{{Availability/Entry2|v=MD Red|v2=MD Blue|link=Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team|area=[[Buried Relic]] (9F-14F), [[Darknight Relic]] (1F-6F)}}
{{Availability/Entry2|v=MD Red|v2=MD Blue|link=Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team|area=[[Buried Relic]] (B9F-B14F), [[Darknight Relic]] (B1F-B6F)}}
Gastly has no true form, due to 95% of its body being poisonous gas. However, it consistently appears as a black, spherical Pokémon surrounded by a purple haze. It has a wide, pink mouth with two visible fangs. Though its eyes seem to extend past its round body, visible eyelids surround them. It produces a faint, sweet smell. The toxic gas surrounding the main body can induce fainting and suffocation, and it is capable of enshrouding an enemy of any size. Its gaseous form makes it one of the lightest Pokémon tying with Haunter, Flabébé, Cosmog, and Kartana.
The anime suggests that Gastly has a playful personality, often frightening and playing pranks on people for fun. However, it has shown a willingness to preserve or pass on the memories of departed humans. It has further been shown changing form and creating illusions, and it is capable of phasing through solid objects and forming tangible hands out of its gasses. Gastly can be found in caves, but the anime has shown it living in old, dilapidated buildings, as well. It will dwindle away when exposed to strong winds, so groups cluster under house eaves to escape the wind. It may also cause flickering lights in abandoned houses. In the past, Night Shade was its signature move.
Gastly debuted in The Ghost of Maiden's Peak. This Gastly had the ability to talk and shape-shift. He kept posing himself as the spirit of the woman which legend said turned to stone after 2,000 years of waiting for her love to return to her. As the ghost of the maiden, Gastly kept on toying with the minds of young men.
Two Gastly appeared in Fear Factor Phony as residents of an abandoned mining colony. The Ghost Pokémon couldn't stand the partying Psychic Pokémon that lived nearby, so they created a Haunter-like illusion to scare everyone away.
A Gastly appeared in PK15. It was one of the residents of a spooky house.
A Gastly appeared in Scary Hospitality!, under the ownership of Lon. It was used alongside Lon's Haunter and Gengar to scare visitors of the "Scary House". This included Ash, his friends, and later Team Rocket.
Gastly debuted in That Awful Arbok!, under the ownership of Koga, possessing the corpses of dead Pokémon in Pokémon Tower. Red's Bulbasaur managed to defeat it by sucking up the surrounding air with its bulb, along with Gastly's gaseous form, and expelling it in a Solar Beam. In the process, the two also freed Red's rival Blue, who was under its ghostly possession.
In Get Rid of The Ghost Pokémon!!, while Red, Clefairy and Pikachu were in Blue's mansion, they stumble across a Gastly that Clefairy ends up battling. However, since Blue didn't officially control it, it is unknown if it belongs to him.
Gastly appears in the 3DS version as an enemy in Smash Run mode, as well as a trophy. It is immune to melee attacks.
Trophy information
NA: This Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon is made up of several toxic gases—touching it would be really unpleasant. Instead, try to take it out with projectiles. It's not the fastest enemy in Smash Run, but occasionally it may try to chase down a fighter, so be careful around this gaseous foe.
PAL: In Smash Run, these Ghost- and Poison-type Pokémon tend to move slowly, and then, without warning, chase after you at high speed. You'll get hurt if they so much as come into contact with you, so be on your guard. As ghosts, they're immune to direct attacks. The only way to defeat them is to hit them with projectiles or items.
Game data
NPC appearances
Pokémon Pinball: Three Gastly appear in a bonus stage accessible from the Red Table. Once the player knocks them out, they must then proceed to defeat the subsequent pair of Haunter and the Gengar that appears.
Gastly is largely composed of gaseous matter. When exposed to a strong wind, the gaseous body quickly dwindles away. Groups of this Pokémon cluster under the eaves of houses to escape the ravages of wind.
Gastly is largely composed of gaseous matter. When exposed to a strong wind, the gaseous body quickly dwindles away. Groups of this Pokémon cluster under the eaves of houses to escape the ravages of wind.
Gastly seems to be based on general ghosts and spirits as depicted by cartoons, or even a will-o'-the-wisp. It may also have been based on the Japanese yōkaisōgen bi, the decapitated head of a monk whose head is doomed to wander the Earth, consumed by fire. Its Poison type is most likely a reference to poisonous or polluted gases.
Name origin
Gastly may be a combination of gas and ghastly (like a ghost; dreadfully frightening).
Ghos is a shortened form of ghost and may also incorporate gas into its name.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Gastly images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
