Alolan Vulpix doesn't evolve at any level. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, you use an Ice Stone on it from the Bag, and it turns into Alolan Ninetales straight away, at whatever level it's at. Leveling it to 40, 50 or even 100 does nothing. Alolan Vulpix is wild only in Pokémon Sun: in the grass at Tapu Village (10%, levels 28–31), and later on Mount Lanakila (30%, levels 42–48) once the story's Ultra Space fight with Lusamine is done. The only Ice Stone on the ground is in Po Town, in the pool yard behind the Shady House. If you want Ice Beam during the story, wait until level 36 before you use the stone.
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 they're separate games with their own maps and encounter tables. Guides for Pokémon GO, Let's Go or Scarlet and Violet describe other games.
Why it won't evolve at level 36, 50 or 100
Neither form of Vulpix evolves by leveling up. The regular Fire-type Vulpix from Kanto evolves with a Fire Stone. The white Ice-type Alolan Vulpix evolves with an Ice Stone. If yours is level 50 and still a Vulpix, nothing is wrong with it. It's waiting for the stone.
| Kanto Vulpix | Alolan Vulpix | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fire | Ice |
| Stone | Fire Stone | Ice Stone |
| Evolves into | Ninetales | Alolan Ninetales (Ice / Fairy) |
| Level needed | None | None |
| Wrong stone | Ice Stone: no effect | Fire Stone: no effect |
| In Sun and Moon | Trade or Pokémon Bank | Wild in Sun only |
How to use the Ice Stone
- Take off any item Vulpix is holding, especially an Everstone.
- Open the Bag, go to the Items pocket and choose the Ice Stone.
- Choose Use, then pick Alolan Vulpix. It evolves into Alolan Ninetales right away.
You can't cancel a stone evolution by pressing B, and the stone is used up. Giving the Ice Stone to Vulpix to hold does nothing.
In Sun and Moon, a Pokémon holding an Everstone can't evolve with a stone, so the Ice Stone has no effect until you take the Everstone off. (In Scarlet and Violet, an Everstone doesn't stop stone evolutions, which is why some guides say it's safe to leave on.)
On a cartridge that was never updated, using an evolution item that was the last item in the Bag could crash the game. Version 1.2 fixed this, so update the game before you use the stone if you can.
The Ice Stone says it won't have any effect
- Vulpix is holding an Everstone: take the Everstone off, then use the Ice Stone again.
- It's an orange Vulpix: that's the Kanto form, usually from Pokémon Bank or a trade. It needs a Fire Stone, which you can buy in Konikoni City for ₽3,000.
- You gave Vulpix the stone to hold: take it back and use it from the Bag.
- You tried it on Eevee or Crabrawler: in Sun and Moon, Eevee becomes Glaceon by leveling up near the Ice Rock on Mount Lanakila, and Crabrawler becomes Crabominable by leveling up on Mount Lanakila. The Ice Stone only works on Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sandshrew.
More stone mix-ups are listed in the evolution stones guide.
Where to catch Alolan Vulpix in Pokémon Sun
Alolan Vulpix lives on Ula'ula Island, and only in Pokémon Sun. It appears in the grass, day and night: the patch by the Tapu Village Pokémon Center, and the grass on the slopes of Mount Lanakila.
| Place | Rate | Levels | When you can go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapu Village | 10% | 28–31 | Your first trip through Ula'ula |
| Mount Lanakila | 30% | 42–45 (45–48 higher up) | After you beat Lusamine in Ultra Space |
Some Pokédex sites list Route 14 for Sun. In Sun and Moon, Route 14 only has Surf and fishing encounters, so you won't find Vulpix there. Use the Tapu Village grass. Alolan Ninetales doesn't appear in the wild, so you have to evolve one.
A Tapu Village Vulpix already knows Aurora Beam, and one caught at level 31 knows Extrasensory too. A Mount Lanakila Vulpix usually knows Blizzard. Wild Alolan Vulpix can hold a Snowball (5%). Its Hidden Ability, Snow Warning, comes from SOS battles: once the chain reaches 10, a Vulpix that answers has a 5% chance to have it, rising to 10% from 20 and 15% from 30. In Sun and Moon the chain counter resets after 255 calls, and the odds start again from zero.
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, after Tapu Village, so you can catch Vulpix and pick up the stone on the same island.
- 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.
Hedges close the pool yard off from the front lawn, so you have to go through the house. No shop sells Ice Stones in Sun or Moon. The stone shop in Konikoni City has only the Fire, Water, Thunder and Leaf Stones. For more Ice Stones, see another Ice Stone below.
When to use the Ice Stone
Alolan Ninetales learns Dazzling Gleam as it evolves, and its stats jump from a base total of 299 to 505. After that it doesn't learn any more moves by leveling up. Here's what Vulpix learns from level 28, and what happens to each move if you evolve first:
| Level | Vulpix learns | If you evolve first |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Aurora Beam | Lost, but a Tapu Village Vulpix already knows it |
| 31 | Extrasensory | Lost |
| 34 | Safeguard | Move Reminder; also TM20 |
| 36 | Ice Beam | Move Reminder or TM13, both on Mount Lanakila |
| 39 | Imprison | Move Reminder |
| 42 | Blizzard | TM14, ₽30,000 in Seafolk Village |
| 44 | Grudge | Lost |
| 47 | Captivate | Lost |
| 50 | Sheer Cold | Lost |
Vulpix learns Ice Beam at level 36. If you evolve earlier, Ninetales can still learn Ice Beam, but only from the Move Reminder in the Mount Lanakila Pokémon Center (one Heart Scale per move) or from TM13, which is also on Mount Lanakila. You can't climb Mount Lanakila until you beat Lusamine in Ultra Space, near the end of the story.
- Using it during the story: keep Vulpix until level 36 so it learns Ice Beam, then use the stone.
- Not in a hurry for Ice Beam: evolve right away for the stats and Dazzling Gleam. Later, the Move Reminder can teach Ninetales Ice Beam and Nasty Plot.
- Caught on Mount Lanakila: it's past level 36 already, so evolve it straight away.
Alolan Ninetales can also learn Aurora Veil from TM70, sold in the Heahea City Poké Mart for ₽30,000. Aurora Veil only works during hail, so it pairs with the Snow Warning ability or TM07 Hail. Alolan Ninetales is Ice and Fairy, so Steel-type moves do four times the damage to it.
Playing Pokémon Moon
Moon has no wild Vulpix of either form. Its Ice Stone Pokémon is Alolan Sandshrew, at the same Tapu Village and Mount Lanakila spots. You have two ways to get an Alolan Vulpix:
- Trade with a Sun or Ultra Sun player over local wireless. Online trading for these games has shut down.
- If you already have Pokémon Bank installed, move a Kanto Vulpix into Moon and breed it at the Paniola Ranch Nursery with a Ditto (a female Vulpix can also pair with a male from the Field Egg Group). If the Vulpix doesn't hold an Everstone, the egg hatches as an Alolan Vulpix. Pokémon Bank can no longer be downloaded, and it closes on 25 February 2027 (US Pacific Time).
The Po Town Ice Stone is in the same place in Moon. The other Sun-only and Moon-only Pokémon are in the version exclusives list.
How to get another Ice Stone
The Po Town stone doesn't come back, and no shop sells one. You need a second Ice Stone if you also want an Alolan Sandslash from a traded Sandshrew. Apart from trades, 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 needs 30 Pokémon in your boxes and 30 Poké Beans, and phase 2 needs 45 Pokémon 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.
The evolution stones guide covers Isle Aphun and every other stone.
Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon and later games
- Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: the Ice Stone still evolves Alolan Vulpix, and Vulpix is again on the Sun side (Ultra Sun). These are separate games, so their encounter tables and items don't carry over. The Sun vs Ultra Sun guide covers the differences.
- Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet: still an Ice Stone, on different maps. In those games the Ice Stone also evolves Eevee, and in Scarlet and Violet an Everstone no longer blocks stone evolutions. Neither applies in Sun and Moon.
- Pokémon GO: no Ice Stone. Alolan Vulpix evolves with 50 Candy.
Frequently asked questions
What level does Alolan Vulpix evolve in Sun and Moon?
None. It only evolves when you use an Ice Stone on it, at any level.
How do you evolve Alolan Vulpix?
Take off any Everstone, open the Bag, choose the Ice Stone, select Use and pick Alolan Vulpix.
Does a Fire Stone evolve Alolan Vulpix?
No. The Fire Stone is for the orange Kanto Vulpix. Alolan Vulpix needs an Ice Stone.
Where is the Ice Stone in Pokémon Sun?
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.
Is Alolan Vulpix in Pokémon Moon?
Not in the wild. In Moon, trade for one from Sun, or breed a Kanto Vulpix from Pokémon Bank without an Everstone.
When should you evolve Alolan Vulpix?
At level 36 if you want Ice Beam during the story. Otherwise any time; Ninetales can learn Ice Beam later from the Move Reminder or TM13 on Mount Lanakila.
Why does the Ice Stone have no effect on my Vulpix?
Either it's holding an Everstone, or it's the Kanto form. Take the Everstone off. A Kanto Vulpix needs a Fire Stone.
Is Alolan Vulpix on Route 14 in Sun?
No. Route 14 only has Surf and fishing encounters in Sun and Moon. Catch Vulpix in the Tapu Village grass next to it.