Alola has four island kahunas, one on each island: Hala (Fighting, Melemele), Olivia (Rock, Akala), Nanu (Dark, Ula’ula) and Hapu (Ground, Poni). When you beat one in a grand trial, you get a stamp in your Trainer Passport and their Z-Crystal: Fightinium Z, Rockium Z, Darkinium Z or Groundium Z. In Sun and Moon, their strongest Pokémon are Crabrawler at Lv. 15, Midnight Form Lycanroc at Lv. 27, Alolan Persian at Lv. 39 and Mudsdale at Lv. 48. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon raise those to Lv. 16, 28, 44 and 54, and move Hapu’s grand trial to Exeggutor Island, after Mina’s trial.
This page covers the 3DS games: Pokémon Sun and Moon (2016) and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (2017). They’re separate games, not updates of each other, and the kahuna teams are different. Sun and Moon use the same kahuna teams as each other, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon also match each other.
Who the Alola kahunas are
| Island | Kahuna | Type | Z-Crystal (Z-Move) | Sun/Moon battle | Ultra battle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melemele | Hala | Fighting | Fightinium Z (All-Out Pummeling) | Iki Town | Iki Town |
| Akala | Olivia | Rock | Rockium Z (Continental Crush) | Ruins of Life | Ruins of Life |
| Ula’ula | Nanu | Dark | Darkinium Z (Black Hole Eclipse) | Malie City pier | Malie City |
| Poni | Hapu | Ground | Groundium Z (Tectonic Rage) | Vast Poni Canyon entrance | Exeggutor Island |
Alola has no Gyms and no badges. Instead of a Gym Leader, each island has a kahuna chosen by its guardian, the island’s Tapu. The kahuna’s battle is called the grand trial. It usually comes after the island’s trials. The exception is Hapu in Sun and Moon, who battles you before the Vast Poni Canyon trial. Winning gets you a stamp in your Trainer Passport and the kahuna’s Z-Crystal. All four keep their Pokémon in Ultra Balls.
The Z-Ring comes first
You don’t get the Z-Ring from Hala’s grand trial. It’s made from the Sparkling Stone at the Iki Town festival, early on Melemele. Beating Hala gives you Fightinium Z, and Tauros is added to your Ride Pager.
Kahuna, captain, or Totem?
Trial Captains run most of the trials: Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles and Acerola, plus Mina in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. That’s six of the seven trials in Sun and Moon and seven of the eight in the Ultra games. The Vast Poni Canyon trial has no captain in any of the four games. Each trial ends with a Totem Pokémon, a large boss with an aura that boosts its stats. You can’t catch it, and beating it gives you a Z-Crystal. The kahuna isn’t part of any trial. The grand trial is a separate battle, and it’s the only battle that gives that island’s kahuna Z-Crystal. For every captain and Totem, see the island trials page.
Where the Sun and Moon fights are
- Hala fights you in Iki Town after Ilima’s trial in Verdant Cavern.
- Olivia calls you to the Ruins of Life, past Memorial Hill near Konikoni City, after Mallow’s trial in Lush Jungle.
- Nanu reveals that he’s the kahuna after Po Town, then fights you on the Malie City pier.
- Hapu fights you at the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon, before the canyon’s trial.
Ruins of Life, not Ruins of Hope
Olivia’s grand trial isn’t at the Ruins of Hope. Olivia leaves a message saying to meet her at the Ruins of Life past Memorial Hill. That’s Tapu Lele’s ruin on Akala. The Ruins of Hope belong to Tapu Fini on Poni Island, and you won’t see them until much later.
Hapu is chosen at the Ruins of Hope
Poni starts out without a kahuna. You go with Hapu and Lillie to the Ruins of Hope, where Tapu Fini picks Hapu. She doesn’t battle you there. Her grand trial is her first act as kahuna, and in Sun and Moon it comes before you explore Vast Poni Canyon. For the full route between trials, see the Sun and Moon walkthrough.
Sun and Moon teams
These are the same in Sun and in Moon. The last Pokémon on each team holds the kahuna’s Z-Crystal.
| Hala (Iki Town) | Lv. | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Mankey | 14 | Karate Chop, Pursuit, Focus Energy |
| Makuhita | 14 | Arm Thrust, Sand Attack, Fake Out |
| Crabrawler @ Fightinium Z | 15 | Pursuit, Power-Up Punch, Leer |
| Olivia (Ruins of Life) | Lv. | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Nosepass | 26 | Rock Slide, Spark, Thunder Wave |
| Boldore | 26 | Rock Blast, Mud-Slap, Headbutt |
| Lycanroc (Midnight Form) @ Rockium Z | 27 | Bite, Rock Throw |
| Nanu (Malie City) | Lv. | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Sableye | 38 | Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Fake Out |
| Krokorok | 38 | Crunch, Assurance, Swagger, Earthquake |
| Alolan Persian @ Darkinium Z | 39 | Power Gem, Fake Out, Dark Pulse |
| Hapu (Vast Poni Canyon) | Lv. | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Alolan Dugtrio | 47 | Iron Head, Earthquake, Sucker Punch, Sandstorm |
| Gastrodon (East Sea) | 47 | Muddy Water, Mud Bomb, Recover |
| Flygon | 47 | Earth Power, Dragon Breath |
| Mudsdale @ Groundium Z | 48 | Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Double Kick, Counter |
Hala and Olivia carry a Super Potion and a Full Heal. Nanu and Hapu carry a Hyper Potion and a Full Heal.
Olivia’s Lycanroc is always Midnight Form
Your own Rockruff evolves at Lv. 25: into Midday Form during the day and into Midnight Form at night, by the in-game clock. Moon and Ultra Moon run 12 hours apart from the 3DS clock. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, a Rockruff with Own Tempo evolves into Dusk Form instead. Olivia’s Lycanroc doesn’t follow that rule. It’s Midnight Form in all four games, so it’s Rock type with Bite and the Midnight look whichever game you’re playing.
Nanu’s Persian is Dark, not Normal
Nanu uses Alolan Persian, which is pure Dark type. Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves are super effective on it, and Psychic moves don’t affect it at all.
Why Hapu’s team is the one that ends runs
Hapu has four Pokémon instead of three, and her Mudsdale is nine levels above Nanu’s Persian. The trap is that only Mudsdale is a pure Ground type, so bringing one Water or Grass type isn’t enough.
| Pokémon | Type | Hit it with | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alolan Dugtrio | Ground / Steel | Water, Fire, Fighting, Ground | Sucker Punch hits Ghost types like Decidueye hard. Grass is only neutral. |
| Gastrodon | Water / Ground | Grass (4×) | Water is only neutral. Recover drags the fight out. |
| Flygon | Ground / Dragon | Ice (4×), Dragon, Fairy | Levitate makes it immune to Ground moves. |
| Mudsdale | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice | Counter punishes physical hits. Its Z-Move is Tectonic Rage. |
A Grass type with an Ice move covers three of the four. Leave Electric types in the box: every Pokémon on her team is immune to Electric moves. Aim for the low 50s before you go in: her Pokémon are Lv. 47–48 in Sun and Moon, and Lv. 53–54 in the Ultra games. Pokémon you received in trades obey up to Lv. 65 at that point, so check them first.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: Golurk
In the Ultra games, Golurk replaces Alolan Dugtrio. It’s Ground and Ghost, so Normal and Fighting moves don’t affect it. Water, Grass, Ice, Ghost and Dark are all super effective. Mudsdale has Payback instead of Counter.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon teams
| Kahuna | Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon grand trial | Ace |
|---|---|---|
| Hala (Iki Town) | Machop Lv. 15, Makuhita Lv. 15 | Crabrawler Lv. 16 @ Fightinium Z |
| Olivia (Ruins of Life) | Anorith Lv. 27, Lileep Lv. 27 | Midnight Lycanroc Lv. 28 @ Rockium Z (Bite, Rock Tomb) |
| Nanu (Malie City) | Sableye Lv. 43, Krokorok Lv. 43 | Alolan Persian Lv. 44 @ Darkinium Z |
| Hapu (Exeggutor Island) | Golurk Lv. 53, Gastrodon Lv. 53, Flygon Lv. 53 | Mudsdale Lv. 54 @ Groundium Z |
Hala swaps Mankey for Machop and keeps Makuhita. Olivia swaps both Nosepass and Boldore, for Anorith and Lileep, and her Lycanroc has Rock Tomb instead of Rock Throw. Both aces are one level higher. Nanu keeps the same species, five levels higher.
Exeggutor Island after Mina’s trial
Hapu is still made kahuna at the Ruins of Hope in the Ultra games. When she tries to battle you at the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon, the Ultra Recon Squad interrupts and battles you instead. Hapu waits until you’ve cleared Poni’s other trials, including Mina’s, then holds her grand trial on Exeggutor Island. If you go back to the canyon looking for her, she won’t be there. In Sun and Moon, Exeggutor Island is just where you find the second flute; see Exeggutor Island in Sun and Moon.
Nanu at the Aether House (Ultra Moon only)
During Mina’s trial you visit the captains again. At the Aether House, Nanu is there in Acerola’s place. In Ultra Moon he battles you with Sableye Lv. 52, Absol Lv. 52 and Alolan Persian Lv. 53. In Ultra Sun he doesn’t battle, because Hau has just beaten him. Both games then give you the Purple Petal. This Absol team isn’t his grand trial: his grand trial in Malie City has Krokorok, not Absol.
Traded Pokémon that won’t obey
| Stamp | From | Traded Pokémon obey up to |
|---|---|---|
| Melemele Trial Completion | Hala’s grand trial | Lv. 35 |
| Akala Trial Completion | Olivia’s grand trial | Lv. 50 |
| Ula’ula Trial Completion | Nanu’s grand trial | Lv. 65 |
| Poni Trial Completion | Hapu’s grand trial | Lv. 80 |
| Island Challenge Completion | Becoming Champion | Any level |
The cap is for Pokémon that came from another Trainer, whether you got them in a trade or moved them in through Pokémon Bank. Pokémon you caught yourself always obey, even if you stored them in Bank and brought them back. 3DS online trading ended on 8 April 2024, but local wireless trades still work, so this still matters. A traded Pokémon over the cap may ignore your orders or fall asleep in battle.
Rematches and the Elite Four
- Elite Four: In Sun and Moon, Hala and Olivia join the Elite Four with five Pokémon, aces at Lv. 55 (Crabominable and Midnight Lycanroc). In the Ultra games, Molayne takes Hala’s seat and Olivia stays. Nanu turns down the Elite Four in both. See Pokémon Sun vs Ultra Sun for the other League changes.
- Hala, Ultra games: After the story, Hala can be battled once in Iki Town, with a Lv. 63 team. Beating him gets you the Z-Crystals for the two starters you didn’t pick.
- Nanu, Sun and Moon: A second battle in Seafolk Village after the story: Sableye, Absol, Honchkrow, Krookodile and Alolan Persian, all Lv. 63, with Persian holding Darkinium Z.
- Hapu, title defense: Once you’re Champion, Hapu can be one of the challengers at the Pokémon League. In Sun and Moon she has Alolan Dugtrio, Gastrodon, Krookodile, Flygon and Mudsdale, all Lv. 63. In the Ultra games her team has Golurk instead of Dugtrio, with Mudsdale at Lv. 69.
Common mix-ups
- Olivia at the Ruins of Hope. Her grand trial is at the Ruins of Life.
- Nanu with Absol at Lv. 52. That’s the Ultra Moon Aether House battle, not the grand trial.
- Hapu with Golurk, or on Exeggutor Island. That’s the Ultra games. In Sun and Moon she has Alolan Dugtrio and battles at Vast Poni Canyon.
- Persian as a Normal type. It’s Alolan Persian, which is Dark.
- “Fightingium Z” or “Darkium Z.” The in-game names are Fightinium Z and Darkinium Z.
- Crystals from the anime. In Pokémon the Series the kahunas hand out different Z-Crystals. The games always give the four above. Pokémon Masters EX is a separate game too.
FAQ
Who are the four Alola kahunas?
Hala on Melemele (Fighting), Olivia on Akala (Rock), Nanu on Ula’ula (Dark) and Hapu on Poni (Ground).
What is the difference between a trial captain and a kahuna?
Captains run the trials, which end with a Totem Pokémon. The kahuna holds the grand trial, a separate battle that gives the kahuna’s Z-Crystal and a passport stamp.
Where do you fight Olivia?
At the Ruins of Life, past Memorial Hill on Akala Island, in all four games.
Where is Hapu’s grand trial in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon?
On Exeggutor Island, after you clear Poni’s other trials, including Mina’s. In Sun and Moon it’s at the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon.
What team does Nanu use?
In Sun and Moon: Sableye and Krokorok at Lv. 38 and Alolan Persian at Lv. 39. In the Ultra games: the same three at Lv. 43, 43 and 44.
Why won’t a traded Pokémon obey after a grand trial?
It’s above your stamp’s cap: Lv. 35 after Hala, 50 after Olivia, 65 after Nanu and 80 after Hapu. Pokémon you caught always obey.
Is Hala in the Elite Four?
In Sun and Moon, yes. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Molayne replaces him, and you can rematch Hala once in Iki Town after the story.
Is Olivia’s Lycanroc Midday or Midnight Form?
Midnight Form, in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.