PvE Analysis: Halloween Event 2026 Part 2

Hello, Trainers! We hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween! True to one of Pokémon GO’s longest-running traditions, the Halloween 2026 Event is currently underway, bringing a host of spooky spawns, raids, costumes and event-exclusive encounters. More importantly for raiders, several featured Pokémon have genuine potential to make an impact in the current PvE meta. Let’s break down which ones are worth your time and resources.

What’s in the Wild?

The following Pokémon are appearing more frequently in the wild:

If you’re lucky, you may even encounter the following:

Afraid of Ghosts

As expected from a Halloween celebration, Ghost types dominate the event line-up, and several of them are far more than seasonal decoration. Using our DPS Comparer Tool, let’s see how these Pokémon fare in comparison to Top Ghost Attackers:

Pokémon	Moves	DPS	TDO	Score
Mega Chandelure	Hex Ominous Wind+	23.30	515.3	21
Dawn Wings Necrozma	Shadow Claw Moongeist Beam	21.13	560.4	19.4
Mega Gengar	Lick Shadow Ball	21.54	421.2	19.2
Shadow Darkrai	Snarl Shadow Ball	19.11	334.0	16.8
Mega Banette	Shadow Claw Shadow Ball	18.67	311.0	16.3
Shadow Chandelure	Hex Shadow Ball	18.56	271.3	15.9
Shadow Gengar	Lick Shadow Ball	18.52	225.4	15.4
Lunala	Shadow Claw Shadow Ball	16.19	489.5	15
Polteageist	Sucker Punch Shadow Ball	14.80	268.9	13.1
Shadow Palossand	Astonish Shadow Ball	12.83	230.4	11.3
Houndstone	Lick Shadow Ball	12.17	256.3	10.9
Decidueye	Astonish Spirit Shackle	11.94	244.0	10.7
Mega Sableye	Feint Attack Night Shade+	11.46	216.7	10.1

Gengar remains one of Pokémon GO’s most dependable Ghost raid attackers. With Shadow and Mega forms push that reputation even further, Mega Gengar sits just behind the newly introduced Mega Chandelure among Ghost attackers. With Mega Gengar’s eventual Mega Charged Attack still to come, its future PvE value will only improve. Since Gengar is appearing in the wild during the event, this is an excellent opportunity to grind for its XL Candies. Gigantamax Gengar is also a great addition to your Dynamax battle squads, and you’ll need Candy and XL Candy to optimise it too.

Litwick and Shuppet are also excellent targets for Trainers building out their Ghost raid rosters. Mega Chandelure’s Super Mega Raid Day has just concluded, making this an ideal window to collect any missing Litwick Candy or XL Candy. Shadow Chandelure ranks among the very best Ghost type raid attackers in the game, while Mega Chandelure goes a step further and currently stands as the very best Ghost attacker in the game. Mega Banette is a respectable alternative, though it trails both Mega Chandelure and Mega Gengar. It remains a useful stopgap for Trainers who have not yet built either of those Mega Evolutions.

Well, not every spooky addition is a PvE winner. Mega Sableye, despite receiving Night Shade+, does not make a meaningful impact in raids and remains primarily a PvP-oriented pick. Decidueye, Shadow Palossand and Houndstone similarly fall short of PvE relevance. Polteageist is the surprise of the group. Thanks to a strong 248 Attack stat and a serviceable moveset, it performs decently as a Ghost attacker and can serve as a backup option. However, its accessibility is limited because Sinistea is only available through raids, which makes building Polteageist less practical.

Starter Costumes: Rowlet & Froakie

Beyond the Ghost types, two costumed first-partner Pokémon are featured in the wild, Rowlet and Froakie. Both can evolve into their final forms, Decidueye and Greninja respectively, making them worth a closer look.

Decidueye does not impress as a Ghost attacker, but it performs somewhat better as a Grass attacker thanks to Frenzy Plant. Even so, it falls outside the Top 20 Grass Attackers, which is an underwhelming result for a Grass type starter. Unless you are collecting costumes or completing your Pokédex, Rowlet is not a high-priority PvE investment.

Pokémon	Moves	DPS	TDO	Score
Mega Starmie	Psywave Liquidation+	23.52	524.3	21.2
Mega Greninja	Water Shuriken Surf+	23.02	461.4	20.6
Primal Kyogre	Waterfall Origin Pulse	21.03	747.7	19.7
Mega Swampert	Water Gun Hydro Cannon	18.91	570.3	17.5
Shadow Kyogre	Waterfall Origin Pulse	19.00	444.0	17.2
Mega Blastoise	Water Gun Hydro Cannon	17.48	480.7	16.1
Shadow Greninja	Water Shuriken Hydro Cannon	17.85	249.2	15.2
Shadow Kingler	Bubble Crabhammer	17.70	244.7	15
Shadow Swampert	Water Gun Hydro Cannon	16.84	336.1	15
Kyogre	Waterfall Origin Pulse	16.04	449.7	14.8

Froakie is the real prize here. Both Shadow and Mega Greninja are excellent PvE additions. Shadow Greninja, using Water Shuriken and Hydro Cannon, is a budget but strong Water type raid attacker. Mega Greninja, equipped with Surf+, rises even higher and establishes itself within the Top 3 Water Attackers. Their Dark type performance is less spectacular, but Mega Greninja still reaches the Top 10 in that category.

Parting Words

Halloween 2026 may be themed around ghosts and ghouls, but the real treats this time are the raid-ready Pokémon hiding among the spooky spawns. Whether you are chasing XL Candy for Mega Gengar, completing your Chandelure line-up or farming Froakie for a top-tier Mega Greninja, there is plenty here to justify a few extra walks before the event ends.

If your resources are limited, prioritize in this order:

• Froakie — for Mega Greninja’s dual Water and Dark type performance.
• Litwick — to complete or strengthen Mega and Shadow Chandelure.
• Gengar — for XL Candy and future-proofing Mega Gengar and Gigantamax Gengar.
• Shuppet — as a more accessible Ghost type raid option.
• Rowlet — primarily for collection value rather than PvE strength.

As always, build for the roles you actually need. Choose your targets wisely, make the most of the boosted spawns, and enjoy the final stretch of the Halloween festivities. 

Stay safe! Happy hunting, Trainers, and may your next raid be fab-boo-lous!