You’re standing in the game aisle or scrolling through the eShop, and there they are. Two versions of the same region, Alola, staring back at you with slightly different neon aesthetics. It’s annoying. You just want the "best" version, but Nintendo and Game Freak have this decades-long habit of locking specific monsters behind a $40 paywall. Honestly, if you pick the wrong one, you’re going to be hitting up Reddit or Discord for trades within three hours of gameplay because that one Pokémon you really want isn't in your grass patches.
The Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon exclusives are more than just a handful of different sprites. They change the entire flow of your team building. We aren't just talking about a couple of birds or bugs. We’re talking about literal cosmic entities, the time of day your game operates on, and whether you get to catch a giant fire-breathing dragon or a massive steel-clad beast.
Choosing between them is a vibe check. Do you want to play in the daylight when it’s actually noon outside? Or do you want your game world to be bathed in moonlight while the sun is beating down on your real-life window?
The Weird Time Warp Mechanic
This is the part that trips most people up. It’s weird. Ultra Sun runs on your 3DS system clock. If it’s 2:00 PM in the real world, it’s 2:00 PM in Alola. Standard stuff.
But Ultra Moon? It flips the script. It operates on a 12-hour offset. So, if you’re playing at noon, your character is running around in the pitch black of night. This isn't just a visual gimmick. Certain Pokémon only evolve at specific times, and some encounters only happen under the stars. If you’re a night owl who prefers a bright, sunny game world to keep you awake, Ultra Moon is actually your best friend. If you want immersion, Ultra Sun is the way to go.
Legendaries and the Ultra Wormhole
The meat of the Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon exclusives list lies in the Ultra Wormholes. This was the "big" addition for the Ultra versions compared to the original Sun and Moon. Once you get to the endgame, you’re basically flying through space to find Legendaries from every previous generation.
In Ultra Sun, you’re getting the "heavy hitters" from a certain perspective. You get Ho-Oh, the rainbow bird from Johto, and Groudon, the tectonic beast from Hoenn. Dialga and Reshiram also show up here. These are Pokémon that traditionally represent power, sun, and physical presence.
Ultra Moon goes for the more... let’s say "graceful" or "mysterious" picks. You get Lugia, Kyogre, Palkia, and Zekrom. Honestly, if you’re into competitive play or just want a team that looks like a high-fantasy novel, Moon might have the edge. Kyogre is historically one of the most broken Pokémon in the history of the franchise, so if you want raw power, don't let the "Moon" branding fool you.
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Ultra Beasts: The Alien Factor
Ultra Beasts (UBs) are the weird, extradimensional monsters that look like they walked out of an 80s sci-fi flick. They are a huge part of the Alolan lore.
If you grab Ultra Sun, you get UB-02 Absorption, better known as Buzzwole. It’s basically a mosquito that spent way too much time at the gym. You also get UB-04 Blade, or Kartana. Kartana is a tiny piece of origami that has the highest Attack stat of almost any non-Legendary. It’s a glass cannon in the truest sense.
Ultra Moon players get UB-02 Beauty (Pheromosa) and UB-04 Blaster (Celesteela). Pheromosa is lightning fast but gets knocked over by a stiff breeze. Celesteela, on the other hand, is a giant bamboo rocket ship that is arguably one of the best defensive Pokémon ever created. It’s a "Wall" that refuses to die.
The New Kids on the Block
When the Ultra versions launched, they added a few brand-new Ultra Beasts that weren't in the original Sun and Moon.
- UB Assembly (Stakataka): Exclusive to Ultra Moon. It’s a sentient stone fortress.
- UB Burst (Blacephalon): Exclusive to Ultra Sun. It looks like a clown and its head literally explodes.
It's a tough choice. Do you want the exploding clown or the sentient wall? Most competitive players lean toward Stakataka for "Trick Room" teams, but Blacephalon is a monster in single battles.
Wild Encounters: The Day-to-Day Grind
You aren't always catching gods. Most of the time, you’re just walking through tall grass on Route 1. This is where the Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon exclusives affect your casual playthrough.
In Ultra Sun, you get the Vulpix Alolan form. It’s an Ice-type fox that is objectively adorable. You also get Passimian, a lemur that plays football, and Turtonator, a fire turtle with a landmine for a shell.
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Ultra Moon gives you Alolan Sandshrew. Instead of a desert shrew, it’s an igloo-inspired Ice/Steel type. You get Oranguru, the wise ape that looks like it’s seen the secrets of the universe, and Drampa, the "Grandpa Dragon" that is surprisingly powerful for something that looks so friendly.
The Totem Stickers and Size Differences
One of the coolest features in the Ultra games is collecting Totem Stickers. You find these gold stickers stuck to buildings and signs, and when you collect enough, a guy named Samson Oak gives you "Totem-sized" Pokémon. These are much larger versions of regular Pokémon, and they have that cool aura from the boss battles.
The exclusive part here is which giant Pokémon you get.
- In Ultra Sun, you’re getting things like Lurantis and Gumshoos.
- In Ultra Moon, you get Salazzle and Kommo-o.
Getting a giant, Totem-sized Kommo-o (a Dragon/Fighting pseudo-legendary) in Ultra Moon is a massive flex. It’s huge. It towers over other Pokémon in battle. If you care about "jumbo" Pokémon, Moon wins this round easily.
Fossil Pokémon and the Past
Alola doesn't have its own fossils, but you can buy them at a shop in KoniKoni City. However, the shopkeeper only sells specific ones.
Ultra Sun gives you access to Cranidos and Tirtouga. Cranidos evolves into Rampardos, which has a massive Attack stat but the speed of a snail. Tirtouga becomes Carracosta, a solid Water/Rock type.
Ultra Moon offers Shieldon and Archen. Shieldon (Bastiodon) is a literal shield—low damage, high defense. Archen (Archeops) is the opposite; it’s incredibly fast and strong, but it has the "Defeatist" ability, which means if its health drops below half, it gives up and its stats get cut. It’s a high-risk, high-reward Pokémon that makes for a very fun playthrough.
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Lycanroc: The Midday and Midnight Forms
While both games can technically get the new "Dusk Form" Lycanroc through specific events or breeding, the wild encounters are split.
If you evolve your Rockruff in Ultra Sun during the day, you get the Midday Form. It’s a sleek, four-legged wolf that specializes in speed and has a priority move called Accelerock.
In Ultra Moon, evolving at "night" (which, remember, is actually day-time in the real world) gives you the Midnight Form. It stands on two legs, looks a bit like a werewolf, and focuses on counter-attacking and taking hits. Most fans prefer the Midday design, but the Midnight form has a certain "edgy" charm that fits the Moon aesthetic perfectly.
Why Does Any of This Matter?
Look, we have the Global Trade System (GTS), or what’s left of it, and plenty of Discord servers. You can get these Pokémon regardless of which version you buy. But "can" and "will" are two different things.
If you want to play through the story with a specific team, you need to know which game supports that. If your dream team includes a Ninetales (Vulpix) and a Ho-Oh, you are buying Ultra Sun. If you want to use a giant dragon and an ice-shrew while playing at night, you’re an Ultra Moon person.
Practical Steps for Choosing Your Version
Don't just flip a coin. Use these steps to make sure you don't regret the purchase:
- Check the "Box Legend" first. You spend the whole game building up to Solgaleo (Sun) or Lunala (Moon). You have to look at this thing every time you turn the game on. If you hate lions but love bats, your choice is already made.
- Look at the Ultra Beasts. These are the endgame stars. Specifically, Kartana (Sun) and Celesteela (Moon) are the two that most people care about. Kartana is for offensive players; Celesteela is for those who like to play the long game.
- Consider your play schedule. If you only play at night and want to see Alola in the sunlight, get Ultra Sun. If you want the game world to match your real-world time, but you play during the day, get Ultra Sun. If you want that 12-hour flip, go with Moon.
- Identify your "Must-Have" non-legendary. For most people, this is Alolan Vulpix vs. Alolan Sandshrew. Vulpix is a fan favorite for a reason—it’s stunning. If that fox is on your "dream team" list, buy Ultra Sun and save yourself the headache of trading.
- Verify your Fossil preference. If you’re a fan of Fossil Pokémon, decide if you want the "Smash" style (Rampardos in Sun) or the "Wall" style (Bastiodon in Moon).
At the end of the day, Alola is a fantastic region regardless of the version. The Ultra versions are the definitive ways to experience this generation, offering way more content than the original 2016 releases. Pick the one that has the monsters you think look the coolest. Everything else can be fixed with a quick trade.