In Pokémon Moon, Bagon lives in two grass patches on Melemele Island. The first is on Route 3, in the grass on the cliff just south of the wooden bridge, by a lone palm tree. There it's only 1% of encounters, at Lv. 9–12, but you can catch one the first time you walk through. The easier spot is the grass on Kala'e Bay, directly below that cliff. There Bagon is 10% of encounters at Lv. 15–18. To reach that grass, go through Melemele Meadow and Seaward Cave to the bay, then ride Lapras across a short stretch of water. You get Lapras from Lana at Brooklet Hill on Akala. Pokémon Sun has the same two spots at the same rates, and time of day doesn't matter.
This guide covers Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon on Nintendo 3DS and 2DS, with or without updates. Bagon isn't a version exclusive, so everything here applies to both games. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon get a short section at the end.
| Where | Bagon | Levels | When you can go | If Bagon calls for help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 3, grass south of the bridge | 1% | 9–12 | Your first trip along Route 3, after Ilima's trial | Salamence 1% of answered calls |
| Kala'e Bay, grass on the beach | 10% | 15–18 | Once Lana gives you Lapras on Akala | Shelgon 3% of answered calls |
Both rates are the same day and night. In the story, Route 3 comes between Ilima's trial and Hala's grand trial.
The two patches are on the same cliff
The two spots are almost on top of each other. Stand in the Route 3 grass by the palm tree, look over the edge, and the patch you see on the beach below is the Kala'e Bay grass. They count as different areas, though. You can't jump down, and the bay grass has its own encounter table with ten times the Bagon rate.
Route 3: 1%, from your first visit
Route 3 has more than one patch of tall grass, and only one of them has Bagon. Cross the wooden rope bridge heading south, toward Iki Town, and look for the grass on the cliff top next to a lone palm tree. The grass north of the bridge, on the way to Melemele Meadow, has Delibird instead and never Bagon.
| Pokémon | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Spearow | 49% | 49% |
| Cutiefly | 20% | 20% |
| Mankey | 20% | 20% |
| Yungoos / Alolan Rattata | 10% (Yungoos) | 10% (Alolan Rattata) |
| Bagon | 1% | 1% |
All of these are Lv. 9–12. Expect around a hundred encounters for one Bagon on average, and an unlucky run can take a lot more. Repels don't help here: Bagon is in the same level range as everything else in the patch. If you want one fast, wait for Kala'e Bay.
A wild Bagon at Lv. 10–12 knows Rage, Ember, Leer and Bite. A Lv. 9 one doesn't have Bite yet. Bagon's catch rate is 45, the same as a fully evolved Pokémon. A Quick Ball works best thrown on the first turn, before you attack. After that, lower Bagon's HP and use Great Balls. Leer lowers your Defense, so keep an eye on your own HP during long attempts. About 5% of wild Bagon hold a Dragon Fang.
The Spearow and Vullaby that swoop down from the bird shadows on the ground, and the Crabrawler that jump out of berry piles, are separate encounters. Bagon only comes from walking in the grass. In Sun the ambushing bird is Rufflet instead of Vullaby, and nothing else changes.
Kala'e Bay: 10%, once you have Lapras
Kala'e Bay doesn't connect to any route on foot. You reach it from Melemele Meadow:
- Walk to the north end of Route 3 and go into Melemele Meadow.
- Find the entrance to Seaward Cave in the meadow and follow the cave to its other exit.
- You come out on a small beach under the Route 3 bridge. The grass isn't on this beach.
- Call Lapras from the Ride Pager and paddle a short way along the cliff to the cove with the tall grass.
- Get off Lapras and walk in the grass. Surfing in the bay never finds Bagon.
You can walk into Seaward Cave and the bay during your first Melemele visit, but without Lapras you can't get from the cave's beach to the grass.
When you get Lapras
Lana registers Lapras to your Ride Pager at Brooklet Hill on Akala Island, when she asks you to investigate the splashing water before her trial properly begins. After that, go to the ferry terminal in Heahea City and take the ferry to Hau'oli City on Melemele, then walk up Route 1 and Route 3 to Melemele Meadow. Once Kiawe registers Charizard after his trial, Charizard Glide gets you back to Melemele faster.
| Pokémon | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Wingull | 40% | 40% |
| Yungoos / Alolan Rattata | 30% (Yungoos) | 30% (Alolan Rattata) |
| Slowpoke | 20% | 20% |
| Bagon | 10% | 10% |
Everything in the bay grass is Lv. 15–18. A Bagon here at Lv. 15–16 knows Ember, Leer, Bite and Dragon Breath. At Lv. 17–18, Headbutt replaces Ember.
Why you aren't finding Bagon
- You're north of the bridge on Route 3. That grass has Delibird and no Bagon. Cross the bridge to the south patch by the palm tree.
- You're surfing on Lapras in Kala'e Bay. Surfing finds Tentacool, Finneon and Wingull. Get off Lapras in the grass cove and walk.
- You're still in Seaward Cave. The cave has no Bagon. Keep going to the bay.
- You're on the cave's beach without Lapras. The grass is on a separate cove, across the water.
- It's just the 1%. On Route 3, a long dry streak is normal. In the bay you need about 10 encounters per Bagon on average, against about 100 on Route 3.
- You're playing Sun, not Moon. That's fine. Bagon is in both games, in the same places.
Route 3 or Kala'e Bay: SOS for Salamence or Shelgon
Wild Pokémon can call for help once you've cleared Ilima's trial, which happens before you reach Route 3, so this works the first time you find a Bagon. The ally a Bagon calls depends on where you are:
| Where Bagon calls | Ally | Chance per answered call | Ally level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route 3 | Salamence | 1% | 9–12 |
| Route 3 | Bagon | 99% | 9–12 |
| Kala'e Bay | Shelgon | 3% | 15–18 |
| Kala'e Bay | Bagon | 97% | 15–18 |
That means a Salamence on Route 3 at Lv. 9–12, before the first grand trial. It can't call for help itself, so keep a Bagon on the field. A Bagon in Kala'e Bay never calls Salamence. If you want Salamence early, hunt on Route 3. If you just want a Bagon, use the bay.
To get more calls, bring the caller's HP low without knocking it out and don't let your own Pokémon faint it. An Adrenaline Orb makes calls more likely for the rest of the battle. Poké Marts sell it for ₽300 once you've cleared three trials, so on your first Route 3 visit you'll have to chain without one. Bagon's base call rate is 9, and calls come more often when its HP is low. Long chains also bring Hidden Abilities (Moxie on Salamence, Sheer Force on Bagon): there's no chance below a chain of 10, then 5% from 10, 10% from 20 and 15% from 30. In Sun and Moon the counter rolls back over after 255. See the Pokédex guide for SOS chains and the Shiny Charm.
Evolving Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence
Bagon evolves into Shelgon at Lv. 30, and Shelgon evolves into Salamence at Lv. 50. Both are plain level-ups. Bagon and Shelgon are Dragon type, and Salamence is Dragon/Flying. Its abilities are Intimidate, or Moxie as its Hidden Ability. Bagon has Rock Head, or Sheer Force as its Hidden Ability, and both evolutions keep the matching ability slot. Bagon, Shelgon and Salamence are #117, #118 and #119 in the Alola Pokédex, all in the Melemele section.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon use the same two places: Route 3 at 1% and Kala'e Bay at 10%, at the same levels. The big difference is SOS: a wild Pokémon only calls for help once per battle unless you use an Adrenaline Orb, so use one at the start of each battle you want to chain in. One orb lasts the whole battle; extra orbs are only for later battles. See Pokémon Sun vs Ultra Sun for the rest of the changes.
FAQ
Where do you find Bagon in Pokémon Moon?
In the Route 3 grass south of the bridge (1%, Lv. 9–12) and in the Kala'e Bay grass (10%, Lv. 15–18). Both are on Melemele Island.
Is Bagon in Pokémon Sun too?
Yes. Bagon isn't a version exclusive. Sun and Moon have the same spots and rates.
Do you need Lapras for Kala'e Bay?
For the grass, yes. Seaward Cave leaves you on a beach with no grass, and Lapras gets you across the water to the cove where Bagon lives.
Can Bagon call Salamence in an SOS Battle?
Only on Route 3, where 1% of the allies it calls are Salamence. In Kala'e Bay it can call Shelgon (3%) but never Salamence.
What level does Bagon evolve?
Bagon evolves into Shelgon at Lv. 30, and Shelgon evolves into Salamence at Lv. 50.
Does the Bagon QR code spawn a wild Bagon?
No. The Bagon Global Mission code is a Special QR Code that gives Island Scan points. See Island Scan in Sun and Moon.