If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Pokémon Sun and Moon - Vast Poni Canyon, Dragonium Z, Captainless Trial

Our complete walkthrough for every step of your latest Pokémon journey.

With Exeggutor Island and Kahuna Hapu's Grand Trial cleared, your path is finally open to the way through Poni Island's mountains.

The Vast Poni Canyon is what awaits you, followed up by a surprise Poni Canyon Trial and the Dragionium Z Crystal, too.

Vast Poni Canyon

Before you dive in, worth bearing in mind is that the entrance to the Poni Canyon cave Lillie will wait for you and, kindly, heal your Pokémon when required. She'll also hand you a few restorative items, too, although you should be alright for most of the journey on your own.

Vast Poni Canyon is Pokémon Sun and Moon's largest dungeon, and the closest to some of the more traditional caves from the Pokémon series. With that in mind, we've organised our walkthrough for it in step-by-step form for you below, starting after you enter:

  1. Head right, until you start going uphill. Knock through some breakable rocks for the Max Potion
  2. Then head up and left, past the Ace Duo, smash the rocks, and southwards to the outside area
  3. Head left and cross the bridge, and through the small indoor area with Hiker Zachary
  4. Swing right, and climb through the small hole in the wall to a hidden area - Beat Veteran Lynn and grab the Escape Rope behind her. Then ride Mudsdale downwards, and fight Ace Trainer Junko, and head out south through another small hole. Grab the TM, then head back the way you came and out the small hole again.
  5. Now, head left to the bridge, where Lillie comes to greet you. Has a trail of her own trying to cross a bridge with some Murkrow on it. Heals you on the other side.
  6. Carry on inside to the next room and down the ramp. Pick up a Zygarde Cell on the left by the burrowing pokemon, and continue downhill.
  7. Time for a Strength puzzle. Go above the boulder and push it downwards/southwards with Machamp, until it falls into a hole. Grab a Full Restore to the left of it .Then go downwards, and push the bottom boulder to the right into a hole right by it. Then walk on that boulder to head upwards, pushing the boulder there upwards into the next hole that's infront of it. You can now access a ladder to the right of it.
  8. Up the ladder, take on Scientist Ikaika and then head out the door just past him to outside again
  9. Face Punk Girl Anna there, and head rightwards across another bridge, where you meet some kind of hippy girl… Captain Mina! Although she actually just wanders around doing her art - turns out this place was designed by Ilima (the first captain!). She gives you the Fairium Z Crystal!
  10. When you go left, you'll see an exit below you, and Ace Trainer above. Quickly choose the exit - inside, you can push the boulder to the right to give you a shortcut through the mountain, which can only be done from this side. There's also a Zygarde Cell hiding behind it, which you can pick up once the boulder's moved.
  11. Now head back outside and northwards, through three trainers - after defeating them, head on to the big entrance!
  12. Lillie catches up to you, very out of breath. Ahead, she tells you, lies a captainless trial!
ItemWhere to find
Max PotionOutside the cave; crawl under fallen tree, behind the big dead tree, before entering the cave part after defeating Hapu
Max ReviveOutside the cave; from Lillie before entering the cave
Max PotionUp hill to the right, behind some breakable boulders
ReviveThrough long grass, first time you head outside
Zygarde CoreCross first bridge, inside, on the right behind a small rocky mound
Escape RopeInside hidden area through small hole in wall, past Veteran Lynn
TM99 Dazzling GleamPast Ace Trainer Junko in the small-hole secret area, out the bottom into a clearing with just a rock
X Special Attack (Hidden)Next to the rock in the above clearing
Zygarde CellOn the left on downhill ramp after big bridge with Lillie, by burrowing Pokemon
Full RestoreOn the left after pushing first boulder into a hole
Fairium ZFrom Mina the artist outside on the bridge
Full HealDown the plant, double back on yourself (below-wise) through long grass and over a ledge
Zygarde CellUnder the boulder in shortcut area between start and end of route, after you climb down the big tree, head left and inside
TrainersPokémonLevel
Veteran HarryTorkoal
Arcanine
Lvl.46
Lvl.46
Backpacker PerdyWhimsicottLvl.44
Ace Duo Kent and AimeeAlolan Nintales
Alolan Sandslash
Lvl.46
Lvl.46
Hiker ZacharyArcheops
Rampardos
Lvl.44
Lvl.44
Veteran LynnStarmie
Talonflame
Shiinotic
Lvl.46
Lvl.46
Lvl.46
Ace Trainer JunkoLilligant
Weavile
Lvl.45
Lvl.46
Scientist IkaikaMuk
Magnezone
Lvl.43
Lvl.44
Punk Girl AnnaAlolan Persian
Honchcrow
Lvl.44
Lvl.44
Punk Guy AdamPangoroLvl.44
Black Belt EarlPoliwrathLvl.46
Ace Trainer HiroshiAbsol
Lapras
Lvl.46
Lvl.47
Veteran HeatherStoutland
Klefki
Tsareena
Lvl.47
Lvl.47
Lvl.47
Veteran EricGranbull
Golem
Gengar
Cloyster
Lvl.47
Lvl.47
Lvl.47
Lvl.47

Need more tips? Use our Pokémon Sun and Moon Walkthrough and guide for the main story, our competitive training guide for info on IVs, EV training, Hyper Training and bottle cap farming, and breeding explained, our choice of the best Pokémon Sun and Moon starter from Rowlet, Litten and Popplio, as well as an in-progress list of where to find Zygarde Cells and Cores and our guide to the Battle Tree and both Battling and Trading in the Festival Plaza. We also have a list of QR codes list, Z Crystal locations, Mega Stone locations, Eevium Z Eevee User locations for Extreme Evoboost, evolutions for Alolan Forms and other new Sun and Moon Pokémon and fast way to increase a Pokémon's Happiness, plus how to transfer across Ash-Greninja from the Sun and Moon Demo, where to catch the Tapu Guardians, how to catch the Ultra Beasts, and how to download the Munchlax Mystery Gift.


Poni Island Captainless Trial - Dragonium Z

This trial has no Captain, instead simply playing home to an ancient-looking stone with weathered engravings, which suggest only those on the Alolan Island Challenge "may walk this earth"!

Ahead, you feel a piercing gaze from somewhere, but where?! A little further and a wild Jangmo-o attacks. Further on, you're attacked again, this time by a Hakamo-o.

Finally, "you feel the fiercest pair of eyes imaginavle drilling into you relentlessly!" - which is pretty dark. Ahead of you lies a pedestal with a Z Crystal atop it. If you take it, the Fighting-Dragon-type Totem Pokémon Kommo-o attacks!

On victory the Totem Kommo-o will hide itself somewhere deep inside the valley, and you can finally claim the Dragonium Z Crystal from the pedestal.

ItemWhere to find
TM02 Dragon ClawIn a small cave just to the right as you enter
Dragonium ZFrom pedestal after beating Totem Komomo-o

There's only one place to go next: The Altar of the Sunne or Moone, and Ultra Space...