Ever stared at a Gloom in your party, shoved a Leaf Stone at it, and wondered why it turned into a Vileplume when you specifically wanted that cute hula-dancing Bellossom? Yeah, you've probably been there. It’s one of those classic "wait, what?" moments in the series.
Basically, the Sun Stone is a bit of an oddball. It’s not as common as the Fire or Water stones you find at every Delibird Presents or Poke Mart. It’s rarer. It’s finicky. And honestly, the list of what pokemon evolve with sun stone is surprisingly short given how long the series has been around.
If you're trying to complete your Pokedex in Scarlet & Violet, Pokemon GO, or even a retro run of Gold & Silver, you need to know exactly who needs this orange rock. Let’s break it down without the corporate fluff.
The "Big Five" of Sun Stone Evolutions
For the longest time, there have only been five specific species that react to this item. If you try to use it on anything else, the game will just tell you it "has no effect." Kind of a letdown, right?
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1. Gloom to Bellossom
This is the OG split evolution. Back in Kanto, Gloom only had one path. But when Generation 2 hit, everything changed. If you use a Leaf Stone, you get Vileplume. If you use a Sun Stone, you get Bellossom.
Interestingly, Bellossom is the only Pokemon in this entire line that isn't a Poison-type. It sheds the stinky, purple vibes and becomes a pure Grass-type. It's a great choice if you're tired of being weak to Psychic moves.
2. Sunkern to Sunflora
Sunkern is, statistically speaking, one of the weakest Pokemon ever created. I’m not being mean; its base stats are just objectively tiny. You basically have to use a Sun Stone to make it viable. Once it touches that stone, it turns into Sunflora.
In Pokemon GO, this is a cheap evolution (only 50 candies), which makes it a favorite for those "Evolve a Pokemon using an item" research tasks.
3. Cottonee to Whimsicott
Introduced in the Unova region (Gen 5), Cottonee is that annoying little puffball that loves to prank people. To get its evolved form, Whimsicott, you need that Sun Stone.
Whimsicott is actually a beast in competitive play thanks to the "Prankster" ability. It gets priority on status moves, which can absolutely ruin an opponent's day. If you've ever been locked down by a Whimsicott's Leech Seed or Substitute, you know the pain.
4. Petilil to Lilligant
Petilil is the counterpart to Cottonee. While Whimsicott is a tricky prankster, Lilligant is a sophisticated dancer. In most games, using a Sun Stone on Petilil gives you the standard Grass-type Lilligant.
But here’s a twist: In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, if you evolve Petilil in the Hisui region, it turns into Hisuian Lilligant. It gains the Fighting type and looks like a lithe ballerina. Same stone, different result based on where you are.
5. Helioptile to Heliolisk
This one is the outlier. While every other Sun Stone evolution is a plant or a seed, Helioptile is a lizard. It’s an Electric/Normal type.
It makes sense if you think about it, though. Real-world lizards bask in the sun to get energy. Helioptile has these little frills on its head that act like solar panels. Using a Sun Stone on it to trigger evolution is one of the more "scientifically" accurate mechanics Game Freak has cooked up.
Where to Find Sun Stones in 2026
Knowing what pokemon evolve with sun stone is only half the battle. You actually have to find the things.
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In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, they aren't sold in shops like the basic elemental stones. You have to work for them. The easiest way? Head to Artazon. There’s a Gym Trial there involving Sunflora. Once you find ten of them wandering around town, the game literally hands you a Sun Stone as a reward.
If you need more than one, you’ll have to scour the West Province (Area One) or keep an eye on the Porto Marinada auctions. Sometimes they pop up there, but be prepared to outbid some NPCs who apparently have way more money than sense.
Getting them in Pokemon GO
This is where people usually get frustrated. You can't just buy a Sun Stone in Pokemon GO. It's all RNG (random number generation). You get them from:
- Spinning PokeStops (rarely).
- Your 7-day spin streak (guaranteed to get an evolution item, but not necessarily a Sun Stone).
- Opening Gifts from friends.
- Certain Special Research tasks.
Honestly, if you're hunting one in GO, just keep spinning stops. Eventually, the game stops being stingy.
Common Misconceptions (No, Espeon Doesn't Count)
I see this a lot on forums. People assume that because Espeon is the "Sun Pokemon," it must evolve with a Sun Stone. Nope.
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Espeon evolves through high friendship during the daytime. Same goes for Solrock—it's literally a sun, but it doesn't evolve at all. It’s just a standalone rock. Don't waste your time trying to "fix" a Solrock with a stone; it’s already as evolved as it’s ever going to be.
Another one that trips people up is Volcarona. It’s known as the "Sun Pokemon" in the Pokedex, but it evolves from Larvesta at the ridiculously high level of 59. No stone required, just a whole lot of grinding.
Is it Worth Evolving Them?
Look, unless you're a completionist, you might wonder if these Pokemon are actually good.
- Whimsicott is 100% worth it for competitive battles.
- Heliolisk is a fun, speedy Electric type with a unique move pool (it can learn Surf!).
- Bellossom is great for a casual playthrough of Johto or Hoenn.
- Sunflora... well, Sunflora is cute. Let's leave it at that.
If you’re sitting on a pile of Sun Stones in your bag, start with Helioptile or Cottonee. They give you the most "bang for your buck" in terms of power and utility.
To get started, check your bag for any Sun Stones you might have picked up during your travels without noticing. If you're playing Scarlet or Violet, fly over to the Artazon Sunflora lawn to see if you've completed the hide-and-seek challenge yet. For Pokemon GO players, make sure you're opening your daily limit of 30 gifts to maximize your chances of a random drop.