Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon/Changes from Sun & Moon (2024)

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All HUDs and menus have received graphical updates.
Animations leading to battles flash in colors of the rainbow.
Trainers' models are now continuously animated when they lose.
Trainers' models now have a lead-in animation for Double Battles before throwing their Poké Balls, instead of staying in place.
Some locations feature visible wild Pokémon wandering in the background, such as Murkrow and Wingull on Route 1 , Magmar on Route 7 , Alolan Dugtrio in Diglett's Cave, or Bewear at the end of Poni Gauntlet.
The wild Pokémon battle theme has been remixed.
The Trainer battle theme has been remixed for regular Trainers. Its original version is played while fighting against Trial Captains.

The four islands now have beaches where Mantine Surf can be played. While Big Wave Beach on Melemele Island and Heahea Beach on Akala Island are entirely new locations, Ula'ula Beach is a repurposed Secluded Shore, and a part of Poni Wilds has been cut off for Poni Beach.

Big Wave Beach also gives access to Sandy Cave, another new location.

Alola Photo Clubs have been added to Hau'oli City and Konikoni City where vacant lots used to be. Hau'oli City also has a completely new design.

A previously vacant lot in Heahea City and a previously empty island on Route 15 now house branches of the Surf Association.

A previously vacant lot in Royal Avenue now houses a branch of the Pokémon Fan Club.

A previously vacant lot in Malie City now houses the Kantonian Gym.

The interior appearance of the player's house has been completely changed.

Route 1 and Mahalo Trail have more colorful vegetation. In addition, an additional patch of grass located on the previously grassless path to Iki Town has been added to Route 1.

The camera places itself in a different angle when the player traverses the northern part of Route 2 .

Seaward Cave features a more icy design and no longer requires Tauros Charge.

Kala'e Bay has been expanded.

The path to the Flyinium Z through Ten Carat Hill no longer requires using Machamp Shove.

The third floor of the Tide Song Hotel in Heahea City can now be explored.

A new area, Pikachu Valley, can be accessed from Route 4 .

Lana's trial site now occupies the entirety of Brooklet Hill, and not just the Totem's Den.

Dividing Peak Tunnel between Route 7 and Route 8 is now a distinct location.

Lush Jungle features different vegetation in some parts.

Hokulani Observatory has a new room, where the updated trial takes place.

Some of the sea surrounding Poni Breaker Coast can now be surfed on.

A part of Exeggutor Island can no longer be reached by foot, requiring a lift from a helpful Exeggutor. It also features more colorful vegetation.

Mount Lanakila has been greatly expanded, now housing numerous Trainers, making it similar to Victory Roads from previous games.

A new cave, Plains Grotto, can be accessed from Poni Plains.

For the first time in the series, five new Pokémon were introduced mid-generation in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, bringing the total from 802 to 807. The added Pokémon consist of the Ultra Beasts Poipole, Naganadel, Stakataka, and Blacephalon and the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora.

101 Pokémon have been added to the Alola Pokédex, bringing it to a total of 403 entries.

New forms have been introduced for several Pokémon:

The Partner Cap Pikachu, obtainable via a QR Code.
The event-exclusive Dusk Form Lycanroc, distributed as a special Rockruff which has to be evolved from 5 PM to 5:59 PM^US /5 AM to 5:59 AM^UM in in-game time.
Dusk Mane, Dawn Wings and Ultra forms for Necrozma, of which two are seen during the main adventure.

New signature Z-Moves for certain Pokémon have been introduced:

Splintered Stormshards for Lycanroc
Let's Snuggle Forever for Mimikyu
Clangorous Soulblaze for Kommo-o
Searing Sunraze Smash for Solgaleo and Dusk Mane Necrozma
Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom for Lunala and Dawn Wings Necrozma
Light That Burns the Sky for Ultra Necrozma

Besides Z-Moves, three new moves are introduced: Photon Geyser , Mind Blown , and Plasma Fists . All of them are signature moves.

The Rotom Pokédex has been improved with added features:

It can grow closer to the player over the course of their journey, eventually picking a nickname for its owner.
As its affection towards the player grows, it also unlocks the possibility of obtaining boosting items similar to O-Powers through the Roto Loto or to use Z-Moves more than once per battle.
It will comment on seeing a Pokémon for the first time, but only if the player can catch it in the same battle.
It offers gameplay advice, such as warning the player that they haven't saved in a while or suggesting that the player heal their injured Pokémon.
In later portions of the game, Rotom offers constant tutorial-style advice on how to use features of the game, such as how to give a Pokémon an item. Rotom offers random advice every time the player finishes a battle or conversation, or travels between screens.

The Alola Photo Club has been introduced, which allows players to take photos with the Pokémon in their party. These photos can then be edited with stickers, posted to the Pokémon Global Link, or saved to the 3DS's SD card. The player also has the option of doing an impromptu photo shoot after a Pokémon in their party evolves.

Two mini-games have been introduced, each one being mandatory to try out once during the main adventure:

Mantine Surf is a new Poké Ride and minigame accessible from Big Wave Beach on Melemele Island, Heahea Beach on Akala Island, Ula'ula Beach (formerly Secluded Shore) on Ula'ula Island, and Poni Beach on Poni Island. The minigame, in addition to transporting players to other islands, allows them to earn Battle Points by executing tricks off the ocean waves and earning points.
Ultra Warp Ride allows the player to traverse Ultra Space on the back of a Solgaleo or Lunala, allowing them to explore the Ultra Space Wilds to find non-regional Pokémon and visit the homeworlds of Ultra Beasts. By absorbing energy, they can travel more light-years through space, increasing their chance of finding rarer, even Shiny Pokémon. This also includes the chance of encountering all the past Legendary Pokémon (excluding Zygarde), though many are version-exclusive, or require trade to encounter the third member of their set.

The Zygarde Cube sidequest has been mostly removed, as the player now only needs to capture a 50% Forme Zygarde in Resolution Cave during the postgame, and meet and battle Dexio and Sina on Route 16 to get another Zygarde in its 10% Forme and a Zygarde Cube with 40 cells, allowing them to combine both Zygarde and cells into a Power Construct Zygarde immediately afterwards.

In the place of Zygarde Cells and Cores, the player can collect Totem Stickers scattered throughout the four islands of Alola by its captains. Upon hitting certain milestones, the player can receive Pokémon the size of Totem Pokémon from Samson Oak at Heahea Beach. These Pokémon, with the exception of Mimikyu, vary by game.

Altar of the Sunne and Altar of the Moone can be directly flown to using Charizard Glide, instead of requiring the player to fly to Vast Poni Canyon and walk up the stairs.

Many Pokémon have acquired the ability to learn new moves and expand and improve their movesets; for example, Litten can now learn Double Kick by leveling up and Swablu can now learn Play Rough through breeding.

Location-based evolutions can be triggered during the player's first visit to Ula'ula Island:

The special magnetic field used to evolve Magneton, Nosepass, and Charjabug is now also present on Blush Mountain.
The base of Mount Lanakila is open from the start, allowing the player to evolve Crabrawler.

Unless the player uses an Adrenaline Orb, wild Pokémon will only call for help once. This does not apply to Totem Pokémon.

Pikachu, Cubone, and Exeggcute can evolve into their non-Alolan forms if the evolution is triggered in Ultra Space.

Ultra Beasts introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon can be repeatedly caught. To accommodate for this, Beast Balls are now available for purchase in Aether Paradise.

Necrozma's catch rate has been increased from 3 to 255.

Most of the trials have been updated, and a new one has been added:

Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, and Sophocles have new tasks for the player to complete before fighting the Totem Pokémon.
The species of the Totem Pokémon met at the end of Lana, Kiawe, and Sophocles's trials have been changed.
Except for Totem Gumshoos^US /Raticate^UM , Totem Pokémon call on different allies, making use of different strategies.
Mina now has her own trial as well, bringing the number of trials from seven to eight.

All of the Mega Stones that were only collected by special events in the original games are now available as prizes at the Battle Tree.

Most of the Pokémon found from Island Scan were replaced with new non-regional Pokémon that were not found in the original games.

The Pokémon that were part of the Island Scan in the original games have a different special move in their moveset when found in either of these games.

The location where the player could pick up the Pikanium Z as well as the Move Tutor for teaching Pikachu Volt Tackle is now located outside of Hano Grand Resort instead of at Konikoni City.

The Snorlium Z, Mewnium Z, Marshadium Z, and Diancite can now be acquired through normal gameplay.

More Move Tutors have been added to teach Pokémon moves in exchange for Battle Points with one of them located on each island.

Due to the expansion of the Alola Dex, the other Fossil Pokémon are now included and just like with the Sinnoh and Unova Fossils, their Fossils can also be purchased once at Konikoni City depending on the version. Furthermore, all of the above mentioned Fossils are no longer limited to one game, as any of them have a very rare chance of being obtained at Poké Pelago's Isle Aphun regardless of version.

During the post-game, Type: Null is now given at Ancient Poni Path at the exit to Poni Grove by Wicke, instead of by Gladion at Aether Paradise.

The list of possible Trainers encountered at the Pokémon League Title Defense battles has been slightly altered, replacing Faba and Molayne with Lusamine and Guzma.

A number of TMs have been moved to new locations.

In routes where fishing is available, bubbles indicating more interesting encounter rates don't always appear on the same fishing spot, and can appear on multiple spots at once.

The Battle Agency is introduced.