Learn how to level up fast in Pokemon Sun and Moon to make your Pokemon reach level 100 in no time!
Ever since the Game Boy days, grinding was a task that every trainer should go through if they want to beat a Pokemon game.
But with more modern games such as Pokemon Sun and Moon packing tons of end game content, leveling up your Pokemon is more vital than ever.
Now, the Elite Four and Champion aren’t the final bosses; there are legendaries to capture and competitive battles to win.
So what’s the fastest way to level up your Pokemon in Sun and Moon and how do you do it efficiently?
In this guide, I’ll share my go-to methods when grinding my Pokemon to the max.
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Table of Contents
How to Level Up Fast in Pokemon Sun and Moon?
Before telling you my favorite methods for grinding levels in Pokemon Sun and Moon, here are some essentials that will help you level up fast no matter what stage of the game you’re in.
Whether you’re just starting out in your Alolan journey or you’re already a champion looking to break his ceilings, these tips will help you:
Tip #1: Give a Lucky Egg to Your Pokemon
Give the Pokemon you are training a Lucky Egg. A Pokemon holding this item will increase its experience points gained by 50%, essentially cutting your grinding time by a third.
You can get the Lucky Egg by talking to Professor Kukui in his house.
Tip #2: Obtaining Affection Hearts
The Pokemon you want to train should have at least two affection hearts in Pokemon Refresh.
Petting them or interacting with them will do but if you have something to feed them, that would be better. Having two affection hearts will increase their experience gains by 20%.
Tip #3: Turning On Your Exp. Share
Use the Exp. Share properly. This gives your other Pokemon experience even if they didn’t actually battle.
As long as they are in your party, they will level up. If you’re planning to level up a single Pokemon, turn off the Exp. Share so its experience gains won’t be diluted.
If you want to level up your entire party, turn it on for a nice spread of experience for all of your Pokemon.
You can also try bringing a party of only Level 100 Pokemon except for the one you’re training.
Turning on the Exp. Share in this scenario will make battles quick and easy while giving your underleveled Pokemon all the experience.
My Other Go-to Methods to Level Up Fast in Pokemon Sun and Moon
Once you have these general tips and tricks checked, proceed to grinding.
Here are the different methods I used to grind over 20 Level 100 Pokemon in Sun and Moon:
Method #1: Elite Four Rematch
Yes, Elite Four rematches are still one of the best ways to level up your Pokemon fast.
They are one of the strongest NPCs in the game with the highest level Pokemon and will give you a lot of experience for beating them.
While I noticed that the Elite 4 doesn’t get stronger when you beat them as much as they do on previous games, the experience you get from rematches are very well worth it.
You can also battle the Island Kahunas after beating their trials. This gives you not only experience, but money as well.
After battling the Elite Four many, many times, I found these Pokemon to be the most efficient when you’re planning to level up another one:
| Pokemon (Level 100) | Stats | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Pinsir | Item: Pinsirite Ability: Mold Breaker Nature: Jolly EVs: 4 HP 252 Atk 252 Spd |
X-Scissor Earthquake Return Brick Break |
| Ninetales (Alolan) | Item: Light Clay Ability: Snow Warning Nature: Modest EVs: 252 SpA 4 SpD 252 Spd |
Aurora Veil Ice Beam Moonblast Blizzard |
| White Kyurem (can only be obtained by trading) | Item: Life Orb Ability:Turboblaze Nature: Timid EVs: 252 SpA 4 SpD 252 Spe |
Psychic Earth Power Shadow Ball Ice Beam |
These Pokemon and their moveset will allow you to easily and quickly beat all of the Elite Four’s Pokemon.
Mega Pinsir and Ninetales duo can destroy the Elite Four with super effective moves and power.
Meanwhile, White Kyurem might be hard to get and train but I already lost count how many times I swept through the Elite Four with White Kyurem alone.
This Dragon/Ice-type abomination of a wallbreaker crushes the E4 like ants.
This way, your Pokemon in training can just sit back in its Pokeball and take all the experience without even doing anything. Rinse and repeat and you will have a fully trained party pretty quickly.
Method #2: SOS Battles
SOS is a new feature introduced in Sun and Moon where the wild Pokemon asks for help and summons another into the wild battle.
You can do this with various Pokemon but the most rewarding is Chansey and Blissey as they give the most experience.
To do this method, you need to beat the Elite Four at least once and have a False Swiper on your team that’s at least Level 60.
Go to Poni Plains and dive into the rustling bushes until you find a Chansey. False Swipe it so it will call for help. If it doesn’t then you can use an Adrenaline Orb to force it to SOS.
Good to know: Adrenaline Orbs are consumable items available from PokeMarts after defeating the second trial.
Keep KOing the back up Pokemon while leaving Chansey alive. If a Blissey appears, make sure you KO it and not Chansey. Blissey gives more experience than Chansey but cannot SOS.
Combine this with the essential tips I mentioned previously and you can have a streak of easy experience.
Method #3: Power Leveling with Rare Kitchens
If you’re looking for a more laid-back alternative to leveling up fast in Sun and Moon, then the Festival Plaza is a feature you should take advantage of—particularly the Rare Kitchen.
If you pull off this method correctly, you can level up a Pokemon to Level 100 in just around 2 hours. Let me show you how I do it:
Requirements:
- Beaten the Elite Four
- 4500 Festival Coins (2 Rare Kitchen Level 5)
- Festival Plaza Level 30 or higher
First, you need to set up a few things. Start by collecting 3000 FC, then ask two visitors to take you through their facilities.
We need 2 Level 5 Rare Kitchens, which cost a total of 4500 FC, and you’re good to go.
Next, level up your Pokemon to Level 66 through the Elite Four or the SOS method. It’s crucial that you only train it to Level 66 exactly to reduce costs.
Now you can start Power Leveling by purchasing meals. You must follow these steps to make the most out of this method.
1. Rare Dinners
- 1st Rare Dinner > Level 73
- 2nd Rare Dinner > Level 80
2. Rare Buffets
- Level 80 > Level 89
- Level 89 > Level 98
3. Finish off with Rare Candies
- Level 98 > Level 100
Conclusion
Now you know how to level up fast in Pokemon Sun and Moon. These tips and tricks will help you whether you’re still beating the Kahunas’ trials or you’re already the champion.
But if you want to get to Level 100 as fast as possible, the two methods I showed you are the best.
Key Points:
- Lucky Egg Boost: Holding a Lucky Egg increases experience gained by 50%, making it essential for faster leveling. Obtain it from Professor Kukui after defeating the Elite Four.
- Affection Matters: Pokemon with at least two affection hearts in Pokemon Refresh gain a 20% experience boost, so don’t forget to interact with them.
- Use Exp. Share Wisely: Turn Exp. Share on to level up your whole party, or turn it off to focus on a single Pokemon for maximum experience.
- Elite Four Rematches: The Elite Four and Island Kahunas provide high experience points, making them reliable grinding spots for leveling up fast.
- SOS Battles: Chansey and Blissey in Poni Plains offer the most experience during SOS Battles. Use Adrenaline Orbs and False Swipe for efficient grinding.
- Festival Plaza with Rare Kitchens: Taking advantage of this method can help you level up a Pokemon to Level 100 in just around 2 hours.
- Combination of Methods: Pair these strategies, such as SOS Battles with a Lucky Egg or Elite Four rematches with Exp. Share to maximize experience gains and reach Level 100 quickly.
What do you think of these grinding methods? Do you have an experience secret of your own? Tell us in the comments below.
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