Every Trial Captain and Island Kahuna in Pokemon Generation 7 (Alola)

When Game Freak released Pokemon Sun and Moon in November 2016, they did something they had never done in 20 years of mainline games: they scrapped the Gym. No more badge-hunting. No more eight identical buildings with a puzzle, a leader, and a handshake. Instead, Sun and Moon gave players Alola, a Hawaii-inspired archipelago where children aged 11 and up embark on an Island Challenge - a coming-of-age tradition that predates Pokemon battles by centuries, at least according to the in-game lore.

The system works in two tiers. Trial Captains are young specialists, usually former island challengers themselves, who design and host specific trials at locations across each island. These trials are not battles in the traditional sense - they involve tasks, riddles, photo hunts, and cooking competitions, culminating in a fight against a Totem Pokemon, an oversized wild Pokemon with boosted stats and the ability to call allies. At the end of each island, after completing all of its trials, challengers face the Island Kahuna in a Grand Trial - a full Pokemon battle that serves as the closest equivalent to a Gym Leader fight. There are four islands, four Kahunas, and (depending on the game) six or seven Captains running trials across Alola. Each one is listed below, with details on what makes their trial or Grand Trial distinctive - and on how Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon changed things up in 2017.

Ilima

Ilima is the Trial Captain of Melemele Island, stationed at Verdant Cavern on the outskirts of Hau'oli City. He specializes in Normal-type Pokemon - a choice that sounds underwhelming until you realize Normal is one of the broadest and most adaptable types in the game, and Ilima wears it with genuine flair. He is the son of a respected Alolan family, something of a local celebrity, and has a habit of attracting crowds of admirers wherever he goes, a fact that the game acknowledges with good-humored self-awareness.

His trial sends players into Verdant Cavern to find and fight three wild Pokemon - Yungoos in Sun, Alolan Rattata in Moon - before the Totem Pokemon appears. In Sun and Ultra Sun, the Totem is a Gumshoos with its Defense raised; in Moon and Ultra Moon, it's an Alolan Raticate. The ally that joins the fight is either Yungoos or Alolan Rattata, depending on version. Completion earns the Normalium Z, which powers up Normal-type moves into a Z-Move. Ilima battles the player before they enter the cavern, making him one of the few captains who engages directly at the start of the challenge rather than at the end. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, he can be found again during Mina's trial, waiting in Hau'oli Cemetery with a team that packs a real punch by late-game standards.

Lana

Lana runs the Water-type trial at Brooklet Hill on Akala Island. She is a quiet, precise person who fishes every day, cares deeply about the water ecosystem around the hill, and has personally raised the Wishiwashi that live in Brooklet Hill's pools since they were small. This is not a throwaway character detail - it directly explains why her trial involves those Wishiwashi. In Sun and Moon, the trial asks players to follow a trail of water disturbances down the hill, battling Wishiwashi along the way, until the true culprit at the bottom reveals itself.

In Sun and Moon, the Totem is a Wishiwashi in its School Form - a single, tiny fish that transforms into a monstrous school that fills the screen. It calls an Alomomola for healing support, making it one of the more genuinely threatening early trials. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Game Freak swapped the Totem entirely: an Araquanid bursts from the water instead, with Masquerain and Dewpider as its allies. The trial mechanic changed too - players must herd actual Wishiwashi into the correct spots rather than simply battle. Lana awards the Waterium Z upon completion. She is one of three Akala captains, and she turns up in Mallow's Lush Jungle trial to help cook the ingredients - an unusual bit of cross-captain cooperation that gives the Akala chapter a distinct group-project energy.

Kiawe

Kiawe is the Fire-type captain of Akala Island, based at Wela Volcano Park. He is a serious, intense young man who studies traditional Alolan fire dancing alongside his responsibilities as captain. His trial is one of the most memorable in the game: players watch two performances by Alolan Marowak and must identify what is different between them. Get it wrong and a Marowak attacks immediately. Get it right and another Marowak attacks anyway, as a reward of sorts, building toward the Totem battle.

In Sun and Moon, the Totem is Salazzle - a Poison/Fire-type that poisons opponents and gets Special Defense boosted at the start of battle, with a Salandit as an ally. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Kiawe's Totem becomes Alolan Marowak, a Fire/Ghost type that carries a Thick Club to double its attack stat and calls a Salazzle for backup. The ghost-fire combination makes it genuinely tricky to handle at that point in the game. Kiawe awards the Firium Z and, like Lana, shows up in Mallow's jungle trial as part of the group cooking sequence. Outside his captain duties, Kiawe is also training to become a dancer who can properly perform the traditional fire dances his family has practiced for generations - his grandfather was a well-known dancer on the island.

Mallow

Mallow is the Grass-type captain of Akala Island, and her trial takes place in Lush Jungle. She comes from a family that runs a restaurant - her father is the chef at the Aina's Kitchen in Konikoni City - and her trial leans directly into that background. Players must gather specific ingredients from around the jungle: a Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb, and a Miracle Seed in Sun and Moon. Each ingredient collection triggers a wild Pokemon battle. Once all ingredients are gathered, Mallow cooks them into a dish called "Mallow's Special," which attracts the Totem Pokemon.

The Totem is Lurantis in both Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon - a Grass-type that looks unsettlingly like a praying mantis in a floral costume. In Sun and Moon, Lurantis calls a Castform that sets up Sunny Day (powering up Solar Blade to fire without a charge turn) and a Trumbeak. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the allies change to Kecleon and Comfey, both of which also use Sunny Day. Mallow awards the Grassium Z. In Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon's version of Mina's trial, either Mallow (Ultra Sun) or Lana (Ultra Moon) is one of the captains you must find and battle while collecting petals - the game's way of making players revisit every captain before the end.

Sophocles

Sophocles is the Electric-type captain of Ula'ula Island, and he runs his trial from Hokulani Observatory on Mount Hokulani. He is a stout, gadget-obsessed kid who builds electronic devices in his spare time and was chosen as captain by Molayne - his older cousin, and a former captain himself - specifically because Sophocles's technical expertise made him a natural fit for the observatory's equipment. The job involves caring for a Togedemaru that lives near the observatory, which becomes relevant when the Totem shows up.

In Sun and Moon, Sophocles has designed a system to lure the Totem Pokemon using a large antenna. The trial involves answering three audio questions about Electric-type Pokemon sounds, but a power outage mid-trial means players must answer correctly or get attacked by wild Charjabug. The Totem is a Vikavolt, a Bug/Electric dual-type with all stats boosted, calling two Charjabug as allies. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the trial changes completely: players must arrange tiles to line up Charjabug on a platform, with an Elekid and Electabuzz appearing between puzzle stages. The new Totem is Togedemaru - Sophocles's own companion essentially goes feral for the fight, its Defense boosted, with Skarmory and Dedenne as allies. Sophocles awards the Electrium Z.

Acerola

Acerola is the Ghost-type captain of Ula'ula Island. She is young - visibly younger than most captains - and lives at the Aether House on Route 15 with a group of children under the care of the Aether Foundation. She wears what appears to be the dress of a traditional Alolan ghost story character, complete with a stitched X over one eye. She has what can only be described as a comfortable relationship with the supernatural, treating ghosts with the same casual affection most people reserve for house pets.

Her trial takes place in the Abandoned Thrifty Megamart on Route 14 - a shuttered department store with a documented history of ghostly activity. Players explore the store, photographing ghostly apparitions with the Poke Finder, and battle a Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar along the way. A ghost shaped like Pikachu leads the player into a back room that, as Acerola explains afterward, does not actually exist. The Totem waiting there is Mimikyu - the Ghost/Fairy Pokemon that disguises itself under a torn Pikachu costume and whose true form is never shown. In both Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, Mimikyu is the Totem. The allies change: Haunter and Gengar in Sun/Moon, Banette and Jellicent in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. Acerola awards the Ghostium Z and plays a significant role in the wider story as a connector between the player and the Ula'ula kahuna, Nanu.

Mina

Mina is the Fairy-type captain of Poni Island, and she is the odd one out in the roster. In Pokemon Sun and Moon, she exists as a character - a dreamy, distracted painter who wanders without apparent purpose - but she has no trial. The Poni Island trial in those games is the ancient Dragon-type challenge at Vast Poni Canyon, which has no captain at all. The game explicitly explains that Mina simply hasn't gotten around to designing one yet. This is not presented as a failing so much as a personality trait.

In Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Mina finally delivers. Her trial, the 8th official trial in those games, tasks the player with finding and battling all of the other captains across Alola, collecting a colored petal from each. Ilima waits in Hau'oli Cemetery. Kiawe is back at Wela Volcano Park. Sophocles is at the observatory. The petal from Acerola's location goes to Nanu instead, since Acerola has left to help Professor Kukui. Once all petals are collected, Mina weaves them into a Rainbow Flower. The Totem Ribombee arrives to inspect it and immediately attacks. Ribombee at level 55 with all stats boosted, supported by a Blissey and a Pelipper, is not the gentle Fairy-type pushover the trial's aesthetic might suggest. Mina awards the Fairium Z. The fact that her entire trial is essentially a victory lap through every other captain's territory is either clever game design or elegant laziness, depending on your perspective.

Hala

Hala is the kahuna of Melemele Island and the first Grand Trial opponent players face. He is a large, cheerful man in a brightly patterned aloha shirt who is also, improbably, one of the most dangerous Fighting-type trainers in the region. He is the grandfather of Hau, the player's rival and friend, and he personally gives new trainers their starter Pokemon in Sun and Moon. The ceremony in Iki Town at the start of the game - which includes Hala leading a celebration under the torchlight - sets the tone for the Alolan approach to Pokemon, emphasizing tradition, gratitude, and community over simple competition.

His Grand Trial team in Sun and Moon includes a Mankey, a Makuhita, and a Crabrawler - the Crabrawler gets a Z-Move at the first opportunity, using All-Out Pummeling via the Fightinium Z he awards upon defeat. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the team is similar but tuned upward, with Crabrawler again leading the Z-Move offense. Defeating Hala earns the Fightinium Z and the Melemele stamp, allowing traded Pokemon up to level 35 to obey. In Sun and Moon, Hala goes on to join the Alola Elite Four. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, his spot is taken by his former student Molayne, though Hala remains available for rematches and has a small role in the post-game. He is one of the few characters in the series who the game asks you to genuinely respect before you fight him - and then rewards that respect by making the fight worth it.

Olivia

Olivia is the kahuna of Akala Island and one of the most visually distinctive characters in the Generation 7 games. She runs a jewelry shop in Konikoni City - Rock-type Pokemon are the source of many of her gemstones - and she carries herself with the particular mix of warmth and competence that comes from genuinely loving what you do. She is also, by her own admission in dialogue, somewhat lonely, having devoted most of her life to training and her kahuna responsibilities at the cost of much social life.

Her Grand Trial team in Sun and Moon includes a Nosepass, a Boldore, and a Lycanroc (whose form varies by version - Midday Form in Sun, Midnight Form in Moon). She uses a Rockium Z on the Lycanroc, deploying Continental Crush. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the team shifts slightly - her Lycanroc uses the Dusk Form in Ultra Sun - and the levels step up to match the longer in-game journey. Defeating Olivia earns the Rockium Z and the Akala stamp, which raises the obedience cap to level 50. Like Hala, Olivia joins the Elite Four in Sun and Moon's post-game. She is one of the three sitting kahunas who meet in Malie Garden at the start of the game to discuss the guardian deities' unusual behavior - a rare glimpse of the political and spiritual structure that sits beneath the Island Challenge system.

Nanu

Nanu is the kahuna of Ula'ula Island, a Dark-type specialist, and the most reluctant person in a position of authority you will likely encounter in any Pokemon game. He is a police officer by profession - the lone officer at the Malie City branch, a posting he appears to have cultivated specifically because it requires as little social interaction as possible. When Acerola says that a person chosen to be kahuna cannot refuse, she is talking about Nanu. He did not want the job. He took it anyway, because the guardian deity Tapu Bulu left him no choice, and he has been quietly irritated about it ever since.

His Grand Trial takes place after the Po Town sequence on Ula'ula Island. The player arrives looking for help, and Nanu introduces himself with the energy of someone who has been hoping to avoid this exact situation. His team in Sun and Moon features Sableye, Krokorok, and Alolan Persian - all Dark-type - with a Darkinium Z powering up Persian into Black Hole Eclipse. The team is not flashy, but Alolan Persian with Fur Coat and Fake Out combined with Sableye's Ghost typing can disrupt unprepared players. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the team is similar. Defeating Nanu earns the Darkinium Z and the Ula'ula stamp, raising the obedience cap to level 65. He also plays a small role in Mina's USUM trial, substituting for Acerola - and whether he battles you or just hands over the petal depends on which version you're playing.

Hapu

Hapu is the kahuna of Poni Island, and she is the only kahuna in the game who does not hold that title when the player first meets her. When the player arrives on Poni Island, there is no kahuna - her grandfather held the position until his death, and Tapu Fini, the island's guardian deity, has not yet chosen a successor. Hapu has been training relentlessly, hoping to earn the position that has been in her family, but she cannot force the guardian's hand. She is short, direct, and extremely competent. She rides a Mudsdale. She carries herself like someone who is used to doing hard things alone and does not require acknowledgment for it.

The selection happens during the game's story. After the player helps Hapu's friend Lana in a difficult situation (version-dependent), Tapu Fini reveals itself at the Ruins of Hope and grants Hapu the Sparkling Stone that marks her as the new kahuna. The Grand Trial happens immediately after - or nearly so - at the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon. Her team in Sun and Moon features a Dugtrio (Alolan), a Gastrodon, a Flygon, and a Mudsdale, with a Groundium Z turning Mudsdale's High Horsepower into Tectonic Rage. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the team sees adjustments in level and moves. Defeating Hapu earns the Groundium Z and the Poni stamp, raising the obedience cap to level 80. She is, by the game's math, the most powerful kahuna the player faces - and she earns the title on screen, which gives the battle a weight that a pre-existing authority figure would not have provided.