Best Sun & Moon Pokemon

Sun & Moon Tier List

Alola's roster ranked. Sun and Moon replaced gyms with Island Trials and Totem Pokemon, which changes what you need from your team. Z-Moves give every Pokemon one big nuke per battle, and Alolan forms turn classic Gen 1 Pokemon into completely different typings. No Mega Stones until postgame, so Z-Crystals are your main power boost.

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BEST POKEMON IN SUN & MOON

Game NotesAlolaGen 7~21s read

Sun and Moon replaced gyms with Island Trials, and that changes how the tier list works. Instead of gym leaders, you face Totem Pokemon — buffed wild Pokemon with stat boosts and ally calls. Mimikyu's Disguise ability gives it a free hit in every fight. Toxapex walls almost everything with Regenerator. Alolan forms like Alolan Ninetales (Ice/Fairy) turn familiar Pokemon into completely different threats. Mega Stones aren't available until postgame, so Z-Moves are your primary power spike.

Pokemon Spotlight

#1
Garchomp
Garchomp
600
AGarchomp
#1 Pick#0445

Garchomp

dragongroundAtk 130
Base Stat Total600/720

102 Speed edges out the base-100 crowd, and 130 Attack with Earthquake plus Dragon Claw hits most of Alola hard. Sand Veil gives evasion in sandstorm, though it's inconsistent to rely on. Dragon/Ground coverage is nearly unresisted outside Fairy and Flying types in Sun and Moon.

Garchomp — A Tier, 600 BST

102 Speed edges out the base-100 crowd, and 130 Attack with Earthquake plus Dragon Claw hits most of Alola hard. Sand Veil gives evasion in sandstorm, though it's inconsistent to rely on. Dragon/Ground coverage is nearly unresisted outside Fairy and Flying types in Sun and Moon.

#2
Lunala
Lunala
680
SLunala
#2 Pick#0792

Lunala

psychicghostSpA 137
Base Stat Total680/720

Moon's box legendary. Shadow Shield works like Multiscale, halving damage at full HP. 137 Sp. Atk on Psychic/Ghost with Moongeist Beam ignoring abilities. 680 BST and two immunities (Normal and Fighting) make Lunala one of Sun and Moon's best defensive threats.

Lunala — S Tier, 680 BST

Moon's box legendary. Shadow Shield works like Multiscale, halving damage at full HP. 137 Sp. Atk on Psychic/Ghost with Moongeist Beam ignoring abilities. 680 BST and two immunities (Normal and Fighting) make Lunala one of Sun and Moon's best defensive threats.

#3
Pheromosa
Pheromosa
570
APheromosa
#3 Pick#0795

Pheromosa

bugfightingSpe 151
Base Stat Total570/720

151 Speed makes Pheromosa the fastest non-priority attacker in Sun and Moon's metagame. 137 Attack and 137 Sp. Atk are both threatening, so physical or special sets work equally. Beast Boost raises the highest stat on each KO, snowballing into a sweep if left unchecked. Paper-thin 37/37 defenses mean one hit ends it.

Pheromosa — A Tier, 570 BST

151 Speed makes Pheromosa the fastest non-priority attacker in Sun and Moon's metagame. 137 Attack and 137 Sp. Atk are both threatening, so physical or special sets work equally. Beast Boost raises the highest stat on each KO, snowballing into a sweep if left unchecked. Paper-thin 37/37 defenses mean one hit ends it.

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S
Meta-Defining 5 Pokemon
Z-Moves and Alolan forms give these the edge in Alola's Trial-based format. No gym battles, different rules.
  • #1
    Solgaleo
    Solgaleo
    PsychicSteel
    WallbreakerPHYSICAL
    680BSTHP137Atk137Def107Spe97SpD89SpA113
    HP
    137
    Atk
    137
    Def
    107
    SpA
    113
    SpD
    89
    Spe
    97
    AbilityFull Metal Body
    NatureJolly
    ItemSolganiumz
    Sunsteel Strike100
    Earthquake100
    Flare Blitz120
    Zen Headbutt80
    Altar of the Sunne
    Lv.55Static
    HP
    137
    Atk
    137
    Def
    107
    SpA
    113
    SpD
    89
    Spe
    97
  • #2
    Lunala
    Lunala
    PsychicGhost
    WallbreakerSPECIAL
    680BSTHP137Atk113Def89Spe97SpD107SpA137
    HP
    137
    Atk
    113
    Def
    89
    SpA
    137
    SpD
    107
    Spe
    97
    AbilityShadow Shield
    NatureTimid
    ItemLunaliumz
    Moongeist Beam100
    Moonblast95
    Ice Beam90
    Psyshock80
    Altar of the Moone
    Lv.55Static
    HP
    137
    Atk
    113
    Def
    89
    SpA
    137
    SpD
    107
    Spe
    97
  • #3
    Magearna
    Magearna
    SteelFairy
    WallbreakerSPECIAL
    600BSTHP80Atk95Def115Spe65SpD115SpA130
    HP
    80
    Atk
    95
    Def
    115
    SpA
    130
    SpD
    115
    Spe
    65
    AbilitySoul-Heart
    NatureCalm
    ItemAssault Vest
    Fleur Cannon130
    Volt Switch70
    Ice Beam90
    Hidden Power Fire60
    HP
    80
    Atk
    95
    Def
    115
    SpA
    130
    SpD
    115
    Spe
    65
  • #4
    Marshadow
    Marshadow
    FightingGhost
    SweeperPHYSICAL
    600BSTHP90Atk125Def80Spe125SpD90SpA90
    HP
    90
    Atk
    125
    Def
    80
    SpA
    90
    SpD
    90
    Spe
    125
    AbilityTechnician
    NatureJolly
    ItemLife Orb
    Spectral Thief90
    Shadow Sneak40
    Close Combat120
    Rock Tomb60
    HP
    90
    Atk
    125
    Def
    80
    SpA
    90
    SpD
    90
    Spe
    125
  • Tapu Koko
A
Strong Picks 7 Pokemon
Your Trial and Totem fight squad. Good stats and available before the late game.
D
Niche 1 Pokemon
Stronger Pokemon come earlier with better coverage. Not worth training in Sun & Moon.

FAQ

  • Mimikyu. Ghost/Fairy is one of the best defensive typings in the game, and Disguise gives it a free turn in every fight. Toxapex with Regenerator walls almost everything in Alola. Mudsdale from Mudbray on Route 4 with Stamina gets bulkier every time it's hit. For late-game raw power, Garchomp is available from Gible in Haina Desert.

  • Litten. Incineroar's Fire/Dark typing hits a wide range of Trials super effectively, and 115 Attack makes it the hardest-hitting starter. Popplio into Primarina (Water/Fairy) is a close second with great Sp. Atk and Fairy STAB that checks Dragon. Rowlet into Decidueye (Grass/Ghost) has the coolest typing but the slowest stats.

  • Alolan forms are regional variants of Gen 1 Pokemon with different types, stats, and abilities. Alolan Ninetales (Ice/Fairy) gets Snow Warning and is one of the best Fairy-types available. Alolan Marowak (Fire/Ghost) with Lightning Rod counters Electric-types cleanly. Alolan Muk (Poison/Dark) with Poison Touch hits hard and only has one weakness (Ground).

  • Z-Moves let any Pokemon use one massively powerful move per battle. You need a Z-Crystal that matches the move's type. This means any Pokemon with good stats can nuke one threat per fight, leveling the playing field somewhat. Z-Moves boost slower, bulkier Pokemon since they can absorb a hit and then fire off a Z-Move to remove the biggest threat. Infernium Z on Incineroar can one-shot most Totem Pokemon.

  • Incineroar (starter), Mudsdale from Mudbray on Route 4, Toxapex from Mareanie via SOS chain on Route 9, Mimikyu from the Thrifty Megamart trial, Magnezone from Magnemite at the Trainers' School, and Alolan Ninetales from Vulpix near Tapu Village. Handles every Trial Captain and Kahuna without needing to swap mid-game.

  • Sun gets Solgaleo (Psychic/Steel) and Moon gets Lunala (Psychic/Ghost). Lunala is the better pick for in-game since Ghost STAB hits a wider range of targets and it has higher Sp. Atk. For regular exclusives, Sun has Lycanroc Midday (faster) while Moon has Lycanroc Midnight (bulkier). Both versions also get different Ultra Beasts postgame.

  • No. Sun and Moon replaced gyms with Island Trials. Each Trial Captain sets up a challenge ending with a Totem Pokemon fight. Totem Pokemon have boosted stats and can call for ally Pokemon mid-battle, making some fights harder than traditional gym leaders. The final challenge on each island is a Grand Trial against the Island Kahuna, which plays more like a standard battle.

GAME AVAILABILITY

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