Sandygast
Sandygast is a Ghost/Ground-type Pokémon, the Sand Heap Pokémon, number 769 (#0769) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 7 and comes from the Alola region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 70 kg.
Sandygast, the Sand Heap Pokémon, is a Ghost and Ground type: a mound of sand possessed by grudges, with a red shovel stuck in its head. The Pokédex says whoever sticks a hand in its mouth ends up under its control, forced to build its body bigger.
How to pronounce Sandygast
Sandygast is pronounced SAN-dee-gast. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Sandygast said out loud:
In Japanese it is スナバァ (Sunaba).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Sandygast is a mound of whitish sand with pebble eyes, a tunnel for a mouth and a small mound on each side for arms. It is 0.5 m (1'08") tall and weighs 70 kg (154.3 lb). The Pokédex says it forms when the grudges of the dead possess a heap of sand.
Behaviour
Sandygast loves the shovel on its head: the Pokédex says it fights any child who tries to take it back, and replaces a lost one with something like a branch. It flings sand into its prey's eyes but is so slow that the prey usually escapes. Bulbapedia says that in Alola, putting a hand in its mouth is apparently a way of proving your courage.
Habitat
The Pokédex says it mainly inhabits beaches. In Scarlet and Violet it appears in South, East and West Province and in the Asado Desert, and in Legends: Z-A it is a Mega Dimension DLC Pokémon in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Powers
Water Compaction sharply raises its Defense when a Water move hits it, and its hidden Ability, Sand Veil, boosts evasion in a sandstorm. It learns Absorb, Shadow Ball and Earth Power. With 80 base Defense and 70 base Special Attack it is a sturdy, clumsy special attacker.
Name origin
Sandygast may combine 'sandy' with 'ghast' (evil spirit). The Japanese name is Sunaba (スナバァ), which Bulbapedia links to sunaba ('sandbox') or suna ('sand') plus the peekaboo cry inai-inai-baa.
Design inspiration
Sandygast looks like a heap of sand not yet shaped into a castle, and its Shiny colouring may be based on black sand. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Sandygast evolves into Palossand at level 42.
In the games
Players find Sandygast on Hano Beach in Sun and Moon, where it debuted. In Sword and Shield the Expansion Pass added it to the Isle of Armor's Loop Lagoon.
In the anime
Sandygast debuted in 'A Shivering Shovel Search!', where one evolved into Palossand and another appeared in a flashback possessing Kiawe.
Fun facts
- No other Pokémon in the game data can learn Shore Up: only Sandygast and Palossand.
- Both fade onto the screen when sent out instead of dropping in, as only Diglett, Dugtrio, Wiglett and Wugtrio also do, Bulbapedia says.
- It is the slowest Ghost type introduced in Generation VII, and its base stat total of 320 is the lowest of any Ghost or Ground type from that generation.
Base stats
- HP: 55
- Attack: 55
- Defense: 80
- Sp. Atk: 70
- Sp. Def: 45
- Speed: 15
Sandygast’s base stat total is 320. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Sandygast weak to?
Sandygast takes extra damage from Water (2×), Grass (2×), Ice (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.
It resists Poison (¼×), Bug (½×), Rock (½×).
It is immune to Normal, Electric, Fighting moves.
Evolution
How does Sandygast evolve?
Sandygast evolves into Palossand at level 42.
The whole family: Sandygast, Palossand.
Abilities
- Water Compaction: Raises this Pokémon's Defense by two stages when it's hit by a Water move.
- Sand Veil (hidden ability): Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Moves
Moves Sandygast learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Harden | Normal | Status | — |
| 5 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 |
| 10 | Sand Tomb | Ground | Physical | 35 |
| 15 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 |
| 20 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — |
| 25 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 |
| 30 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — |
| 35 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 |
| 40 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 45 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 |
| 50 | Earth Power | Ground | Special | 90 |
| 55 | Shore Up | Ground | Status | — |
| 60 | Sandstorm | Rock | Status | — |
TM moves (43)
Sandygast can learn 43 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Confuse Ray, Chilling Water, Facade, Bulldoze, Hex, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Night Shade, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Sleep Talk, Rest, Rock Slide, Imprison, Flash Cannon, Skill Swap, Substitute, Iron Defense, Trick, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Stealth Rock, Energy Ball, Psychic, Amnesia, Earth Power, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Tera Blast, Sand Tomb, Spite, Gravity, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Scorching Sands, Curse.
Egg moves (6):Ancient Power, Curse, Destiny Bond, Spit Up, Stockpile, Swallow.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Amorphous.
- Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
- Catch rate: 140 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Defense effort value.
- Base experience yield: 64.
Pokédex entries
Sandygast mainly inhabits beaches. It takes control of anyone who puts their hand into its mouth, forcing them to make its body bigger. (Shield)
Grudges of the dead have possessed a mound of sand and become a Pokémon. Sandygast is fond of the shovel on its head. (Sword)
If you build sand mounds when you're playing, destroy them before you go home, or they may get possessed and become Sandygast. (Ultra Moon)
It likes the shovel on its head, so Sandygast will get serious and fight any children who come to take it back. (Ultra Sun)
It takes control of anyone who puts a hand in its mouth. And so it adds to the accumulation of its sand-mound body. (Moon)
Born from a sand mound playfully built by a child, this Pokémon embodies the grudges of the departed. (Sun)
Names around the world
| Japanese | スナバァ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Sunaba |
| French | Bacabouh |
| German | Sankabuh |
| Spanish | Sandygast |
| Italian | Sandygast |
| Korean | 모래꿍 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沙丘娃 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 沙丘娃 |
Trivia
- Lightest Ground type in Gen 7: 70 kg.
- Shortest Ground type in Gen 7: 0.5 m.
- Slowest Ground type in Gen 7: 15 Speed.
- Lowest base stat total among Ground types in Gen 7: 320.
- Slowest Ghost type in Gen 7: 15 Speed.
- Lowest base stat total among Ghost types in Gen 7: 320.
- Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
- Heavier than 75% of all Pokémon (70 kg).
- Base stat total 320, ranked #772 of 1,025.
- One of 5 Pokémon that are both Ghost and Ground.
- One of 147 brown Pokémon.
- Number 48 of 88 Pokémon introduced in Generation 7 (Alola).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 55 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 140: about 18.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 6 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: Sandygast (Pokémon), Serebii: Sandygast (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (SAN-dee-gast): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Ghost-type Pokémon · Ground-type Pokémon · Ghost/Ground weaknesses and matchups · Alola region guide · Water Compaction ability · Sand Veil ability · Compare Sandygast · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 7 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 7 Ground-type Pokémon · Gen 7 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with S