Gengar

Biodata

Power Progression

Recorded Stats

Background / History

Wanted Ghost and Recruitment

Before joining Su Bai, Gengar traveled through more than a dozen cities frightening people, leaving wanted posters behind him. In J City, several victims lost consciousness, and Qi Shijun searched for him. Gengar encountered Su Bai in an alley, creating bleeding walls, ghostly figures, and a sudden drop in temperature. Su Bai’s Devon Scope exposed the deception, although Gengar’s face still startled him 27 28.

Gengar initially refused recruitment because his wanted status would endanger Su Bai. Premium Pokéblocks tempted him, but Su Bai secured his cooperation by sharing urban legends, horror stories, and memories of horror films from his previous life. Gengar accepted restrictions on his pranks and entered the Black Market Ball. Su Bai then used Chosen Lucky One randomization, requesting an appearance that others would not recognize 28.

Pranks and Wildfire Rescue

Su Bai selected Old Gao as Gengar’s first authorized target. Gengar combined Hypnosis and Confuse Ray to create elaborate nightmares while putting Old Gao’s wife and child to sleep rather than frightening them. When the family’s Herdier detected him, Gengar nearly drained it dry with Giga Drain, reasoning that Su Bai’s prohibition against hurting people did not cover their Pokémon 29.

During the Ten Directions Mountains wildfire, Gengar carried Su Bai, Cassidy, and Butch to safety after the Team Rocket trio had been sent away. He hypnotized the two captives for questioning, then changed their memories so they remembered a wild Gengar rescuing them instead of Su Bai. He subsequently left them near Wang Officer Jenny for arrest 43.

Bodyguard Training and Cynthia’s Battles

While Su Bai visited Origin Temple without him, Gengar worked on clone control and a modified Protect. His success produced the Gengar Suit, a disguise and defensive technique that Su Bai could wear. The demonstration briefly convinced Arcanine that Gengar had swallowed their trainer 74.

When Cynthia’s Spiritomb used Hypnosis to make an exhausted Su Bai sleep, Gengar immediately deployed the suit and attacked with Night Shade. Pikachu intervened, and Cynthia reassured Gengar that she meant no harm. Gengar then accompanied her on a series of challenges against high-scoring Major League competitors. Under her direction, he defeated Yao Jie’s Onix and Rapidash, using a Toxic Orb she supplied to strengthen his poison 85 86.

Gengar later guarded Su Bai and Pikachu during a dangerous Life Orb experiment. He restrained unstable energy with Psychic and Protect, helped keep Su Bai conscious, and caught the pair with Arcanine when they collapsed. After Su Bai recovered, he discovered that Gengar had hidden the Life Orb 93.

Distortion World and Kanto

In the Distortion World, Gengar absorbed its energy and fed on wicked souls in Reincarnation Town. Souls’ appearances revealed their moral character, allowing him to distinguish his targets. Giratina approved of his feeding rather than objecting 123.

Gengar later socialized with Cynthia’s Spiritomb, appeared alongside Su Bai’s other Pokémon at Professor Oak’s Laboratory, and learned Rock Smash during the journey through Victory Road 124 128 132.

Appearance

Gengar has a plump body, a large belly, stubby hands, stark white teeth, and blood-red eyes. Randomization changes his original purple appearance into a purple-and-white shiny form 27 28 29.

• White belly: Explicitly described after randomization 44.
• Large scarlet tongue: Retains a bluish tint in his shiny form 29.
• Shadow-like body: Can pass through barriers and emerge from shadows or beneath doors 28 106.
• Pale-purple clone: His trained double resembles him closely enough to serve as a disguise 74.

Personality

Gengar is proud of his frightening tricks, mischievous, and quick to tease Su Bai. Despite his age, he reacts comically to surprises: when Su Bai first shouts about a ghost, Gengar panics before remembering that he is the ghost. His early distrust of humans gives way to admiration when Su Bai teaches him genuinely unsettling horror scenarios 27 28.

He enjoys lounging on the sofa, drinking cola, and watching television. Su Bai turns those habits into training incentives, requiring him to use Psychic for everyday tasks and rewarding successful practice with colder, better cola. Gengar can be coaxed into enthusiasm almost immediately when another bottle is offered 64 71 74 106.

His affection is often hidden beneath jokes and an elder’s swagger. He recognizes Arcanine’s sincere concern for Su Bai, defends Su Bai against an apparent attack from Cynthia, and removes the Life Orb after witnessing its danger. His protective loyalty does not eliminate his ruthlessness: he exploits loopholes in the rules and willingly drains wicked souls 29 74 85 93 123.

Abilities & Skills

Huge Power and Physical Combat

Randomization makes physical combat a major part of Gengar’s fighting style. With 110 base Attack and Huge Power, Su Bai considers his boosted physical strength equivalent to a base Attack exceeding 200 29 39.

• Shadow Punch: Knocks Yao Jie’s Rapidash unconscious with one hit under Cynthia’s command 86.
• Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Fire Punch: Included in his randomized moveset. Ice Punch freezes more than half a wall, and Fire Punch melts the ice and dries the plaster 29.
• Drain Punch: Combines physical damage with recovery; brings Onix down to the sliver of health preserved by Sturdy 39 85 86.
• Rock Smash: Learned on Victory Road 132.

Psychic and Telepathy

Gengar communicates directly with humans through telepathy and uses Psychic for manipulation and support 28 43.

• Memory viewing: Receives Su Bai’s horror-film memories through telepathy 28.
• Interpretation: Relays Pikachu’s wishes to Su Bai during the wildfire 43.
• Fine control: Under Cynthia’s direction, grabs one of Rapidash’s legs rather than its entire body, causing it to fall during Flame Charge 86.
• Support: Lifts Eevee during play and cushions Pikachu during the Life Orb experiment 93 112.
• Limit: Cannot carry everyone in the wildfire group at once; Su Bai reduces the group before escaping 43.

Hypnosis, Illusions, and Memory Alteration

Gengar’s original specialty is frightening people through sleep, hallucinations, and manipulated surroundings 27 28.

• Hypnosis + Confuse Ray: Creates layered nightmares for Old Gao 29.
• Memory alteration: Removes Su Bai’s involvement from Cassidy and Butch’s recollections and substitutes a wild-Gengar rescue 43.
• Medical assistance: Puts Eevee to sleep so Su Bai can examine and treat her poisoned eyes with Viridian Force 49.
• Countermeasures: A Devon Scope exposes his alley illusions. Su Bai also notes that Foresight can reveal conventional Ghost-type scare tricks 27 28.
• Detection risk: Su Bai believes Qi Shijun’s Gardevoir could uncover the altered memories through a direct psychic probe 43.

Gengar Suit

The Gengar Suit combines a shaped Substitute with a nearly invisible Protect while Gengar remains in Su Bai’s shadow 74.

• Disguise: Wraps a Gengar-shaped clone around Su Bai.
• Protection: Adds an outer clone layer and a body-fitting barrier against surprise attacks.
• Mobility: Gengar’s energy increases Su Bai’s speed and lifts his feet off the ground, but does not let him fly.
• Safety: Protect separates Su Bai from potentially harmful Ghost- and Poison-type energy.
• Clone limits: At its first successful demonstration, the clone can perform only simple movements and use Shadow Ball.
• Rapid deployment: Envelops Su Bai in half a second when Spiritomb uses Hypnosis 85.

Special Attacks and Status Moves

Gengar retains strong special offense despite Su Bai’s emphasis on physical moves: his randomized Special Attack rises to 145 29.

• Psychic, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, and Night Shade: Documented special or energy-based attacks 29 74 85.
• Toxic and Will-O-Wisp: Add poison and burn options to his sleep and confusion tactics 29.
• Toxic Orb synergy: Cynthia’s orb makes his Toxic potent enough to leave affected opponents severely weakened after treatment 86.
• Rain Dance limitation: Su Bai avoids using it deep inside the wildfire because Gengar cannot control weather on that scale; evaporating rain could create dangerous steam 43.

Shadow Movement and Energy Absorption

Gengar regularly conceals himself in Su Bai’s shadow and can pass through physical barriers 28 32 106.

• Concealment limit: Experienced Ghost-type specialists such as Professor Carolina can detect him 32.
• Learning by observation: Watches Ren Xiaoyi’s Gengar travel through connected forest shadows and signals that he has learned from it 97.
• Energy feeding: Absorbs Distortion World energy and drains wicked souls, which are especially appetizing to Ghost-type Pokémon 123.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Black Market Ball — The ball Gengar voluntarily enters when joining Su Bai 28.
• Wide Lens — Listed as his held item immediately after randomization 29.
• Spell Tag — Given by Professor Carolina, who places it on his belly after he massages her shoulders 33.
• Toxic Orb — Supplied by Cynthia and held in his mouth during her battle campaign; strengthens his Toxic 86.

Relationships

• Su Bai — Trainer, horror-story teacher, and frequent target of teasing. Gengar becomes his concealed bodyguard and protects him during dangerous experiments 28 74 93.
• Cynthia — Initially treated as a threat when Spiritomb hypnotizes Su Bai; earns his trust and commands him during her Major League challenges 85 86.
• Pikachu — Teammate; Gengar interprets his speech and helps stabilize him during the Life Orb experiment. Pikachu mediates Gengar’s confrontation with Cynthia 43 85 93.
• Arcanine — Gengar enjoys his reactions to pranks but explicitly admires his devotion to Su Bai 74.
• Eevee — Helps make her eye treatment possible and later uses Psychic to play with her 49 112.
• Totodile — Protects him from Eevee’s Flamethrower during a quarrel 113.
• Professor Carolina — Detects his hiding place, receives a shoulder massage from him, and rewards him with a Spell Tag 32 33.
• Qi Shijun — Former pursuer whom Gengar recognizes and fears; enjoys watching Professor Carolina overrule him 27 33.
• Spiritomb — Blocks Gengar’s Night Shade during the misunderstanding with Cynthia; later welcomes his attempts at friendship 85 124.
• Giratina — Approves of Gengar draining wicked souls in Reincarnation Town 123.

Notable Quotes

“Kid, you’re even better at scaring people than I am. Just for that skill alone, I’ll stick with you.” 28

“Kid, listen to me. You need to treat this silly dog better. He was genuinely worried about you just now. I like him.” 74

Trivia

• He is not Ren Xiaoyi’s Gengar. The two are present simultaneously during the Major League final: Old Ghost watches from Su Bai’s shadow while Ren Xiaoyi’s guardian battles Pikachu. The documented Mega Evolution belongs to her Gengar, not Su Bai’s 97.
• Su Bai keeps his details private. Even after adding system functions to his Pokédex, Su Bai does not immediately register Gengar 108.
• His recruitment rules are specific: no frightening elderly people or children, no excessive scares that cause harm, obedience to Su Bai, and no scaring people whenever he pleases 28.