Pokémon Sun

Three new first-partner Pokémon

Following in the tradition of previous games in the Pokémon series, players choose one of three special Pokémon to be their first partner. These are among the first Pokémon players will encounter in the game. In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, players can choose between the newly discovered Grass- and Flying-type Pokémon Rowlet, Fire-type Litten and Water-type Popplio.

For a Pokémon Trainer, knowing the Pokémon types and how they match up against one another in battle is vital. Grass-type Pokémon are strong against Water types, but weak against Fire types. Fire-type Pokémon are strong against Grass types and weak against Water types. Meanwhile, Water-type Pokémon are strong against Fire types, but weak against Grass types.

Meet the three new first-partner Pokémon that will join Trainers on their adventures!

The first of the potential partners is the highly adaptable Grass Quill Pokémon, Rowlet. This Pokémon can fly silently through the skies, sneaking up on its opponent without being noticed. It can attack its opponents using powerful kicks, and it can also attack from a distance using the razor-sharp leaves that form part of its feathers. Rowlet can survey its environment and turn its neck nearly 180 degrees from front to back, so it can see directly behind itself. When in battle, Rowlet turns its head to face its Trainer when waiting for instructions.

The cool-headed Fire Cat Pokémon, Litten, is the next choice for a first-partner Pokémon. Litten’s fur is rich in oils and is immensely flammable. It constantly grooms itself by licking its coat, collecting loose fur into balls. It then ignites these hairballs to create fireball attacks. When the time comes for Litten to moult, it burns off all of its fur in one glorious blaze.

The third possibility is the acrobatic Sea Lion Pokémon, Popplio. Popplio can create balloons made of water from its nose and utilise them to create a variety of different strategies and attacks in battle. This Pokémon is better at moving in the water than on land, and can swim at speeds over 25 mph. On land, it uses the elasticity of the balloons it creates to perform jumps and acrobatic stunts.

Legendary Pokémon

The two legendary Pokémon that appear on the packaging of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon play a crucial role in the story.

Honoured as an emissary of the sun since ancient times, Solgaleo is referred to with reverence as “the beast that devours the sun”. Solgaleo’s body holds a vast amount of energy, and it shines with light when it is active. It has a flowing mane with a remarkable resemblance to the sun. Its signature move is Sunsteel Strike, an attack that charges at an opponent with the force of a meteor, disregarding the target’s Ability. Solgaleo’s Ability is Full Metal Body, a new Ability that no previous Pokémon has had. With the Full Metal Body Ability, a Pokémon’s stats will not be lowered by the effects of an opponent’s moves or Ability.

Since ancient times, Lunala has been honoured as an emissary of the moon. Referred to with reverence as “the beast that calls the moon”, Lunala is constantly absorbing light and converting it into energy. With its wings spread to absorb the surrounding light and glittering like the crescent moon, it resembles a beautiful night sky. Lunala’s signature Moongeist Beam attack releases an ominous beam of light that disregards the target’s Ability. Lunala’s Ability is Shadow Shield, a new Ability that no previous Pokémon has had. With the Shadow Shield Ability, a Pokémon will take less damage from an attack that lands when the Pokémon has full HP.

Pokémon adapted to the Alola Region

Some Pokémon have adapted to the distinctive microclimates of the Alola region and have taken on different forms than they have in other regions. These Pokémon are called regional variants. After taking root in the Alola region, they live like native Pokémon. These regional variant Pokémon can have different appearances and types, and their way of living can also differ from that of the forms previously known.

Here are just a few examples!

See even more new Pokémon at the official Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon website!

Meet some of the characters you'll encounter on your adventure!

The Aether Foundation is an organisation that works in the Alola region and conducts various research projects. Residing on Aether Paradise, the artificial island that they created, their goal is to care for and provide shelter to Pokémon that have been hurt.

Each trial has a captain whose role is to provide guidance to trial-goers. All of the captains are Trainers who undertook trials in their own island challenge several years earlier.

Trials

One aspect of the unique Alola culture is the island challenge, an adventurous rite that involves travelling through each of the four islands. To complete the island challenge, young trial-goers must overcome the trials on each of the four islands. These trials are not limited to battling with Pokémon. They take a variety of forms including finding items or completing tests of knowledge.

The final trial on each island is called the grand trial where Pokémon battle against the kahuna who leads that island. If a trial-goer succeeds in clearing this grand trial, they will be publicly recognised as having cleared all of the island’s trials and can move on to the next island.

Day and night

The two worlds of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are 12 hours apart and are tied to the actual time in real life. Pokémon Sun operates on the same time as your Nintendo 3DS family system, but time in the world of Pokémon Moon is shifted by 12 hours. Some Totem Pokémon which appear in the trials throughout the game will also be different in each version. Players will encounter different Pokémon on the same route depending on whether it is day or night, which means players will have different experiences according to their chosen version of the game.

Z-Moves

Z-Moves are a new element that has been introduced into the Pokémon battles in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Z-Moves are powerful moves that can only be used once during battle. The explosive force of a Z-Move is the result of both the Trainer and Pokémon releasing their full power together when their wishes resonate with each other. All Pokémon are capable of using Z-Moves in battle.

Rotom Pokédex

The Pokédex is a convenient tool that records information about the Pokémon that players see and catch during their adventure. In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, Professor Kukui provides a special Pokédex known as the Rotom Pokédex. It is inhabited by Rotom, a Pokémon with the power to reside in various electronic appliances. The Rotom Pokédex does much more than record Pokémon info – it has its own personality. Besides showing the player’s current location and their next destination, the Rotom Pokédex also provides advice on where to go next, based on the conversations players have with other characters.

In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, a QR Scanner function allows players to see information about Pokémon when they scan QR Code patterns. By scanning in special QR Code patterns, fans can register Pokémon of the Alola region to their Pokédex and find out where they live. If they scan in the QR Code for a Pokémon that they haven’t yet caught, players can check its habitat and search it out.

Poké Finder

A brand-new feature called the Poké Finder debuts in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. This feature allows players to take pictures of the Pokémon they find. It’s loaded into the Rotom Dex and, when used in certain spots scattered throughout the Alola region, you can snap pictures of Pokémon. The pictures you take will be evaluated, and as you take better pictures, more features – like the ability to zoom – become available.

Pokémon Refresh

The Pokémon Refresh feature lets you care for your Pokémon. After a battle, Pokémon can sometimes end up rumpled and dirty. Pokémon Refresh lets you clean them up, care for them, feed them Poké Beans and even cure status conditions like poisoning and paralysis that were inflicted on them in battle. Pokémon that have been looked after in Pokémon Refresh can grow very affectionate and will battle to the utmost for you. This means that sometimes they may avoid attacks from opposing Pokémon or even hold out when they’re on the verge of fainting. Take good care of all your Pokémon in Pokémon Refresh, and they will be great allies on your adventure.

A new battle format: Battle Royal

In a Battle Royal, four Trainers are jumbled in battle together, but the rules are simple. Each of the four Trainers chooses three Pokémon and sends one Pokémon into battle at a time. The battle is over at the end of any turn when all of the Pokémon of one Trainer have fainted. The players are ranked, and a victor is declared based on the number of Pokémon each defeated and the number of Pokémon each has remaining in play.

See even more features, including Pokémon Global Link compatibility, at the official Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon website.

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