Referred to with reverence as “The Beast That Calls the Moon,” Lunala is a legendary Pokemon that is very different from its peers. That is because it has an entire evolution line that arrives from an iconically weak Pokemon in the story of Sun and Moon. This dual psychic/ghost type is a legend in the Alola region and a monster on the battlefield.
About Lunala
| First appearance in anime | In the Pokemon Sun and Moon series episode ‘A Dream Encounter!’ |
| First appearance in game | Sun and Moon |
| Region | Alola |
| Evolution | Cosmog-->Cosmoem-->Lunala |
| 1st Evo level | 43 |
| 2st Evo level | 53 |
| Pokedex Entry | Known as the Beast That Calls the Moon, this Pokémon lives by taking in any and all light and converting it into its own energy. It steals the light from its surroundings and then becomes the full moon, showering its own light across the night sky. |
Lunala’s Base Stats
| HP | 137 |
| Attack | 113 |
| Defense | 89 |
| Sp. Attack | 137 |
| Sp. Defense | 107 |
| Speed | 97 |
Appearance
Lunala resembles a gigantic, skeletal bat that has a short snout and bright pink eyes with wings and a head that are dark blue and resemble a starry sky. The bony structures of Lunala look like metal and are colored gold.
Behavior
Lunala is considered an emissary of the moon and is called “The Beast That Calls the Moon” by Alolans. It's said that Lunala lives in another world, possibly Ultra Space, and returns there when its third eye opens.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Lunala’s psychic/ghost typing is somewhat common and not incredible although that doesn’t make it weak but instead just strong enough. It is resistant against poison and psychic type moves and takes half damage from them and is completely immune to normal and fighting type moves. However, it is incredibly weak to ghost and dark type moves, taking quadruple damage from them.
Shiny Lunala
Shiny Lunala is the rare, recolored version of Lunala and while it is very different as compared to a normal Lunala, there are a few similarities. The metal parts of Shiny Lunala are still golden but the once purple starry wings and head of a Shiny Lunala are now a deep red color, resembling a red night sky.
Best Movesets for Lunala
Offensive Setup: Lunala is an incredibly offensive Pokemon. It has incredible attacking stats and when combined with setup moves like Calm Mind and Moongeist Beam, as well as other strong moves, it can one hit KO even the strongest of opponents.
| Calm Mind | Psyshock |
| Moongeist Beam | Focus Blast/Moonblast |
Offensive Speed: When setting up isn’t possible and speed is more necessary, giving Lunala a Choice Scarf and going for all out attacking is still very effective. While it may be less powerful as compared to the Calm Mind setup, Lunala doesn’t always need the boost. Just the extra speed and a few hits from Moongeist Beam can sweep opponents.
| Moongeist Beam | Ice Beam |
| Focus Blast | Psyshock |
How to Catch Lunala in Pokemon Go
Lunala is not yet in Pokemon Go, but, being a legendary, it can easily be assumed how to obtain it once it's added. It will likely be a raid boss and will require being defeated before it can be captured. However it could be added as a wild encounter after a string of research missions.
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Trivia
- Lunala has the highest base stat total of ghost type Pokemon and is tied with the other Pokemon that hold this title, Giratina, Dawn Wings Necrozma, and Shadow Rider Calyrex.
- Of any evolution, Lunala loses the most weight between itself and its previous evolution, weighing 879.9 kilograms less than Cosmoem.
- Lunala’s Japanese name was revealed by a twitter bot that tweeted out the trademark claim Nintendo obtained for Lunala.
FAQs
Is Lunala stronger than Solgaleo?
Both Pokemon are excellent but work better in different situations. Lunala has a high special attack and is better for offense while Solgaleo has higher defenses and is best as a tanky Pokemon.
Why is Lunala a ghost type?
Lunala is a ghost type because Hawaiians, whose culture is the basis for the Alola region, considered the moon’s effect on the sea ghostly as its gravitational effect could not be seen.
What is weak to Lunala?
Lunala can learn a wide range of move types but its strongest ones are its ghost and psychic type moves, so anything weak to those types will have trouble against it. Also any Pokemon with low defenses will struggle to survive the sheer power of Lunala.
Conclusion
Lunala looks to be a serene and benevolent moon Pokemon, and at times it is. However it cannot be denied that this legendary can destroy opponents in battle. And even when it gets hit, it still has high health and defenses so the hard hitting Lunala will stay in battle longer than your opponent would like it to.
