Pokémon Sun & Moon Essentials Guide – Part 1

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SPOILERS AHEAD

Over the past few weeks, several anonymous sources have been leaking details about the upcoming Nintendo 3DS games, Pokémon Sun & Moon. As usual, we won’t be sharing any images, but we have been keeping track on any and all details about the game. Below is a compilation of information we’ve previously reported on and some new ones as well – all in one place for your convenience! Anything related to the plot of the game will be “highlight to view” – Read at your own risk.

Pokémon

Version Exclusives

  • Pokémon Sun: Turtonator, Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Ninetales, Passimian, Lycanroc Midday Form, Solgaleo, UB-02 Expansion, Braviary line, Carracosta line, Whimsicott line, Rampardos line
  • Pokémon Moon: Drampa, Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Sandslash, Oranguru, Lycanroc Midnight form, Lunala, UB-02 Beauty, Mandibuzz line, Archeops line, Lilligant line, Bastiodon line

Alolan Forms

  • Alolan Rattata & Alolan Raticate // Dark/Normal-type
  • Alolan Raichu // Electric/Psychic-type
  • Alolan Meowth & Alolan Persian // Dark-type
  • Alolan Grimer & Alolan Muk // Poison/Dark-type
  • Alolan Diglett & Alolan Dugtrio // Ground/Steel-type
  • Alolan Marowak //Fire/Ghost-type
  • Alolan Geodude, Alolan Graveler & Alolan Golem // Rock/Electric-type
  • Alolan Sandshrew & Alolan Sandslash // Ice/Steel-type
  • Alolan Vulpix // Ice-type
  • Alolan Ninetales // Ice/Fairy-type
  • Alolan Exeggutor // Grass/Dragon-type

New Pokemon (Not Officially Revealed in Pre-Release Promo)

  • Trumbeak & Toucannon // Normal/Flying-type
  • Crabominable // Fighting/Ice-type
  • Mareanie & Toxapex // Poison/Water-type
  • Dewpider & Araquanid // Water/Bug-type
  • Shiinotic // Grass/Fairy-type
  • Salazzle // Poison/Fire-type
  • Golisopod // Bug/Water-type
  • Dhelmise // Ghost/Grass-type
  • Cosmoem // Psychic-type
  • Marshadow // Fighting/Ghost-type

Pokémon Evolutions

  • Rowlet –lvl. 17–> Dartrix –lvl. 34–> Decidueye
  • Litten –lvl. 17–> Torracat –lvl. 34–> Inceneroar
  • Popplio –lvl. 17–> Brionne –lvl. 34–> Primarina
  • Pikipek –lvl. 14–> Trumbeak –lvl. 28–> Toucannon
  • Yungoos –lvl. 20 at Morning–> Gumshoos
  • Grubbin –lvl. 20–> Charjabug –lvl. up at Lectical Cave–> Vikavolt
  • Crabrawler –lvl. up at Ula’ula Snowies Summit–> Crabominable
  • Cutiefly –lvl. 25–> Ribombee
  • Rockruff –lvl 25 at Morning–> Lycanroc Midday Form (Sun Version only)
  • Rockruff –lvl 25 at Night–> Lycanroc Midnight Form (Moon Version only)
  • Mareanie –lvl. 38–> Toxapex
  • Mudbray –lvl. 30–> Mudsdale
  • Dewpider –lvl. 22–> Araquanid
  • Fomantis –lvl. 34 at Morning–> Lurantis
  • Morelull –lvl. 24–> Shiinotic
  • Salandit –lvl. 33 female–> Salazzle
  • Stufful –lvl. 27–> Bewear
  • Bounbsweet –lvl. 18–> Steenee –lvl. up with Stomp–> Tsareena (Steenee learns Stomp at lvl. 29)
  • Wimpod –lvl. 30–> Golisopod
  • Sandygast –lvl. 42–> Palossand
  • Type: Null –lvl. up with Friendship–> Silvally
  • Jangmo-o –lvl. 35–> Hakamo-o –lvl. 45–> Kommo-o
  • Cosmog –lvl. 43–> Cosmoem –lvl. 53–> Solgaleo (Sun Version only)
  • Cosmog –lvl. 43–> Cosmoem –lvl. 53–> Lunala (Moon Version only)

Note: All Pokémon not listed DO NOT evolve

Ultra Beasts (Highlight to View)

  • Ultra Beasts are Pokémon that came from from an alternate dimension called the Ultra Space via Ultra Wormholes
  • UB-01’s true name is Nihilego and is Rock/Poison-type
  • UB-02 Beauty’s true name is Pheromosa and is Bug/Fighting-type – exclusive too Moon version
  • UB–02 Absorption’s true name is Buzzwole and is Bug/Fighting-type – exclusive to Sun version
  • UB-03 Lighting’s true name is Xurkitree and is an Electric-type
  • UB-04 Blaster’s true name is Celesteela and is Steel/Flying-type – exclusive to Moon version
  • UB-04 Blade’s true name is Kartana and is Grass/Steel-type – exclusive to Sun version
  • UB-05 Glutton’s true name is Guzzlord and is Dark/Dragon-type
  • Necrozma is Psychic type and does not have an Ultra Beast number or code name
  • Necrozma has an incredibly odd Pokédex entry compared to the other Ultra Beasts that suggests it came to Alola from the Ultra Space back in ancient times and has been residing underground on Earth ever since. Ultimately its considered a regular Legendary Pokémon, not an Ultra Beast
  • In some cases multiple UBs exist and can be caught: 1 Nihilego, 2 Buzzwole/4 Phermosa, 2 Xircutree, 4 Kartana/2 Celesteela, and 1 Guzzlord

Characters

Returning Characters From Past Games (Highlight to View)

  • Protagonist Red from Gen I
  • Rival Blue from Gen I
  • Salon Maiden Anabel from Gen III
  • Rival Wally from Gen III
  • Champion Cynthia from Gen IV
  • Agent Looker from Gen IV
  • Elite Four Grimsley from Gen V
  • Team Plasma Boss Colress from Gen V
  • Professor Burnet from Gen V
  • Prof. Assistant Sina from Gen VI
  • Prof. Assistant Dexio from Gen VI

Trial Captains, Totem Pokémon & Kahunas (Highlight to View)

  • Ilima – Normal-type Trial Captain // Melemele Island // Totem Alolan Raticate (Moon) or Totem Gumshoos (Sun)
  • Lana – Water-type Trail Captain // Akala Island // Totem Wishiwashi
  • Kiawe – Fire-type Trial Captain // Akala Island // Totem Salazzle
  • Mallow – Grass-type Trial Captain // Akala Island // Totem Lurantis
  • Sophocles – Electric-type Trial Captain // Ula’Ula Island //Totem Vikavolt
  • Acerola – Ghost-type Trial Captain // Ula’Ula Island// Totem Mimikyu
  • Mina – Fairy-type Trial Captain // Poni Island
  • Final Trial is centered around Dragon-types but has no Trial Captain // Poni Island // Totem Kommo-o
  • Hala – Fighting-type Kahuna //Melemele Island
  • Olivia – Rock-type Kahuna // Akala Island
  • Nanu – Dark-type Kahuna // Ula’Ula Island
  • Hapu – Ground-type Kahuna // Poni Island

(Highlight to View) Elite Four

  • Hala – Fighting-type
  • Olivia – Rock-type
  • Acerola – Ghost-type
  • Kahili – Flying-type

When you defeat the Elite Four you ultimately become the Champion, but one of these trainers will challenge you for the title immediately after and acts as a “Champion Battle”

  • Professor Kukui (Challenges you after you first defeat the Elite Four)
  • Rival Hau
  • Rival Gladion
  • Kahuna Hapu
  • Aether Foundation’s Faba
  • PokeStar Ryuki
  • Team Skull’s Plumeria
  • Trial Captain Sophocles
  • Former Trial Captain Molayne

Post Game (Highlight to View)

  • Battle Tree
  • Rematches
  • Assist Police in tracking down the escaped Ultra Beasts
  • Defending your Champion title from Challengers
  • After beating the main story line a portal appears that allows you to switch between alternate realities and changes some things in game such as Pokémon encounters
  • Usual complete Pokédex, capture legendaries/Ultra Beasts, explore region, etc.

Other

  • The starters are not shiny locked, however there is a lengthy cute scene that makes soft resetting a pain
  • Legendaries, Ultra Beasts, Cosmog, and Magearna are all shiny locked
  • Apricorn Pokéballs from Gen II are back
  • Wonder Trading is back
  • The Daycare is located on Akala Island, however, unlike past generations, the Pokémon you leave in the daycare will not level up. They will only breed and lay eggs
  • Using the Island Scanner you’re able to catch starters from previous games
  • You are able to customize the way you throw Pokéballs into battles from 7 different choices: Normal style, Elegant style, Reverent Style, Smug Style, Left-handed Style, Passionate Style and Idol Style
  • You get the Zygarde Cube to collect Zygarde Cells on Akala Island. You use a special room to turn them into 10%, 50% and Complete Form depending on how many Cells you have
  • The small island to the southeast of Poni Island is full of Alolan Exeggutors
  • You can buy the Strange Souvenir from Pokémon X & Y in a tourist shop

Part 2 of our Leaks Compilation will be posted tomorrow and features info about new moves, new abilities, and more!

T MINUS THREE DAYS UNTIL POKÉMON SUN & MOON!

t minus 8 days for europe sorry ’bout it

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780 thoughts on “Pokémon Sun & Moon Essentials Guide – Part 1”

  1. how far before the elite four are the mascot legendaries usable? Like is it around the equivalent of before the last gym like they often are? I like to use them on the 8th gym and elite four for my firsts of many playthroughs

    Reply

    • I would think as soon as a Pokemon Center is available to you, since that’s where the courier traditionally shows up, but hey we don’t even have gyms this gem so whooooknows

      Reply

  4. I’m having a bit of trouble. Is there any way to move from a New 3DS back to an old school 3DS? I read on IGN that if you call Nintendo customer service that they can do it for you, but has anyone actually done this?

    Reply

  6. I don’t know what to do with these last two days D: I just beat Y and today I finished leveling my team to 100 so I’m basically all set and ready to go.

    Reply

  8. I just found out that the Gamestop store closest to me IS doing a midnight release.
    Leggo, I am going, I dunno when to arrive or anything, but I am doing it

    Reply

    • If I went to a midnight release I would buy it, get home then fall on my couch and sleep. I would finish the game in my sleep because I need to play the games but I need sleep

      Reply

        • I need all the sleep I can muster
          Not only do I have sleep apnea I’m a really bad sleeper in general
          Christ I’ve been waking up at 4 AM and barely getting a wink……
          Mostly because of my weird neck and a roaming pillow or my tenitis…..

          Reply

        • I’ve never hated school more than I will on Thursday. xD
          I have a two hour late start tomorrow, why couldn’t I have had that Friday?

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          • Right, I have Class from 11:05-4:50, which is kind of long for a college day. At least I’m going to see Fantastic Beasts at 9 though.

    • Shoot, I forgot that I need to call my gamestop and check for sure.
      A month ago they said they probably were, but to check back closer to release.

      They’re actually one of the biggest gamestops in the area, and they’ve done many midnight releases before, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t do one now.

      Reply

      • If you look up midnight releases gamestop stores Sun and Moon, they provide a PDF of which stores are doing it
        Goodness, I did not call in to see xD

        Reply

          • I went to the one with SSB 3DS.
            Your store might do things differently, but here’s how my store did the release for that.
            1. They had games and such set up around 10 to pass the time (which is probably just something special)
            2. When you entered, you were given a number (based on order of who arrived)
            3. At around 11:45, they divided us up into groups of 10 (The first ten people to arrive, the second ten people, etc.)
            4. They one group into the store at a time, and then when that group was finished the next group got to come in.

            Fairly self-explanatory, I just felt like elaborating a bit.

    • now you have me thinking because like legit i dont have nothing to do on friday (all my quizzes are tomorrow and thursday yay) so i can afford going to bed late and go to class and fall asleep plus all my classes are in the afternoon
      ahhhh

      Reply

  9. Interesting review scores from earlier, but it should be made clear that the games are not rated in comparison to XY or ORAS, but as their own title. I think an 8+ from most reviewers shows just how incredible things will be. Granted, SM took lots of risks and are expected to be the “20th Anniversary Celebration” games. Luckily GF did not market them as such (though we kinda assume it), since there is too much a change to the traditional formula for these games to be considered celebratory. Nonetheless, they mark a new era of Pokemon that strays away from its safe roots, and it’s something I’m looking forward to.
    Multiple reviewers praised the difficulty of Sun and Moon, which is something I’m incredibly excited about! Now to leave before I continue getting spoiled… see you all Friday! 🙂

    Reply

  12. Pretty much sums it up

    “If you were to type up ‘Pokemon’ on Google and go to the ‘News’ section, you’ll see stuff about Sun and Moon, Pokemon Go, and all of that, but one thing that bugs me is when there’s a report that talks about the dumbest things, like “Will Baby Pokemon Replace Eggs” and “There’s Brand New Pokemon Coming to Pokemon Go Called the ‘Second Generation’ See Leaked Photos Here!” If the people making these had even the slightest idea of what Pokemon actually was or had even researched it for more than 5 seconds, they wouldn’t be making these cringey, poor excuses of ‘news’. But everyone followed like sheep when Pokemon Go came out and these ‘news’ people are just reeling it in with crap like that. I just find it irritating to scroll through the news, looking for more stuff about Sun and Moon, only to find another dumb thing that another attention seeking idiot posted just to catch in on the craze. Anyone else fed up with this?”

    -https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/5d2gu2/news_websites_that_know_nothing_about_pokemon/

    Reply

    • UGH YES…..

      And I absolutely hate when all the Pokemon GO “youtubers” (with some exceptions) haven’t even played a pokemon game.

      Reply

        • Lol true. Forgive me for not being more specific. They have never played main series game before or just never knew anything about Pokemon ever.

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          • Ah, cool! Well I guess they at least know (or are reminded) that Pokemon exists right now. I bet Go still did contribute to the record-breaking pre-orders of Sun and Moon at least.

          • Absolutely. That’s one of the aspects I’m happy about…. Pokemon got a lot of good attention. And also a lot of bad attention unfortunately. Lol every time I say I enjoy Pokemon everyone says… “Oh…” Lol

    • I’m fed up with all of the GO hype as well, can’t people just accept the fact that Niantic screwed up, the game is dead, and move on? xD

      Reply

    • Hey hey hey, don’t dis Pokemon Go 🙂

      BTW even the “real” fans who aren’t Go-ers are also bandwagoning and click-baiting, it’s not limited to the Go-ers. As you may know, Tyranitartube and Verlisify exist. (Unless you have wiped them from your memory, in which case I don’t blame you because I wish I could do that too.)

      Reply

  15. “The Daycare is located on Akala Island, however, unlike past generations, the Pokémon you leave in the daycare will not level up. They will only breed and lay eggs” Excellent news for Pokémon Breeders. I still want to know where the Move Re-Learner is and what it costs to Re-Learn a move though, as some moves are only accessible that way.

    Reply

  16. poll: how many people struggle playing a handheld while roadtripping? I always had a headache while playing in the car but it dissapeared after playing alot

    Reply

  18. Alright the mighty Earthinator whom you all love and worship blindly retires for the night
    For tomorrow I gather the essentials for an all day Pokemon release and play like A GOD!!!!!!!!!
    and for such a session requires
    -Bag of Cheetos Puffs
    -Fruit Salad
    -Gum
    -2 Gallons of water
    -Wash the stank off the big armchair
    -two dual action trays with Powerstrip with chargers for both 3DS and IPad
    -Pepe bottles
    -Deskfan
    -padded headphones
    And lastly
    -My money, preorder card ready for the game

    Reply

  23. To everyone here who knows the story of sun and moon….. Can we just have a moment to talk about HOW FREAKING ADORABLE LILLIE IS?!

    Reply

  24. after seeing as much sun and moon as I did… one tiny thing pisses me off a little bit
    WHY DOES THE PC’S FACE NEVER CHANGE?!
    EVERY SCENE IN THE FREAKING GAME THEY JUST HAVE THAT SAME DOPEY AS HELL SMILE!!! IT COMPLETELY KILLS THE IMMERSION IN THE GAME!!! LOOK AT HAU!!! IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES HE SHOWS MORE DIVERSITY IN HIS DERPY SMILES THAN THE PLAYER SHOWS ALL GAME!!!!
    ..sorry just had to get that out

    Reply

    • I think it reinforces the blank slateness of the character. You have your own reactions to the things, and it kind of breaks the immersion black slate characters provide when they are given excessive expressions.
      But I slightly disagree as some reactions to things should be more or less universal, and even having a slight change in expression can’t be too bad

      Reply

      • All I’m going to say is this…..
        it’s especially bad in scenes where Lillie Gladion and Lusamine are around…. they have these huge roles… and you just sit there with a derp face….
        I kinda wish the text choices were connected to expression changes…

        Reply

        • Yeah, even a trashy mobile game like Kingdom Hearts Unchained X or an old RPG like Chrono Trigger both with a silent protagonist had an expressive one that reacts to things happening even if they don’t actually say anything…

          Something like this:

          Phil: “That’s the spirit kid, I knew you were a contender [in this tournament] the first time I laid eyes on you!”
          Protagonist: (Makes o_o face)
          Phil: “Eh? That’s hot how you remembered it?”

          [Yeah, because Phil was lying about that. He was dismissing the kid as a weakling at the start.]

          Reply

          • Yeah, some of the characters’ little soapbox moments made me actually feel emotions, times have really changed since the a little awkwardly translated simplistic dialog from RGBY.

          • A personal favorite being…..

            Lillie: Rain in Alola, huh… My skirt got a bit wet…
            Looking out at the rain like this… reminds me of this one time when I was little.
            I’d seen it in a movie… this man singing and dancing in the rain. It captivated me so much that I had to try it for myself. My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked that she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella…
            And then…she smiled… and she danced with me in the rain. Of course we both ended up catching cold. >She let me sleep in her big bed with her. I was so happy that I kept waking her again and again, just to be sure it wasn’t a dream…
            But… then she changed. And all she would think about was the Ultra Beasts. And Null and Nebby… They both ended up suffering so much… and I couldn’t do anything…
            But you know what, (Player character)? Whenever I feel like there’s nothing I can do, you seem to show up and…you do something. Every time, you’ve shown me that it’s possible… to do something.
            Even the first time we met… Nebby was being attacked, and all I could do was look on in horror…
            And at Aether Paradise… all I could do was wait for you and the others to save me…
            Whenever I’m in any sort of trouble, you’re always there…
            I…

          • OMG, I loved that part so much; I was like, why is a pokemon game making me feel feels, this isn’t Steven Universe! But seriously Lillie, Gladion, Mohn, and Lusamine’s story is SO GOOD, and pretty heavy for a kids game might I add.

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