The Alola starters are Rowlet (Grass/Flying), Litten (Fire) and Popplio (Water). In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Hala lets you pick one at level 5 in Iki Town. All three evolve at level 17 and again at 34. Rowlet becomes Grass/Ghost Decidueye, Litten becomes Fire/Dark Incineroar, and Popplio becomes Water/Fairy Primarina. For a Sun or Moon playthrough, Popplio has a type advantage against all four island kahunas, and Rowlet is the easiest for your first island. Litten has the hardest time in the first half. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have the same three starters, but Professor Kukui gives you yours on Route 1.
This page covers Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon on 3DS and 2DS, up to version 1.2. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have the same three starters, but a few things differ, and those are called out.
Who the Alola starters are
| Starter | Type | Lv. 17 | Lv. 34 | Final type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowlet (Alola #001) | Grass/Flying | Dartrix | Decidueye | Grass/Ghost |
| Litten (Alola #004) | Fire | Torracat | Incineroar | Fire/Dark |
| Popplio (Alola #007) | Water | Brionne | Primarina | Water/Fairy |
Rowlet is the only one with two types from the start. Litten and Popplio stay single-type until their final forms. All nine Pokémon have the same base stat totals at each stage: 320, then 420, then 530. Each one has a 45 catch rate and is in the Medium Slow experience group, and about one in eight is female. The starter evolutions page lists every stat, and covers what to do when one of them won't evolve.
Not Alolan forms, not Island Scan, not Hisuian Decidueye
- Alolan forms: Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Sandshrew and Alolan Raichu are older Pokémon with a new regional look. Rowlet, Litten and Popplio are new species that first appeared in Alola. They have no other form.
- Island Scan: The QR Scanner's Island Scan can find Cyndaquil, Totodile and Chikorita on Melemele, and Serperior, Samurott and Emboar on Poni. These starters are from other regions, and catching them doesn't fill Alola #001 to #009. See the Island Scan list.
- Hisuian Decidueye: In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Dartrix evolves into this Grass/Fighting form at level 36. Dartrix never evolves into it in Sun and Moon. There, Dartrix always becomes Grass/Ghost Decidueye at level 34.
Where you get your starter in Sun and Moon
Professor Kukui takes you from your house on Route 1 to Iki Town. On Mahalo Trail, Tapu Koko saves Lillie's Pokémon. Then Hala, the island kahuna, lets you choose one of the three. Your starter is level 5 and knows these moves:
| Starter | Moves at Lv. 5 | Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Rowlet | Tackle, Leafage, Growl | Overgrow |
| Litten | Scratch, Ember, Growl | Blaze |
| Popplio | Pound, Water Gun, Growl | Torrent |
Your starter always has Overgrow, Blaze or Torrent. When its HP drops to a third or less, that ability powers up its Grass, Fire or Water moves. Their hidden abilities are Long Reach, Intimidate and Liquid Voice, but you can't get those from the story. Hau, Hala's grandson, takes the starter that is weak to yours, and you battle him right away in Iki Town.
You get only one. The other two never appear in the wild, SOS battles never call them, and nobody in Alola gives them away. Pick the one you want to use. You don't need to collect all three. If you want them anyway, the section on getting the other two lists the ways that still work.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: same three, on Route 1
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have the same three starters, at level 5, with the same evolution levels. The difference is that Professor Kukui gives you yours on Route 1 before you reach Iki Town. The Sun vs Ultra Sun comparison covers the other differences between the two pairs of games.
Rowlet vs Litten vs Popplio
None of the three is a bad pick. You will catch other Pokémon to cover your starter's weak spots. The type matchups still decide which trials feel easy, though, and the three are not equal in Sun and Moon. Here is how they compare against the trial bosses.
Easiest first island: Rowlet
Rowlet learns Peck at level 8, so it has a Flying move with a type bonus before Hala's grand trial. Hala uses Fighting-type Pokémon, and his strongest is a level 15 Crabrawler. Peck is super effective against all of them, and Rowlet's Flying type means it takes half damage from Fighting moves. Leafage and Razor Leaf then do well against Lana's Water-type Totem Wishiwashi. Popplio gets Disarming Voice at level 8, a Fairy move that is also super effective against Hala's team. It doesn't get a type bonus, though, and Popplio doesn't resist Fighting moves. Litten has no advantage on Melemele.
Easiest kahunas: Popplio
Each island has a kahuna's grand trial, and Popplio's line has a super-effective move against all four. That's Disarming Voice against Hala's Fighting types, and Water moves against Olivia's Rock types. Primarina's Fairy moves are strong against Nanu's Dark types, and its Water moves against Hapu's Ground types. Primarina's Fairy type also makes it immune to Dragon moves and lets it hit Totem Kommo-o for four times damage on Poni. Its weak spots are Mallow's Grass-type Totem Lurantis and Sophocles's Electric-type Totem Vikavolt.
Rowlet's line has a super-effective move against three kahunas: Hala, Olivia and Hapu. Against Olivia, though, her Rock moves also hit Rowlet and Dartrix for double damage. Decidueye's Ghost moves don't work well against Nanu, because Dark types resist them. Litten's line doesn't have an advantage against any kahuna. Olivia's Rock types resist Fire, Nanu's Persian knows Power Gem, and Hapu's Ground moves are super effective against it, as are Lana's Water moves.
If you still want Litten
Litten is fine if you plan your team around it. It has the type advantage against Mallow's Totem Lurantis and Sophocles's Totem Vikavolt, which give Popplio a hard time. To cover Lana, Olivia and Hapu, catch a Grass or Water type early. In Sun and Moon, Litten does not learn Double Kick by leveling up. That move is from Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Bite comes at level 22 for Litten (24 if it is already a Torracat), and Incineroar gets Darkest Lariat when it evolves at 34. Torracat has 90 Speed, and Incineroar drops to 60, but Incineroar is much stronger and bulkier, so evolve it anyway.
If you only care about the final form
Pick the one you'll be happy to use for the whole game. All three have the same base stat total, so the difference is in how the stats are split. Decidueye is a balanced mixed attacker with 107 Attack and 100 Special Attack. Incineroar has the best physical bulk and the highest Attack, with 95 HP, 90 Defense and 115 Attack. Primarina has the highest Special Attack (126) and Special Defense (116). Incineroar's later success in competitive doubles comes from its hidden ability, Intimidate, which your story starter doesn't have. That isn't a reason to choose it for a Sun or Moon playthrough.
What your pick changes in the story
| You pick | Hau's starter | Kukui's ace at the League (Lv. 58) | Gladion's Silvally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowlet | Popplio line | Incineroar with Firium Z | Fire Memory |
| Litten | Rowlet line | Primarina with Waterium Z | Water Memory |
| Popplio | Litten line | Decidueye with Grassium Z | Grass Memory |
Hau's starter is weak to yours, so your rival battles get a little easier. In the title defense after the League, Hau uses a Waterium Z, Grassium Z or Firium Z on his starter. Kukui's last Pokémon at the League and Gladion's Silvally, once it has a Memory, are both strong against your starter. Have something on your team that can handle them.
In Malie Garden on Ula'ula Island, after you beat Guzma, Kukui gives you your starter's exclusive Z-Crystal: Decidium Z, Incinium Z or Primarium Z. After you become Champion, Hau brings the other two crystals to your house.
Starter vs every Sun and Moon trial
The table compares each line with the boss's main Pokémon, using the moves and form your starter normally has by then. "Strong" means your starter has a super-effective move of its own type. "Weak" means the boss has a move that is super effective against your starter. Levels are the boss's level, in story order.
| Trial boss | Type | Rowlet line | Litten line | Popplio line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilima: Totem Gumshoos (Sun) or Alolan Raticate (Moon), Lv. 12 | Normal / Dark-Normal | Even | Even | Even |
| Hala: Crabrawler, Lv. 15 | Fighting | Strong (Peck) | Even | Even |
| Lana: Totem Wishiwashi, Lv. 20 | Water | Strong | Weak | Even |
| Kiawe: Totem Salazzle, Lv. 22 | Poison/Fire | Weak | Even | Strong |
| Mallow: Totem Lurantis, Lv. 24 | Grass | Strong (Peck, Pluck) | Strong | Weak |
| Olivia: Lycanroc, Lv. 27 | Rock | Even (both hit hard) | Weak | Strong |
| Sophocles: Totem Vikavolt, Lv. 29 | Bug/Electric | Even | Strong (Occa Berry) | Weak |
| Acerola: Totem Mimikyu, Lv. 33 | Ghost/Fairy | Even | Even | Even |
| Nanu: Alolan Persian, Lv. 39 | Dark | Weak | Weak (Power Gem) | Strong |
| Hapu: Mudsdale, Lv. 48 | Ground | Strong | Weak | Strong |
| Totem Kommo-o, Lv. 45 | Dragon/Fighting | Even | Weak | Strong (Moonblast) |
With this rule, Popplio's line is Strong in 5 of these 11 battles and Weak in 2. Rowlet's line is Strong in 4 and Weak in 2. Litten's line is Strong in 2 and Weak in 5. These counts only compare types. Your level, the rest of your team and the boss's allies matter just as much.
A few battles have extra options. Popplio's Disarming Voice is super effective against Hala's team and Moon's Alolan Raticate, but it doesn't get a type bonus until Primarina. Against Mimikyu, Dartrix's Astonish and Torracat's Lick hit for double damage. Decidueye's Ghost moves do too, but Mimikyu's Shadow Claw hits Decidueye just as hard. Mimikyu's Disguise blocks the first hit, whichever starter you have. Decidueye can hit Kommo-o hard with Pluck, and Fighting moves don't affect it. Vikavolt holds an Occa Berry, which halves the first super-effective Fire hit.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have different Totems for several trials, including Araquanid for Lana, Alolan Marowak for Kiawe and Togedemaru for Sophocles, so don't use this table for those games.
Getting the two you did not choose
On one cartridge, you can see the other two lines in battle, but you can't register them as caught without bringing them in from another game. Nintendo shut down 3DS online play on 8 April 2024, so the GTS and Wonder Trade no longer work. Two ways are left:
- Local wireless trade: Trade with a second 3DS or 2DS running Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, from the Festival Plaza.
- Pokémon Bank: If Bank is already installed on your system, you can move them from another Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon save. Bank is scheduled to end on 25 February 2027 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Once you have one of each, you can breed more at the Pokémon Nursery at Paniola Ranch. Leave the starter with Ditto, or leave a female starter with a male from a matching Egg Group: Flying for Rowlet, Field for Litten, and Water 1 or Field for Popplio. A male starter with a female of another species hatches her species instead. The Pokédex guide explains what this means for completing the Pokédex on one cartridge.
Hidden abilities: the 2018 Bank gift is over
Decidueye with Long Reach, Incineroar with Intimidate and Primarina with Liquid Voice were given out through Pokémon Bank from 8 March to 31 October 2018, at level 50. A new save can't get them now. If a friend has one, they can trade it to you, and its babies can inherit the hidden ability through breeding.
Sun and Moon vs Ultra: moves that change the advice
In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, each basic form learns an extra move at level 16. In Sun and Moon, the starters don't learn these moves by leveling up:
| Starter | Ultra-only move (Lv. 16) | In Sun and Moon |
|---|---|---|
| Rowlet | Ominous Wind (Ghost) | Egg move only |
| Litten | Double Kick (Fighting) | Not learned by leveling up |
| Popplio | Icy Wind (Ice) | Not learned by leveling up |
So in Sun and Moon, Litten has no Double Kick for Ilima, and Popplio has no Icy Wind for Lurantis. The Ultra games also move Razor Leaf, Fire Fang and Aqua Jet from level 15 to 14. Every other level-up move is at the same level.
Where to check the details
- Starter evolutions at levels 17 and 34: stats, signature moves, Z-Moves, and why one won't evolve.
- Alola Pokédex checklist: #001 to #009 at the top.
- Evolution stones: Leaf, Fire and Water Stones do nothing to these three.
- Rival teams by starter: every Hau, Gladion and Kukui team for your pick, from the walkthrough.
FAQ
Who are the Alola starters?
Rowlet (Grass/Flying), Litten (Fire) and Popplio (Water). You pick one at the start of Pokémon Sun and Moon.
Which Alola starter is best in Sun and Moon?
Popplio has the most type advantages, and a super-effective move against all four kahunas. Rowlet is the easiest on Melemele. Litten has the hardest time against Lana, Olivia and Hapu, but it works well if you catch a Grass or Water type early.
What level do the Alola starters evolve?
Level 17, then level 34. This is the same for all three, in all four games.
Is Incineroar Fire/Fighting?
No, it's Fire/Dark. Its Fighting moves don't get a type bonus.
Do Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have different starters?
No. They have the same three, but Professor Kukui gives you yours on Route 1. Each basic form also learns one extra move at level 16.
How do I get the starters I did not pick?
Trade by local wireless with another 3DS or 2DS, or move them through Pokémon Bank if it's already installed. They never appear in the wild.
Are Alola starters Alolan forms?
No. Alolan forms are older Pokémon, like Vulpix and Raichu, with a new regional look. Rowlet, Litten and Popplio are new Pokémon from Alola.
Can I get Hisuian Decidueye in Sun and Moon?
No. Dartrix evolves into Hisuian Decidueye in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and the form doesn't exist in Sun and Moon. In these games, Dartrix always becomes Grass/Ghost Decidueye at level 34.
Are the Island Scan starters the Alola starters?
No. Island Scan finds the Johto starters (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile) and the fully evolved Unova starters (Serperior, Emboar, Samurott). None of them count toward Alola #001 to #009.