Use an Ice Stone on it from the Bag. Alolan Sandshrew doesn't evolve by level, so level 22 does nothing. Any level works as long as you have the stone. In Pokémon Moon you can catch it in the grass at Tapu Village (10%, levels 28–31), and later on Mount Lanakila (30%, levels 42–45). The only Ice Stone on the ground is in Po Town, in the pool yard behind the Shady House. If you want Iron Head, wait until level 30 before you use the stone. Pokémon Sun has no wild Sandshrew, so Sun players have to trade for one or breed it.
This page is for the original Pokémon Sun and Moon on Nintendo 3DS and 2DS. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon use the same Ice Stone method, but their levels and Mount Lanakila timing are different. Directions for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (The Indigo Disk) or Pokémon GO don't work here. In Pokémon GO, for example, it evolves with Candy instead of a stone.
Why it won't evolve at level 22
Level 22 is how the regular Sandshrew evolves. That's the yellow Ground-type form from Kanto. The white Ice- and Steel-type Alolan Sandshrew never evolves by leveling up. It can reach level 100 and still be a Sandshrew. It needs an Ice Stone.
| Kanto Sandshrew | Alolan Sandshrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ground | Ice / Steel |
| Evolves into | Sandslash at level 22 | Alolan Sandslash with an Ice Stone, at any level |
| Ice Stone | No effect | Evolves it |
| Where it comes from in Sun and Moon | Not in the wild. Trade from another save, or Pokémon Bank | Wild in Moon only |
How to use the Ice Stone
- Open the Bag and go to the Items pocket.
- Choose the Ice Stone, then choose Use.
- Pick Alolan Sandshrew. It evolves into Alolan Sandslash right away.
You can't cancel a stone evolution by pressing B. The stone is used up. An Everstone does block it, though, so take one off before you use the stone. Giving the Ice Stone to Sandshrew to hold does nothing.
On a cartridge that was never updated, using an evolution stone while it was the only item left in the Bag could crash the game. Version 1.2 fixed this. If your game isn't updated, keep at least one other item in the Bag.
Where to catch Alolan Sandshrew in Pokémon Moon
Alolan Sandshrew lives on Ula'ula Island, and only in Moon. It appears in the grass, day and night.
| Place | Rate | Levels | When you can go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapu Village (grass by the Pokémon Center) | 10% | 28–31 | Your first trip through Ula'ula |
| Mount Lanakila (grass on the lower slopes) | 30% | 42–45 | After you beat Lusamine |
Tapu Village is the spot to use during the story. You can't climb Mount Lanakila until after the Lusamine fight, and by then wild Sandshrew are level 42 or higher, which is past the Iron Head level (see when to evolve). Alolan Sandslash doesn't appear in the wild at all, so you have to evolve one. Sandshrew isn't one of the Island Scan Pokémon, and it doesn't appear on Route 14.
Wild Alolan Sandshrew can hold a Grip Claw (5%). Its Hidden Ability, Slush Rush, comes from SOS battles. Once the chain reaches 10, a Sandshrew that answers has a 5% chance to have it, rising to 10% from 20 and 15% from 30.
Where the Ice Stone is: Po Town
There is one Ice Stone on the ground in Sun and Moon, and it's in Po Town on Ula'ula Island. You reach Po Town during the Team Skull part of the story.
- Walk up Po Town's main street to the Shady House, the big mansion at the north end.
- Go inside and head to the far-left (west) end of the ground floor. A door there leads outside.
- You come out in a walled pool yard on the west side of the house. The item ball is at the north end of the pool, next to the small gazebo.
The pool yard is fenced off from the front lawn by hedges, so you can't walk around to it from outside. Go through the house.
You can't buy an Ice Stone in Sun or Moon. The stone shop in Konikoni City sells only the Fire, Water, Thunder and Leaf Stones. For more stones, see another Ice Stone below.
The Ice Stone did nothing
If the Bag says the Ice Stone “won't have any effect,” check these:
| Problem | What's going on |
|---|---|
| It's a yellow Sandshrew | That's the Kanto form, usually brought over from Pokémon Bank. It evolves at level 22, not with a stone. |
| You gave it the stone to hold | Take the stone back and use it from the Bag. |
| You tried it on Eevee | In Sun and Moon, Glaceon comes from leveling up Eevee near the Ice Rock on Mount Lanakila. The Ice Stone method came in later games. |
| You tried it on Crabrawler | Level Crabrawler up on Mount Lanakila to get Crabominable. |
In Sun and Moon, the Ice Stone works on only two Pokémon: Alolan Sandshrew and Alolan Vulpix. The full list of stone mix-ups is in the evolution stones guide.
When to evolve: wait for Iron Head
Alolan Sandslash has a very short level-up list. Once it evolves, it stops learning Sandshrew's moves. Here's what Alolan Sandshrew learns from level 23:
| Level | Move | If you evolve first |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Iron Defense | Lost |
| 26 | Slash | Move Reminder can teach it |
| 30 | Iron Head | Lost. No TM or tutor in Sun and Moon |
| 34 | Gyro Ball | TM74 |
| 38 | Swords Dance | TM75 |
| 42 | Hail | TM07 |
| 46 | Blizzard | TM14 |
Iron Head is the one that matters. It's a strong Steel-type attack, and Sandslash can't get it any other way in Sun and Moon. The Move Reminder (in the Pokémon Center on Mount Lanakila, one Heart Scale per move) teaches moves from Sandslash's own list, and Iron Head isn't on it. The only exception is a Sandshrew that hatched from an egg already knowing Iron Head. The other late moves are TMs. So level Sandshrew to 30, let it learn Iron Head, then use the stone.
When it evolves, Alolan Sandslash learns Icicle Spear. Icicle Crash and Metal Burst are on its list too. It doesn't learn them by leveling up, but the Move Reminder can teach them at any time.
If you catch Sandshrew on Mount Lanakila at level 42–45, it usually already knows Iron Head, so you can evolve it straight away. Alolan Sandslash is Ice and Steel, which means Fire- and Fighting-type moves do four times the damage to it. Keep that in mind before you put it on your main team.
How to get another Ice Stone
The Po Town stone doesn't come back, and no shop sells one. Apart from trades with other players, more Ice Stones come from Isle Aphun in Poké Pelago:
- Poké Pelago opens after Kiawe's trial on Akala Island.
- Develop Isle Aphun: phase 1 costs 30 Poké Beans, and phase 2 needs 45 Pokémon in your boxes plus 90 Poké Beans.
- Send Pokémon on the Path for Brilliant-Stone Hunting. Each trip takes 24 hours, less if you put Poké Beans in the crate. Ice Stones are one of the common finds.
This matters if you also want Alolan Ninetales, which needs an Ice Stone too. Pickup doesn't find Ice Stones; it can only turn up a Sun Stone or a Moon Stone. More detail on Isle Aphun is in the evolution stones guide.
Playing Pokémon Sun
Sun has no wild Sandshrew of either form. Its Ice Stone Pokémon is Alolan Vulpix, at the same Tapu Village and Mount Lanakila spots. You have two ways to get an Alolan Sandshrew:
- Trade with a Moon or Ultra Moon player over local wireless. Online trading for these games has shut down.
- If you already have Pokémon Bank installed, move a Kanto Sandshrew into Sun and breed it at the Paniola Ranch Nursery. If it doesn't hold an Everstone, the egg hatches as an Alolan Sandshrew. Pokémon Bank can no longer be downloaded, and it closes on 25 February 2027 (US Pacific Time).
Either way, the Po Town Ice Stone is in the same place in Sun.
See the version exclusives list for the other Sun-only and Moon-only Pokémon.
Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon and later games
- Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: the Ice Stone still evolves Alolan Sandshrew, and it's still in Po Town. Wild levels are different (Lv. 30–33 at the foot of Mount Lanakila in Ultra Moon, higher further up), the base of Mount Lanakila opens on your first visit, and a move tutor can teach Iron Head, so evolving early costs less. These are separate games, so their encounter tables don't apply here. The Sun vs Ultra Sun guide covers the other changes.
- Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet: the Ice Stone still evolves Alolan Sandshrew, but the maps are different. In those games the Ice Stone also evolves Eevee, and in Scarlet and Violet it evolves Crabrawler too. That doesn't apply in Sun and Moon.
- Pokémon GO: no Ice Stone. Alolan Sandshrew evolves with 50 Candy.
Frequently asked questions
How do you evolve Alolan Sandshrew in Pokémon Moon?
Open the Bag, choose the Ice Stone, select Use, and pick Alolan Sandshrew. It works at any level.
What level does Alolan Sandshrew evolve?
None. It only evolves with an Ice Stone. Level 22 is for the Kanto Sandshrew.
Where is the Ice Stone in Pokémon Moon?
In Po Town. Go through the Shady House to the pool yard on its west side. The item ball is at the north end of the pool, by the gazebo.
Can you buy an Ice Stone in Sun and Moon?
No. Konikoni City sells the Fire, Water, Thunder and Leaf Stones only. Extra Ice Stones come from Isle Aphun in Poké Pelago.
Can you catch Alolan Sandshrew in Pokémon Sun?
No. It's wild only in Moon. In Sun, trade for one, or breed a Kanto Sandshrew from Pokémon Bank without an Everstone.
When should you evolve Alolan Sandshrew?
After level 30, once it has learned Iron Head. Alolan Sandslash can't learn Iron Head in Sun and Moon.
Does an Ice Stone evolve Eevee in Sun and Moon?
No. In Sun and Moon, Eevee becomes Glaceon when it levels up near the Ice Rock on Mount Lanakila.