It’s hard to believe, but it’s been over a month since Pokemon Sun and Moon was released in the United States. I’ve been spending a ton of time with the game since my initial 60+ hour play-through, 200+ hours in fact! One of the ways I’ve continued to enjoy the game is by making a fun Pokemon Theme Team and using it online or at the Battle Tree. If you’re looking to play through the game for the first time and are searching for fun team ideas, or are like me and looking to get more out of your Pokemon Sun and Moon experience, check out some of my theme teams and try them for yourself!
Island Scan Only Team (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Horsea, Luxio and Serperior to name a few!)
One of my favorite new features of Pokemon Sun and Moon is the Island Scan. It’s a cool little mini-game that allows you to use your 3DS camera to scan QR Codes and hunt for Pokemon not native to Alola! Who needs Gumshoos when you could have Totodile, am I right? To use Island Scan you’ll need to have the QR Codes option available on your Rotom Dex. I can’t remember exactly when you get this, but it is early in the game. Once you’ve got the option available, head to Youtube and search for Sun and Moon QR Codes. That or just watch the video below!
Scan 10 of the codes and hit “Island Scan” on your 3DS and a classic Pokemon will appear at a certain location! You can only do this once per day, so if there are any Pokemon available on the Island Scan you really want I’d check out this list before scanning! Get Chikorita. It’s such an under appreciated Pokemon, deserving of its own Pokemon Theme Team.
Alola Forms Only (Ninetales, Marowak, Raichu, Persian, Exeggutor, Muk)
This might not be the most creative Pokemon Theme Team in the world, but I sure as heck enjoy using it. My Alola Forms team is my primary battle party because Game Freak did a great job of ensuring its viability. You can cover pretty much every type with this group of classic Pokemon. Seeing how these Pokemon’s adaptation to the Alola climate affects their combat ability was honestly one of my favorite parts of playing through Pokemon Sun and Moon. Personally, I’ve found that all of these Pokemon have incredible power when used properly, so get creative with their moves and have a great time!
All Dogs Team (Stoutland, Lucario, Arcanine, Lycanroc, Snubbull,… Absol? Smeargle if you don’t count Absol)
Who doesn’t love dogs? They’re so much better than cats. It’s not even close… And that universal truth even stays true here in the world of Pokemon! Dog Pokemon are so darn cool! Stoutland, a Pokemon I never gave much thought to, suddenly has become one of my personal favorites. Just look at it’s beard! How could anyone not love that? Much like the Alola Forms team, this group of Pokemon is more than capable of handling any opposing team when built properly. Sure, you won’t win any world championships, but you definitely could become the champion of Alola with this bunch. And once you have, then you can modify your team by giving Lucario or Absol a Mega Stone. And yes, Absol is a dog. Look at its legs. Cats don’t have legs that long.
All Cats Team (Persian, Eevee, Luxio, Incineroar, Weavile,… Absol? Solgaleo if you’ve got Sun!)
Who doesn’t love cats? They’re so much better than dogs. It’s not even close… And that universal truth even stays true here in the world of Pokemon! … huh… deja vu. Cat Pokemon are so darn cool! Listen, I know a lot of people like to dump on Alola Persian, but they’re haters. Alola Persian ranks fourth on the best Alola forms, under Ninetales, Raichu and Marowak. I just entered this team into this really handy team builder page, and found it’s super weak to fighting types. Changing your Eevee into a Sylveon certain could erase that problem! Cat lovers should definitely give this group a look. Swap in Solgaleo once you’ve got him for a power boost if you’re struggling. And yes, Absol is a cat. Just look at it’s face and teeth. Dogs don’t look like that.
Ride Pokemon Team (Machamp, Mudsdale, Tauros, Lapras, Sharpedo, Stoutland)
Show those Pokemon who carried you around Alola a little bit of appreciation! Creating a team of all Ride Pokemon is a sure fire way to make sure you struggle hard against any fighting and grass Pokemon you may come across, but hey! Who cares. Once Charizard is available through the PokeBank in January they won’t be so tough. This team can make for a really fun playthrough, especially because of the way it forces you to adapt your strategy to overcome some serious type disadvantages. And hey, these Pokemon are extremely cool. Mudbray might be a pain to trot out to battle, but once it evolves into Mudsdale you’ll be in business!
Ash’s Companions Team (Psyduck, Geodude, Scyther, Glaceon, Magneton, Pancham)
My last Pokemon Theme Team idea will appeal to everybody who watches the Pokemon Anime. We’re lucky enough to have access to so many of the Pokemon that Ash’s friends used on their journey in Sun and Moon, so why not make a team based around the concept? You’ve got good type coverage with this group, which is a testament to the show always keeping fresh faces and Pokemon around Ash! Misty’s Psyduck, Brock’s Geodude, Tracey’s Scyther, May’s Glaceon, Clemont’s Magneton and Serena’s Pancham make a great team. But, if you want to get crazy, pick up an Ash Greninja from the Demo and throw him into the mix as well! Winning with this team will be as close as Ash ever gets to being a Pokemon Master!
I’m sure there are limitless options out there for a fun Pokemon Theme Team, but these are just a few of my favorites. If you don’t like any of my suggestions, come up with some of your own and send them over to me! I’d love to hear what other trainers are coming up with. For more Pokemon Sun and Moon content, check out my Battle Tree guide as well as a “Highs and Lows of Pokemon Sun and Moon” article created by Todd Black and I. Thanks for reading, and happy training!
