring Target or Scrappy), as the resistances of the Dark type cover the weaknesses of Ghost, and vice-versa. In Generation VI, the Fairy type was introduced, which is super effective against Dark and not resisted by Ghost, so these Pokémon now have a weakness to Fairy.

Ghost types are also unique in the fact that they have a type-specific attack: Curse, which, other than being the only ???-type move before the type was removed in Generation V, works differently for Ghost-type Pokémon than it does for other Pokémon.

### Offense

Contrary to Dark-types, most Ghost-type Pokémon are special attackers due to their typically high Special Attack, despite the fact that Ghost-type moves were physical moves prior to Generation IV. In Generation I, there were no types that resisted Ghost-type moves, although there was only one move that would be affected by same-type attack bonus and due to a possible error Psychic-type Pokémon were immune to Ghost-type attacks. In Generation II, Steel and Dark were added in order to resist Ghost-type moves. As of Generation VI, the only differences between Dark and Ghost is that Dark-type moves are not very effective on Fighting or Fairy while Ghost-type moves do normal damage to those types, and Ghost-type moves do not affect Normal Pokémon.

Ghost-type moves are great for neutral coverage, as Steel-type Pokémon no longer resist them in Generation VI. No Pokémon resists a combination of Fighting and Ghost-type moves, as the only combination capable of this (Normal/Ghost) has never materialized. A combination of Fairy and Ghost-type moves has nearly as good coverage, only resisted by Normal types with a secondary type that resist Fairy, of which there are currently only two. Despite this, Ghost types do not have reliable damaging moves that have 100 or more base power.

### Contest properties

In Contests, Ghost-type moves are typically Clever moves, but some may be any of the other Contest conditions.

## Pokémon

As of Generation VII, there are 44 Ghost-type Pokémon or 5.5% of all Pokémon (counting those that are Ghost-type in at least one of their forms, including Alola Forms), making it the 2nd rarest of the eighteen types, only above Ice.

## Abilities

### Interacting with the Ghost type

A Pokémon with Color Change, Protean, Imposter, RKS System, or Multitype will become a Ghost-type Pokémon if (respectively) it is hit with a Ghost-type move, uses a Ghost-type move, is sent out against a Ghost-type opponent, is holding a Ghost Memory, or is holding a Spooky Plate or Ghostium Z.

Since Generation VI, Ghost-type Pokémon are also immune to Magnet Pull, Arena Trap, and Shadow Tag.

 IV

### Exclusive Abilities

Only Ghost-type Pokémon can have these Abilities. This does not include signature Abilities.

## Trivia

* Generation V and Generation VII introduced the most Ghost-type Pokémon of any generation, with nine each, and Generation II introduced the fewest Ghost-type Pokémon, with only one.

* Generation VII introduced the most Ghost-type moves of any generation, with eight, and Generation V introduced the fewest Ghost-type moves, with only one.

* In Generation I, Ghost-type moves have no effect on Psychic-type Pokémon, though an abundance of evidence suggests that this may have been an error. Multiple sources mention that Ghost-type moves are super effective on Psychic-type Pokémon: official strategy guides published by Nintendo, two episodes of the anime (*The Tower of Terror* and *Haunter versus Kadabra*), and even the games themselves, where a Trainer in the Saffron Gym mentions that Psychic-type Pokémon "only fear Bugs and Ghosts" (though the reference to Ghost-type Pokémon was removed in Pokémon Yellow). This was corrected in Generation II to make Ghost moves actually be super effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.

* There are no Ghost-type moves with an accuracy lower than 100%.

* While the Ghost type has an immunity to Normal-type moves, several damaging moves that display as Normal can affect them, including Hidden Power (whose actual type varies) and Struggle (Generation II onwards).

* From Generation VI onward, it is not possible for any Pokémon to possess a double resistance to Ghost. The only Pokémon to possess a double resistance in previous generations are Pawniard and Bisharp, both of which are Dark/Steel.

* The Ghost type is the only type immune to two types: Normal and Fighting.

* Kalos is the only region without a notable Ghost-type specialist.

* In Pokémon Conquest, Ghost-type Pokémon which are not part-Flying or have Levitate are shown with an animation of physically passing through enemies, referencing the common belief that real life ghosts can pass through solid objects. They cannot, however, pass through any other obstacle on the field in-game.

## In other languages

de:Geist

fr:Spectre

it:Spettro (tipo)

ja:ゴースト (タイプ)

pl:Duch (typ)

zh:幽灵（属性）