Pokemon fans baffled by Sun & Moon character’s new meme status
![A custom screenshot shows the character Hala appearing as a Pokemon](https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-image/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26/heres-why-the-pokemon-community-is-obsessed-with-hala-right-now-1.jpg?width=3840&quality=60&format=auto)
No, you’re not going crazy. The Pokemon community has become caught up in Hala fever, with the Kahuna from Pokemon Sun & Moon currently the star of dozens (if not more) of Pokemon memes on various social media platforms
The big man is popping up in place of Butterfree, is being used in the place of Fire-type Pokemon, and is generally causing mayhem across the board. Plus, it’s making fans laugh in the process, even if it doesn’t make sense at first glance.
One person called this out in a post on X, sharing one of the original viral images and asking, “What is happening? Why are Hala memes everywhere?”
Why is Hala from Pokemon Sun and Moon going viral?
The popularity of these memes comes from accounts that share posts and images repeatedly, knowing they often go viral in the community.
As one comment explains, “TLDR people are using Hala to make fun of engagement farming/bait accounts that keep making the same 5 tweets. This was the original thread, it’s absolutely hilarious 10/10 I recommend the read.”
The post they shared, which seems like the origin of the meme, said, “Why not use Sinnoh Fire types? We have:” and then two pictures of Hala, which is poking fun at the many memes riffing on this format. This is poking fun at Sinnoh’s lack of Fire-type Pokemon aside from Chimchar.
From there, the community took the joke and ran with it, filling the original thread with memes poking fun at these recurring posts, but with an added injection of Hala.
As is often the case with the Pokemon community, some talented people have started taking the joke even further, creating custom graphics that include Hala and putting him into some familiar scenarios.
One post from creator @TheYisusOne even managed to fit Hala into a scene from Pokemon Battle Revolution, riffed on a popular post about how much better battle animations were back in the Wii game.
At the time of writing, the meme doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Considering the Pokemon community’s previous commitment to jokes, this could go on for years.
If this throwback has put you in the mood for some classic Pokemon games, check out our guide covering how to get every HM in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. Or try catching some classic Pocket Monsters with Pokemon Legends Arceus.