Deciding between Pokemon Sun and Moon—or their "Ultra" siblings—is basically the first boss fight of the Alola region. It’s not just about which big legendary looks cooler on the box art. Honestly, Game Freak went a little wild with the mechanics this time around. Usually, you just pick the color you like. Here? You’re picking your literal sleep schedule.
The 12-Hour Time Flip (The Weirdest Mechanic Ever)
Basically, if you pick Pokemon Moon, you are living in a parallel dimension. While Pokemon Sun stays synced with your 3DS internal clock—meaning if it’s noon in your living room, it’s noon in the game—Moon is offset by exactly 12 hours.
If you’re a night owl who plays at 11 PM, your screen in Moon will be blindingly bright with tropical sunlight.
Play at 10 AM? It’s midnight in Alola.
This sounds like a tiny aesthetic choice, but it hits your gameplay hard. Want to evolve your Eevee into an Espeon? In Moon, you’ve gotta do that during your real-life night. It's a bit of a headache for people who work 9-to-5s and want to see the sun in their video games.
Which Pokemon Are Actually Exclusive?
You can’t catch 'em all in one go. That’s the classic Pokemon trap. But the list for Gen 7 is surprisingly long because of the Alolan forms and those weird Ultra Beasts.
Let's look at the heavy hitters:
Sun and Ultra Sun Exclusives:
- Solgaleo: The big metal lion. It’s Psychic/Steel.
- Alolan Vulpix & Ninetales: You want that beautiful Ice/Fairy fox? You’re getting Sun.
- Passimian: The rugby monkey.
- Turtonator: A fire turtle that looks like it's seen some things.
- Buzzwole: A mosquito that clearly spends its entire life at the gym.
- Kartana: A tiny paper samurai that will absolutely wreck your team with its Attack stat.
Moon and Ultra Moon Exclusives:
- Lunala: The "Moone" Pokemon. It’s Psychic/Ghost.
- Alolan Sandshrew & Sandslash: The Ice/Steel hedgehog.
- Oranguru: A very chill, meditative ape.
- Drampa: A dragon that looks like a friendly grandpa.
- Pheromosa: A Bug/Fighting type that is way faster than it has any right to be.
- Celesteela: A giant bamboo rocket ship. Seriously.
Evolution Is a Trap
Some Pokemon exist in both games but evolve differently. Rockruff is the big one. In Sun, it becomes the Midday Form Lycanroc. In Moon, it becomes the edgy, red-eyed Midnight Form. You can't just change your mind later—the game version locks the form during the evolution process.
Totem Pokemon and Trial Differences
The Island Challenges replaced gyms, and even those aren't the same between versions. In the very first trial at Verdant Cavern, Sun players face a giant, angry Gumshoos. Moon players? You’re up against a chunky Alolan Raticate.
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It’s a cool nod to real-world biology. In Hawaii (which Alola is based on), mongooses were brought in to hunt rats. Mongooses are awake during the day (Sun); rats are awake at night (Moon).
In the Ultra versions, this gets even more split. You might see a Totem Marowak in one and a Totem Araquanid in the other. It keeps the playthroughs feeling distinct if you’re crazy enough to play both.
The "Ultra" Factor: Is Sun/Moon or Ultra Sun/Moon Better?
This is where people get confused. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (USUM) aren't sequels like Black 2 and White 2. They are "enhanced" versions, sort of like Pokemon Emerald or Platinum.
If you care about the story, the original Sun and Moon actually have a better narrative. The character arc for Lillie is much tighter. However, USUM adds a ton of "quality of life" stuff. You get:
- Mantine Surfing: A mini-game that is actually fun and gives you easy points for competitive moves.
- The Ultra Wormhole: This lets you catch almost every legendary from previous generations.
- Team Rainbow Rocket: A post-game story where every old villain comes back. It’s pure fan service, and it’s great.
What Should You Actually Buy?
If you are a competitive player, get Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon. The move tutors and the legendary access make the original games obsolete for high-level play.
If you just want the best vibes and a story that makes sense, the original Pokemon Sun is probably the "purest" experience because the time isn't inverted and the plot feels more personal.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your schedule: If you only play at night but hate looking at dark screens, avoid Moon.
- Pick your "Vibe" fox: Ninetales (Sun) or Sandslash (Moon) usually settles the debate for most people.
- Look for the stickers: If you play the Ultra versions, hunt for Totem Stickers immediately—they let you get "Totem-sized" Pokemon for your own team, which is a massive flex in online battles.
One last thing—don't stress too much about the exclusives. With the GTS being what it is (and even with the 3DS servers being older), trading for a Vulpix is usually just a few clicks away. Pick the legendary you want to look at for 40 hours. That's the real win.