Ghost (type)

The **Ghost type** (Japanese: **ゴーストタイプ** *Ghost type*) is one of the eighteen types. 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 I

Ghost-type Pokémon cannot be paralyzed by Lick.

Ghost-type Pokémon are affected by Bide, Counter, Seismic Toss, SonicBoom and Super Fang despite type immunity. Ghost-type move Night Shade affects Psychic and Normal-type Pokémon despite their immunity.

### Generations II to V

In generation II and III only, Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to Glare.

### Generations VI - VIII

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

Ghost is the only type with more than one immunity. However, these immunities can be removed by Foresight, Odor Sleuth, or Scrappy. As of Generation VI, Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to being trapped by all trapping moves and Abilities, including the binding effect of moves such as Infestation. Ghost types are also guaranteed to run from wild battles regardless of Speed. Most Ghost-type Pokémon can learn Will-O-Wisp and other status condition-inducing moves.

Ghost types are also unique in the fact that they have a type-specific attack: Curse, which works differently for Ghost-type Pokémon than it does for other Pokémon. The move Trick-or-Treat adds the Ghost type to the target's types.

### Offense

Since Steel-type Pokémon no longer resist Ghost-type attacks in Generation VI, Ghost is tied with Dragon for the least resisted type, being resisted by Dark and ineffective against Normal. Consequently, no Pokémon currently resists a combination of Fighting and Ghost-type attacks, as the only type combination capable of this (Normal/Ghost) has never materialized (except when Trick-or-Treat is considered).

### 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 AN-V, there are 35 Ghost-type Pokémon or 11.48% of all Pokémon, including those that are Ghost-type in at least one of their forms, such as a regional form, except through abilities like Multitype. This makes it the 3rd most common type, tying the Flying and Electric types.

### Half Ghost-type Pokémon

#### Secondary Ghost-type Pokémon

* Prior to Generation V, all of Rotom's forms were part Ghost-type like its base form.

## 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

 File:Totem Trevenant present.png
* Generation VII introduced the most Ghost-type Pokémon of any generation, with eleven. Generation II introduced the fewest Ghost-type Pokémon, with only one, Misdreavus.
* Generation VII introduced the most Ghost-type moves of any generation, with eight. Generation V introduced the fewest Ghost-type moves, with only one, Hex.
* 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-type moves actually be super effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.
* 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 onward).
* 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.
	+ It is also the only type to have ever been ineffective against two types: Normal and Psychic in Generation I.
	+ Ghost and Normal are the only two types to be ineffective against each other.
* Kalos is the only region without a notable Ghost-type specialist.
* Every odd-numbered generation has introduced a female Elite Four member specializing in the Ghost-type Pokémon.
	+ Generation AN-I continued this trend, though the Champion specializes in Ghost-types rather than one of the Elite Four members.
* 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.
* Ghost and Dark types are super effective against the same types. As of Generation VI, the only differences between them is that Dark-type moves are not very effective on Fighting or Fairy while Ghost-type moves do not affect Normal Pokémon.
* As shown in *Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon*, Ghost-type Pokémon, despite their name, can still die. This was first mentioned in *Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?*, where Acerola revealed that her Shiny Mimikyu, Mimikins, is in fact the ghost of a deceased Mimikyu. Later, in *A Timeless Encounter!*, it is revealed that Professor Kukui had once befriended a Totem Trevenant that he nicknamed Elder. It is later revealed that Elder is has since died, its body now a regular tree, though the circumstances of the death weren't revealed. However, despite this, it appears that Ghost-type Pokémon's lifespan is in fact indefinite; a Yamask shown in *A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!* was told to be millennia old, suggesting that while Ghost-type Pokémon can still be killed, they are in fact ageless.
* All Ghost-type moves are eligible to be used in Sky Battles.
* The Ghost and Dragon types are the only types that are weak to themselves.
* The Ghost type was the last type to have at least one Pokémon officially owned by Template:Ash in the anime, following his capture of a Template:AP in *A Chilling Curse!*.
* Despite being introduced in Generation I, there were no pure Ghost-type Pokémon until Generation II, with only Misdreavus.