Gholdengo (Japanese: サーフゴー, Hepburn: Saafugou) (GOHL-den-goh[1]) is a Steel/Ghost-type Pokémon introduced in Generation IX.
Biology
Physiology
Gholdengo is a primarily tube-shaped humanoid Pokémon made entirely of golden coins. It has skinny upper arms, and bulky lower arms with large hands comprised of three thick coin digits. It usually stands very upright with a pointing stance. It has four protrusions of cylindrical golden coin curls on its head that resemble tufts of hair. It has a mainly cylindrical body that grows plumper at the waist, and thick cylindrical legs. It wears a loose-fitting black belt around its waist with a silver belt buckle with the number 1000 imprinted on it. Gholdengo's belt is also holding the treasure chest it had when it was a Gimmighoul. Gholdengo also has bright-yellow oval-shaped eyes, and a crooked smile with a rounded protrusion resembling a tooth.
Behavior
Gholdengo has a particularly friendly disposition, and can easily befriend anyone, both humans and Pokémon. It is calm, and has a carefree and confident personality. When excited, it will jump up into the air with an expression of glee (and when surfing on water, its legs will still be attached to its hovering board). When drowsy, it will sit, then lie down on its side and sleep in a luxurious manner, with its head propped up slightly by its hand, and on of its thick, plump legs curled in slightly as it positions its other hand on its hip.
As seen in Scarlet and Violet, a Gholdengo will interact particularly cheerfully with its trainer (e.g. when sent out in Let's Go! mode, and during picnics), often approaching more often than most Pokémon, uttering its cry, and laughing joyfully with an unchanging grin. It will also sleep near the trainer with a permanent and unchanging smile etched on its face. It will often engage other Pokémon during picnics and act cheerily toward them as well.
Gholdengo is nearly almost seen smiling and joyful, aside from one official artwork in the Paldean Fates card series, in which it appears to be howling in a ghostly manner and frowning as it blasts out a barrage of coins. But, as seen in the games, this Pokémon grins cheerfully even when facing and attacking its opponents.
Natural abilities
Gholdengo is made of densely-packed coins, which deflect attacks to its body. It is able to launch a barrage of coins at its opponents. It can also absorb any damage it has received from foes by scattering large amounts of gold coins upon the impact of a foe's physical attack. The denseness of said gold coins also makes it very durable.
Despite the fact that Gholdengo cannot learn Surf, it can create a plank-like hovering board made of gold coins which can be used as transportation on land and on water.
Evolution
Gholdengo evolves from Gimmighoul (both Roaming Form or Chest Form) after leveling it up with 999 Gimmighoul Coins in the player's possession.
Game Info
Locations
| Locations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Version(s) | Area(s) | Rarity |
| Scarlet and Violet | Evolve Gimmighoul (By obtaining 999 Gimmighoul Coins) | None |
Pokédex entries
- Scarlet
Its body seems to be made up of 1,000 coins. This Pokémon gets along well with others and is quick to make friends with anybody.
- Violet
It has a sturdy body made up of stacked coins. Gholdengo overwhelms its enemies by firing coin after coin at them in quick succession.
Stats
| Stats | |
|---|---|
| HP | |
| Attack | |
| Defense | |
| Sp. Atk | |
| Sp. Def | |
| Speed | |
| Total | 550
|
Learnset
Leveling
| Generation IX | ||||||
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power | Accuracy | PP |
| 1 | Astonish | 
|
Physical | 30 | 100% | 15 |
| 1 | Tackle | 
|
Physical | 40 | 100% | 35 |
| 7 | Night Shade |
|
Special | - | 100% | 15 |
| 14 | Confuse Ray |
|
Status | - | 100% | 10 |
| 21 | Substitute |
|
Status | - | -% | 10 |
| 28 | Metal Sound | 
|
Status | - | 85% | 40 |
| 35 | Shadow Ball |
|
Special | 80 | 100% | 15 |
| 42 | Recover |
|
Status | - | -% | 5 |
| 49 | Power Gem | 
|
Special | 80 | 100% | 20 |
| 56 | Make It Rain |
|
Special | 120 | 100% | 5 |
| 63 | Nasty Plot | 
|
Status | - | -% | 20 |
| 70 | Memento |
|
Status | - | 100% | 10 |
| Bold indicates that this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates that an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | ||||||
TM
Breeding
| Gholdengo learns no moves via breeding. |
|---|
Tutoring
| Generation IX | ||||||
| Games | Move | Type | Category | Power | Accuracy | PP |
| Bold indicates that this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates that an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | ||||||
Sprites
Trivia
- Gholdengo's evolution method from Gimmighoul is very unique for a main series Pokemon game as the player is required to collect a large amount of Gimmighoul Coins and level up Gimmighoul.
- As Gholdengo is #1000 in the National Pokedex, this evolution method was likely done to celebrate this milestone of the series. This might also explain why Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant are separate from the other Paradoxes in the dex.
- This is similar to how Meltan evolves into Melmetal as the player requires a certain amount of Meltan candies to evolve into Melmetal; however, the latter evolution method is only exclusive to Pokemon GO, which is a spin-off Pokemon game.
- Gholdengo has the highest Base Sp. Atk of all Steel-Type Pokémon, at 133.
- Mixing its name with Gimmighoul's gives it the pronunciation "give me gold and go."
Origin
Gholdengo appears to be based on an award statuettes which are given as honor achievements, being the 1,000th milestone Pokémon.
The main inspiration for Gholdengo is likely based on the Spanish legend of El Dorado, a lost golden kingdom, and its golden king. As a ritual offering within this legend, the king of El Dorado's body was covered in gold dust and flakes of gold; he then was sent out floating into a lake on a raft. Once jumping into the water, many treasures such as golden coins were thrown into the lake by his subjects before he re-emerged. The raft that the legendary king was sent out into El Dorado's lake is possibly an inspiration for Gholdengo's plank-like hovering surf-board as well.
It could also be based on stereotypical surfers due to its ability to surf on hovering board made of coins, its hairstyle, and its friendly personality to people and Pokémon. It may also be based on the Marvel character the Silver Surfer given its metallic nature.
Gholdengo also resembles a tube man and coin wrapper (due to its cylindrical body).
Etymology
Gholdengo is a portmanteau of "golden," "ghost," "tengo" and possibly "go," referring to its high mobility.
Sāfugō, its Japanese name, likely comes from "surf," 富豪 (fugō, Japanese for "wealthy person"), "gold," "ghost," and "go."
Gallery
| |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| See also | |
| Generation IX | |
| Characters · Locations (Paldea · Kitakami · Terarium) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pokédex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- ^ Silvestri, Cris (2024). Pokémon Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook [Book]. p. 211. Scholastic. ISBN 978-1-339-02801-9.