Gengar isn’t a routine wild spawn in Pokémon Legends: Z‑A. You’ll either evolve a Haunter through trading, snag a rare mission-only encounter, or take on a high-level Alpha later in the story. Here’s how each route works and when they become available.

All Gengar methods at a glance

Method Where/When Requirements Notes
Trade-evolve Haunter Available as soon as you have a Haunter Trading partner (local or online) No level requirement; Haunter evolves immediately upon trade
Scripted encounter Main Mission 20, Old Building Reach Mission 20 One-time Gengar appearance; miss it and you’ll need another method
Alpha Gengar Wild Zone 20 (center), after late-game unlocks Wild Zone 20 access (unlocks after Main Mission 38) Red-eyed Alpha, level 64+; appears day or night

Get Gengar by evolving Haunter (trade method)

Haunter evolves into Gengar only through trading. There’s no level gate. Once you trade your Haunter away, it evolves immediately and can be traded back so you keep your new Gengar.

  • Press X to open the menu.
  • Select Link Play > Link Trade.
  • Choose Nearby Players for local trades or Faraway Players for online trades.
  • Set and share an eight-digit Link Code with your trading partner.
  • Trade your Haunter; it evolves as soon as the trade completes.

Online trading requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership; local trading does not. If both trainers trade Haunter at the same time, you’ll both end up with Gengar.

Note: There’s no Linking Cord in Legends: Z‑A, so item-based trade evolutions aren’t an option here.

Catch a Gengar in Main Mission 20 (Old Building)

There’s a mission-only chance to catch Gengar in the Old Building during Main Mission 20. This is a scripted appearance and is the only known mid-story point where Gengar shows up in the wild. If you don’t secure a catch during this sequence, you’ll need to evolve a Haunter or wait for the Alpha later.

Find an Alpha Gengar in Wild Zone 20

After advancing the story far enough to unlock Wild Zone 20 (after Main Mission 38), you can find an Alpha Gengar in the center of the area. It’s a red-eyed Alpha that appears during daytime or nighttime and is level 60+, so come prepared with a team that can withstand heavy hits and status moves.

Where to catch Gastly (and evolve to Haunter)

If you’re planning to trade-evolve, start with Gastly. Head to the cemetery in Wild Zone 4, in the northern section of Lumiose City, once Wild Zones are unlocked. This area is packed with low-level Gastly, typically around levels 9–10, making it an easy early catch. Train Gastly to level 25 to evolve into Haunter, then trade to finish the line.

Tip: A Modest nature is a strong fit for Gengar’s special attack-focused movepool.

What to do if you missed the mission encounter

If the Old Building opportunity passes, trade a Haunter at any time for an immediate Gengar. If you prefer to catch one, keep progressing the story until Wild Zone 20 opens, then challenge the Alpha in the zone’s center.

In short, the trade route is the fastest and most reliable path to Gengar. The mission encounter offers an early shot, while the Alpha is your late-game trophy if you want to catch one outright.