Hala

Hala
Species	Human
Affiliation	Pokémon League (Alola)
Hair color	Gray
Eye color	Brown
Height	5'7"
Base	Melemele Island
Relatives	Hau (Grandson) Son
Voiced by	Kane Junbluth-Murry (2021)
Debut	Pokémon Sun/Moon

Hala is a Pokémon trainer who was featured as a supporting character and opponent in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. He was one of the four kahuna of the Alola region, being the kahuna of Melemele Island, and he also provided the player with their starter Pokémon. Hala also acted as an inaugural member of Alola's Elite Four in Sun/Moon only. He specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon and holds the Fighting-type Z-Crystal, Fightinum Z.

Background

Hala resided in Iki Town at Melemele Island, where he was renowned for being powerful and dedicated in his training, both as a Pokémon trainer and as a sumo wrestler. He was chosen by Tapu Koko to act as the kahuna of Melemele Island and took that trial seriously. Thus, he hosted the island's ceremonies related to the island challenge, which included giving out starter Pokémon to new challengers. During any years in which there were no new challengers, Hala would hold sumo matches instead. He was only known to appoint one trial captain for the island, Ilima. He also helped to calm down any Pokémon that started to become hostile around the island.

He also had a grandson named Hau, who looked up to him and wanted to become as strong as him. Hala encouraged Hau's aspirations. One other villager felt that Hala went easy on Hau due to feeling guilty about one time when he was harsh with the child when he was younger. It was also known that Hala's son, the father of Hau, had left Alola to work at another region some time ago. Hau believed it was because he hated being the son of a kahuna.

Sun/Moon

Hala initially appeared after Elio/Selene and Cosmog had been rescued by Tapu Koko. He was impressed with Elio/Selene and saw them as having the potential to be a great trainer, so he allowed them to choose from three starter Pokémon. He then watched as Hau, who had already received a Pokémon from Hala, showed up to challenge the new trainer to a battle. In the aftermath of the battle, Hala noticed that Elio/Selene had a Sparkling Stone that was receieved from Tapu Koko, and he had it made into a Z-Ring that the young trainer could use. Hala then held a festival to set off the island challenge, with its main event being another battle between Elio/Selene and Hau.

Afterwards, Hala was encountered several times during the trainer's travels across Melemele Island, when he repeatedly tried to calm down an unruly Tauros and then allowed Elio/Selene to pet it. After Elio/Selene had cleared Ilima's trial, they were able to challenge Hala to a battle as the Grand Trial. After being defeated, Hala gave them Fightinum Z and demonstrated the pose that went with it. He also placed the Melemele stamp in their passport, as proof that they had completed that island's trial. Hala also gave Elio/Selene a Ride Page and registered Tauros to it.

Later in the game, he made an appearance when the Ultra Beasts began to attack Alola. While strolling on Mahalo Trail, he encountered an Ultra Beast (Buzzwole in Sun or Pheromosa in Moon), and Tapu Koko appeared to help him to repel it. Afterwards, Hala was convinced by Professor Kukui to join Alola's newly-minted Pokémon League as one of the members of its Elite Four. He resided in the Fighting Chamber and chose not to hold out for these battles. Elio/Selene defeated him on their way to the championship. After Elio/Selene became the champion, Hala congratulated the trainer and then hosted a big celebration at Iki Town. He could also be battled again in rematches of the Elite Four.

In the postgame, Hala also made an extra appearance in a scenario involving Guzma. After defeating Guzma at Hau'oli City's beach, Hala would appear and offered to help Guzma to become a better trainer and a better person. He saw this as penance for the wrongdoings of Guzma and Team Skull.

Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon

While much of Hala's role in the early part of the Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon was the same as in the original games, there were some alterations to the storyline. One notable difference was how the starter Pokémon were dispensed. While Hala was off settling down some Rockruff, he had left the starter Pokémon in Kukui's care, who ended up distributing two of the Pokémon to Elio/Selene and Hau. Beyond that, Hala's role during the Melemele Island portion of the game was the same as in Sun/Moon. Another change was made to the Ultra Beast encounter, as he instead was confronted by Blacephalon (in Ultra Sun) or Stakataka (in Ultra Moon), and Hau was with him at the time. He even felt that Hau had grown enough to handle it on his own, although Tapu Koko still came to their aid.

After Elio/Selene had completed all of the trials, Hala showed up at Seafolk Village to congratulate them and to report on Hau's progress, as Hau had managed to defeat him in an all-out battle. In these versions, Hala did not join the Elite Four, and Molayne acted as one of its members instead. It was not made clear if,in this version of events, Hala had declined or was just not invited to begin with. Hala still held a celebration at Iki Town after Elio/Selene became champion. After that, he could be challenged to a rematch in Iki Town. After being defeated, he would reward the player with two Z-Crystals (the Z-Crystals for the fully evolved forms of the starter Pokémon that the player did not choose).

Pokémon Roster

Hala uses the following Pokémon in battle:

• Mankey/Primeape: He uses these Pokémon in Sun/Moon only. It is used during the first battle and evolves by the Elite Four battle.
• Machop/Machamp: He uses Machop instead of Mankey in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, and it evolves into Machamp by the second battle.
• Makuhita/Hariyama: It is first used in the first battle and evolves by the second battle.
• Crabrawler/Crabominable: It is first used in the first battle and evolves by the second battle. This Pokémon uses Fightinium Z.
• Bewear: This Pokémon is added to this roster starting in his second battle.
• Poliwrath: This Pokémon is added to his roster starting in his second battle.

Hala also holds the generation's three starter Pokémon (Rowlet, Litten and Popplio), which he gives out to new trainers.

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Masters EX, Hala and Crabominable appeared as a playable sync pair that could be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature, starting in June 2021. When fought as an opponent, he has also synced up with Primeape and Bewear. He appeared during the "Town Square Street Fair" Solo Event, where he bested Silver in a Pokémon Sumo battle. During the "Poké War Games Costume Event", Hala showed up and battled with Guzma to help prepare him for the Battle of Golden Spheres. Hala also appeared in the Alola chapter of the Villain Arc, in which he and Hau were attacked by Ultra Beasts in a similar manner as in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon (a similarity which Hala himself commented on). Tapu Koko arrived to drive them off and formed a sync bond with Hau. Hala believed that Hau was chosen due to having a much stronger heart. Hala could also appear as an opponent in the Unova Challenge of the Champion Stadium due to his role with the Elite Four; in acknowledgement of the Ultra game, he would be switched with Molayne each week.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, Hala made a number of appearances throughout the Sun/Moon-based series. He oversaw all of Ash Ketchum's trials on Melemele Island (as the anime did not include the trial captain rank), and Ash was able to best him in his grand trial. He was interrupted from giving out Fightinium Z by Tapu Koko, which switched it with Electrium Z. His other appearances included a battle with Pheromosa, mentoring Lillie and refrereeing or judging a number of battles. A flashback in one episode revealed that he was the mentor of both Kukui and Guzma, and he attempted to keep the peace between them. He reappeared in an episode of the Pokémon Journeys series in which he threw a party welcomig Lillie and her family back to Alola.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Hala appeared during the Sun/Moon arc. He was shown seeking ways to calm the guardian deities' rage. He and the other kahunas decided to hold an imitation of the island challenge in an attempt to appease the deities, and they later ended up working together against the Ultra Beasts.

Trivia

• He is named after a Hawaiian name for a type of fruit-bearing tree.
• His Pokémon are kept in Ultra Balls.
• Within the main Pokémon game, he is the first character to give out a starter Pokémon who is not either the region's professor or someone acting on behalf of the professor. The Ultra versions of the games fall back to the original tradition by having Kukui give out the starters, although he does so on Hala's behalf.