Shiny Greavard is in Pokémon GO for the first time during Halloween 2026 Part II, from Sunday, November 1 at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, November 5 at 8:00 p.m. local time. According to the official Part II post, you can find Greavard in the wild, through GO Pass tasks and from Field Research, and any of them can be Shiny “if you’re lucky”. Evolving it into Houndstone costs 50 Greavard Candy, and a Shiny Greavard becomes a Shiny Houndstone.
This guide covers how to get it, how to collect the Candy fast, and what Houndstone’s best moveset is in PvP and raids, with the numbers from PvPoke, Pokebattler and Pokémon GO Hub. Checked October 31, 2026, 22:10 UTC, when Part II was already live in New Zealand.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: Shiny Greavard in Pokémon GO
- When: Nov 1, 10:00 a.m. to Nov 5, 8:00 p.m. local. New Zealand started at 21:00 UTC on Oct 31; the US East Coast starts at 15:00 UTC on Nov 1 (after the clocks go back).
- Where (official): wild spawns, GO Pass: Halloween 2026 tasks and event Field Research. All three can give a Shiny.
- Shiny odds: Niantic doesn’t publish them, so wild catches are your best bet simply because they give the most encounters.
- GO Pass: a Greavard encounter at Rank 45 and 10 Greavard Candy at Rank 46 (3 Candy XL on Deluxe), per Leek Duck’s copy of the pass.
- Evolution: 50 Greavard Candy, no item or buddy task (official).
- Houndstone PvP moveset: Bite with Shadow Ball and Psychic Fangs (PvPoke, Great and Ultra League).
- Houndstone raid moveset: Lick with Shadow Ball (Pokémon GO Hub and Pokebattler).
- Weakness: Dark and Ghost. It resists Normal, Fighting, Bug and Poison.
Greavard and Houndstone debuted in Halloween 2023; Greavard's Shiny form arrives on November 1, 2026. Image: Pokémon GO / Scopely
How to get Shiny Greavard during Halloween Part II
Niantic names three sources for Greavard in Part II. Here’s how they compare, with the details Leek Duck lists for each:
| Source | What you get | Shiny? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild spawns | Greavard, with Litwick, costumed Rowlet and rare costumed Gengar | Yes | Unlimited rolls for 5 days. Each catch is also Candy for the evolution. |
| GO Pass: Halloween 2026 (free track) | Rank 45: Greavard encounter. Rank 46: 10 Greavard Candy | Yes | Same rank on Deluxe, but Rank 46 gives 3 Greavard Candy XL instead. |
| Event Field Research | Encounters with event Pokémon, Greavard included | Yes | Tasks not announced yet as of Oct 31, 22:10 UTC (Leek Duck says the same). |
The GO Pass is the slow route: at 100 GO Points per rank, Rank 45 means 4,500 points. The free daily tasks (“Catch 6 Ghost-type Pokémon” and “Catch 13 Pokémon”, 50 points each) and the bonus tasks Leek Duck lists (31 Ghost-type catches, 66 catches and 2 raid wins, 200 points each) all reward the same thing you’re doing anyway: catching Ghost types. If you’ve been playing since October 27, you may already be close.
Field Research is the open question. Niantic only says “event-themed Field Research tasks” will reward event Pokémon, and neither Niantic nor Leek Duck had published the task list when we checked. Spin PokéStops early on November 1 and keep any task that shows a Greavard reward.
Tips for finding a Shiny Greavard
- Tap every Greavard you see. A Shiny shows up on the encounter screen, so checking is free even if you don’t throw a ball.
- Play in Fog weather if you can. Greavard is a Ghost type, and Pokémon GO Hub lists it as boosted by Fog. That only raises its level and IVs, not its Shiny chance.
- Use Incense and Lures in the event window. They draw more spawns, and the event spawn pool includes Greavard.
- Don’t look for it in raids. Greavard isn’t a Part II raid boss; the one-star bosses are costumed Pikachu and Sinistea.
Greavard evolution: how to evolve into Houndstone
Greavard evolves into Houndstone for 50 Greavard Candy. Niantic confirmed the price when both Pokémon debuted in Halloween 2023 Part I, and Pokémon GO Hub and Serebii list the same cost today. There’s no evolution item, buddy distance or special task. A Shiny Greavard always evolves into a Shiny Houndstone, so you don’t need a second Shiny.
| Greavard | Houndstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ghost | Ghost |
| Base stats (Atk / Def / HP) | 105 / 106 / 137 | 186 / 195 / 176 |
| Max CP, level 40 | 1,016 | 2,514 |
| Max CP, level 50 | 1,149 | 2,842 |
| Buddy distance | 3 km | 3 km |
| Second Charged Attack | 50 Candy + 50,000 Stardust | |
Stats, CP and costs: Pokémon GO Hub database, checked Oct 31, 2026.
The fastest way to get 50 Greavard Candy
Pokémon GO Hub lists 3 Candy for each Greavard catch. Part II stacks several boosts on top of that:
- GO Pass Rank 10: 2× Candy for catching Pokémon (3× with Deluxe), for the rest of the event.
- A Ghost-type Mega: a Mega-Evolved Pokémon gives extra Candy when you catch Pokémon that share its type. Mega Sableye (Dark/Ghost) is the obvious pick this week, and at the new Super Max level it gives “greatly increased” Catch Candy, per Niantic. Our Super Max Mega Level guide explains how much Mega Energy that takes. Mega Gengar, Mega Banette and Mega Chandelure boost Ghost catches too.
- Pinap Berries: they double the Candy from a catch. Save them for Greavard rather than Litwick.
- Rank 46 and Rare Candy: the pass gives 10 Greavard Candy at Rank 46, and Part II’s free Timed Research gives 6 Rare Candies you can turn into Greavard Candy.
- Transfer the extras: each transfer returns 1 Candy. Keep the Shiny, plus one with good PvP IVs (see below).
With the Rank 10 bonus alone, each Greavard catch gives 6 Candy before any Mega or Pinap bonus, plus 1 more when you transfer it, so 50 Candy comes quickly. That’s also why the wild is the best route for both the Shiny and the Candy.
Houndstone best moveset
Houndstone can learn two Fast Attacks (Lick, Bite) and four Charged Attacks (Shadow Ball, Psychic Fangs, Play Rough, Dig). Pokémon GO Hub marks none of them as legacy, so a normal TM is enough if you get the wrong set. The best choice depends on where you use it.
| Use | Fast Attack | Charged Attacks | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great League / Ultra League | Bite | Shadow Ball + Psychic Fangs | PvPoke rankings (Oct 31 data) |
| Raids and Gym attacks | Lick | Shadow Ball | Pokémon GO Hub, Pokebattler |
| Little Cup (as Greavard) | Bite | Shadow Ball + Psychic Fangs | PvPoke Little Cup rankings |
Houndstone is a fun pick rather than a meta one: PvPoke ranks it outside the top 450 in both Great and Ultra League. AI-generated illustration
Houndstone PvP: Great League and Ultra League
PvPoke recommends Bite, Shadow Ball and Psychic Fangs in both leagues. Bite charges energy faster than Lick (4 energy per turn against 3), which matters because Houndstone’s best move is the 50-energy Shadow Ball. Psychic Fangs is the cheap bait (35 energy) and lowers the opponent’s Defense every time it lands. Pokémon GO Hub counts 9 Bites to the first Psychic Fangs and 13 Bites to the first Shadow Ball.
Be realistic about it, though. In PvPoke’s open-source ranking data (updated Oct 31), Houndstone is:
- Great League: #663 of 1,154, score 70.6.
- Ultra League: #485 of 851, score 72.7 (its best league).
- Mega Halloween Cup: Great League Edition (Ghost is eligible; runs until Nov 3, 1:00 p.m. PT): #311 of 377, score 59.8. Mega Sableye is its worst matchup there.
Pokémon GO Hub’s verdict is “Not Recommended” in all three main leagues: its stats are odd for a pure Ghost type (high Defense, middling Attack, low HP). In PvPoke’s sims, its Ultra League wins include Skeledirge, Jellicent, Virizion and Stunfisk; it loses to Zygarde (Complete), Corviknight, Florges, Empoleon and Tinkaton. In Great League it beats Galarian Corsola, Shadow Ninetales and Altaria, and loses to Melmetal, Mimikyu and Tinkaton.
If you still want a fun pick, Pokémon GO Hub’s highest stat-product IVs are 1/14/15 at level 22.5 (1,500 CP) for Great League and 0/14/15 at level 46 (2,500 CP) for Ultra League. Houndstone passes 1,500 CP early, so low Attack IVs work best. Check your catches before you transfer them.
Houndstone in raids
For raids, use Lick and Shadow Ball. Pokémon GO Hub gives that set 12.17 DPS and 256.3 TDO and ranks Houndstone #58 (C tier) among Ghost attackers. Its own advice is to use other Ghost types if you have them.
Pokebattler’s simulator says the same. Against this week’s five-star Giratina (Origin Forme), a Ghost/Dragon boss that takes extra damage from Ghost moves, Lick/Shadow Ball Houndstone ranks 23rd of the 30 Ghost-type attackers it lists (level 40, no weather, Megas and Shadows excluded). Pokebattler estimates about 3.4 trainers with a full team of Houndstone, against about 3.1 for Gengar and 2.9 for Chandelure. It’s a usable filler if you’ve already powered one up, not a reason to spend Stardust. For better options, see our Giratina Origin and Mega Sableye raid counters.
Greavard in Little Cup
Greavard is eligible for 500 CP Little Cup. PvPoke ranks it #249 of 528 there (score 72.5) with the same Bite, Shadow Ball and Psychic Fangs set. Pokémon GO Hub’s write-up is warmer and calls it a strong Little Cup pick, so it’s worth keeping one unevolved if you play that format.
Houndstone weakness and resistances
| Attack type | Damage taken |
|---|---|
| Dark, Ghost | 160% (weak) |
| Bug, Poison | 62.5% (resists) |
| Normal, Fighting | 39.1% (double resist) |
This applies to Greavard too, as both are pure Ghost. In Pokémon GO, a type that the main games treat as an immunity becomes a double resistance, which is why Normal and Fighting moves do 39.1% instead of nothing.
Part II dates for the Greavard hunt
- Sun Nov 1, 10:00 a.m. local: Part II starts with the new Greavard spawns. Part I’s Timed Research expires at the same moment, so claim it first.
- Tue Nov 3, 1:00 p.m. PT: the Mega Halloween Cup ends.
- Thu Nov 5, 8:00 p.m. local: Part II, the Greavard spawns and the GO Pass tasks end.
- Sat Nov 7, 8:00 p.m. local: last chance to claim GO Pass rewards, including the Rank 45 Greavard and Rank 46 Candy.
For the full Part II spawn list, raid rotation and day-by-day plan, see our Pokémon GO Halloween 2026 Part 2 guide. Part I, the costumes and the earlier Shiny debuts are in our Pokémon GO Halloween 2026 guide, and the rest of the month is in our November 2026 events calendar.
FAQ
Is Shiny Greavard in Pokémon GO?
Yes, from November 1, 2026. Halloween 2026 Part II is its official Shiny debut. Greavard itself has been in the game since Halloween 2023, but it couldn’t be Shiny until now.
How many Candy does it take to evolve Greavard?
50 Greavard Candy. There’s no item or buddy requirement.
Does a Shiny Greavard evolve into a Shiny Houndstone?
Yes. Evolving a Shiny Pokémon keeps it Shiny, so one Shiny Greavard and 50 Candy gives you a Shiny Houndstone.
What is Houndstone’s best moveset in Pokémon GO?
Bite with Shadow Ball and Psychic Fangs for Great and Ultra League (PvPoke), and Lick with Shadow Ball for raids (Pokémon GO Hub and Pokebattler).
What is Houndstone weak to?
Dark and Ghost moves, which deal 160% damage. It resists Normal and Fighting (39.1%) and Bug and Poison (62.5%).
Sources: Pokémon GO official news: Halloween 2026 Part II, Halloween 2023 Part I (Greavard debut, 50 Candy evolution); Leek Duck: Halloween 2026 Part II (GO Pass ranks and tasks); Leek Duck: Mega Halloween Cup; Pokémon GO Hub database: Greavard, Houndstone, Houndstone PvP; Serebii: Greavard in Pokémon GO; PvPoke ranking data (Great League, Ultra League, Little Cup, Mega Halloween Cup); Pokebattler: Giratina (Origin Forme) raid simulations. Checked October 31, 2026, 22:10 UTC.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
