Pokémon Sleep just announced its upcoming Halloween event, which is due to arrive next week on October 27, and will serve as Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist's debut in the sleep tracking app. However, to my surprise, I woke up this morning to three Pumpkaboo at my campsite, and I can't help but feel like the ghosts are playing tricks on me.
Update data revealed earlier this month that the gourd ghost Pokémon were due to arrive in Pokémon Sleep this month for spooky season, but both official blog posts about their debut and the Halloween Week double candy research state October 27 as the earliest date for you to encounter them. Even more curiously, the gen 6 Pokémon are only meant to appear on Greengrass Isle and Old Gold Power Plant, but I encountered them at Lapis Lakeside, and Pocket Tactics' editor, Ruby, found hers in Snowdrop Tundra.
While the official Pokémon Sleep social media accounts have yet to say anything, based on how close the actual event is, it's highly likely that this is a mistake. If that's the case, I desperately hope that we don't face roll-backs on any encountered Pumpkaboo, because I was lucky enough to find a shiny and I'm already very attached. Even with the ghosts arriving slightly ahead of schedule, there's still plenty of new content to look forward to in the Halloween Week double candy event.
From October 27 to November 3, 2025, on Greengrass Isle and Expert Mode, there's a much higher chance to encounter Pumpkaboo, Gourgeist, and an Eevee wearing a Halloween hat. Last year's Halloween Pikachu might also appear, alongside a range of ghost-types that don't usually frequent the area. We're also getting two new Pokémon Sleep recipes featuring the Plump Pumpkin ingredient, and you'll receive at least twice the usual number of candies from sleep research.
I'm still searching the Pokémon ZA Zones for a shiny Pumpkaboo, so I'm glad I have one in Pokémon Sleep to tide me over. If you're spending your days running around Lumiose City like we are, make sure to check out our Pokémon ZA mystery gift codes, Pokémon ZA Pikachu location, and Pokémon ZA Eevee location guides next.