#0972 · Paldea · Generation 9

Houndstone

Ghost Dog Pokémon · Ghost-type

Houndstone is a Ghost-type Pokémon, the Ghost Dog Pokémon, number 972 (#0972) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 2 m tall and weighs 15 kg.

According to the Pokédex, Houndstone is the most faithful dog Pokémon of all, a ghostly hound reborn from a lovingly mourned Pokémon. It spends most of its time asleep in graveyards, with a gravestone-shaped lump on its head.

How to pronounce Houndstone

Houndstone is pronounced HOWNDZ-tohn. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Houndstone said out loud:

In Japanese it is ハカドッグ (Hakadog).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Houndstone is 2 m tall and weighs 15 kg. It is a skeletal hound with long, shaggy whitish-grey fur that is light purple near the roots, covering its eyes and humped back. Bulbapedia says its legs and tail seem to float rather than attach to a torso. The lump on its head looks like a tombstone, and the Pokédex says it does not like anyone touching it.

Behaviour

Much of that sleep happens underground, with only the 'tombstone' poking out of the soil. The Legends: Z-A Pokédex says that it spent many years watching over its late master's grave before it became a Ghost-type Pokémon.

Habitat

Bulbapedia says Houndstone lives in boreal mountains. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in Dalizapa Passage, Glaseado Mountain, North Province (Area One) and Casseroya Lake, with a fixed encounter in South Province (Area Five), and in 4-star Tera Raid Battles.

Powers

Sand Rush doubles its Speed in a sandstorm, and its hidden Ability is Fluffy. It learns Last Respects on evolving, a Ghost move that grows stronger for each fainted ally, and adds Play Rough, Phantom Force and Crunch. With base Attack 101, Defense 100 and Special Defense 97 it hits hard and takes hits well.

Name origin

Houndstone is 'hound' plus 'headstone'. The Japanese name is Hakadog (ハカドッグ), which combines haka ('tomb') and 'dog'.

Design inspiration

Houndstone's skeletal look and Ghost typing may draw on how the undead are usually pictured. The lump on its head suggests both a headstone and a bone, its raised back may recall a tumulus (a mound of earth over a grave), and its reputation as the most loyal dog may point to the White Cadejo, a spirit dog of Central American folklore. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Houndstone evolves from Greavard when levelled up at night from level 30, and is the final stage.

In the games

Montenevera's Ghost-type Gym Leader Ryme uses a level 41 Houndstone in her Gym battle in Scarlet and Violet, where it debuted. In Legends: Z-A it appears in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose, in the 4-star Ghost-type wild zones.

In the anime

Houndstone debuted in 'Wattrel's High Wind Warning!' as Ryme's Pokémon. She uses it again against Roy in 'Resonating Spirits in a Challenge to Ryme!'.

Fun facts

• Houndstone weighs 15 kg against Greavard's 35 kg, which makes it a rare Pokémon that is lighter than its pre-evolution.
• Bulbapedia says the base power of Last Respects can in theory reach 5,050, because each of 100 faints in one battle adds 50 and revived Pokémon count again.
• At 2 m it is the tallest of the Ghost types introduced in Generation IX, according to poke.si's records.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Houndstone (Pokémon) · Serebii: Houndstone (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 72
• Attack: 101
• Defense: 100
• Sp. Atk: 50
• Sp. Def: 97
• Speed: 68

Houndstone’s base stat total is 488. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Houndstone weak to?

Houndstone takes extra damage from Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (½×), Bug (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

What does Houndstone evolve from?

Houndstone evolves from Greavard at level 30 (at night).

Houndstone is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Greavard, Houndstone.

Abilities

• Sand Rush: Doubles Speed during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
• Fluffy (hidden ability): Damage from contact moves is halved. Damage from Fire moves is doubled.

Moves

Moves Houndstone learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Houndstone learns the move the moment it evolves: Last Respects.

TM moves (43)

Houndstone can learn 43 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Confuse Ray, Thief, Facade, Bulldoze, Hex, Snarl, Mud Shot, Night Shade, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Dig, Psychic Fangs, Sleep Talk, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Body Press, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Crunch, Trick, Shadow Ball, Play Rough, Helping Hand, Phantom Force, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Uproar, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Double-Edge, Endeavor.

Egg moves (7), which Greavard can hatch knowing:Ally Switch, Destiny Bond, Disable, Howl, Memento, Shadow Sneak, Yawn.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Attack effort values.
• Base experience yield: 171.

Pokédex entries

A lovingly mourned Pokémon was reborn as Houndstone. It doesn't like anyone touching the protuberance atop its head. (Violet)

Houndstone spends most of its time sleeping in graveyards. Among all the dog Pokémon, this one is most loyal to its master. (Scarlet)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Tallest Ghost type in Gen 9: 2 m.
• Taller than 87% of all Pokémon (2 m).
• Heavier than 36% of all Pokémon (15 kg).
• Base stat total 488, ranked #366 of 1,025.
• One of 65 Ghost-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 88 white Pokémon.
• Number 67 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 57 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 2 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Houndstone (Pokémon), Serebii: Houndstone (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (HOWNDZ-tohn): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Ghost-type Pokémon · Paldea region guide · Sand Rush ability · Fluffy ability · Compare Houndstone · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 9 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Pokémon list · White Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with H · Dog Pokémon

← Greavard | Flamigo →