You’re standing in the tall grass of Poni Island. The sun is setting—or maybe it’s rising, depending on which version of the game you shoved into your 3DS. Suddenly, a wild Pokémon appears. If you’re playing Ultra Sun, you might see a majestic, fire-breathing lion. If it's Ultra Moon, you're staring at a giant bat that looks like it’s made of moonbeams and nightmares.
Ultra Sun and Moon Pokemon exclusives are basically the reason we all spent forty bucks twice.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a headache. Game Freak has been doing this since Red and Blue, but by the time we got to the Alola region’s "enhanced" versions in 2017, the list of version-specific monsters got complicated. It wasn't just about Vulpix versus Sandshrew anymore. We started dealing with different Totem Pokémon, weird time-distorting mechanics, and Ultra Beasts that look like they crawled out of a geometry textbook.
Buying the wrong version sucks. You don’t want to realize fifty hours in that the one legendary you actually care about is locked behind a trade wall because you picked the orange box instead of the purple one.
The Big Split: Why Your Clock is Lying to You
Before we even talk about the critters, we have to talk about the sun.
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In Pokémon Ultra Sun, the game follows your 3DS clock perfectly. If it’s noon in the real world, it’s noon in Hau'oli City. But Ultra Moon? It flips the script. It operates on a 12-hour offset. So, if you’re a night owl playing at 11:00 PM, your character is actually running around in the blinding Alolan sunlight.
It's weird. It’s trippy. And it actually affects which Ultra Sun and Moon Pokemon exclusives you can find because some encounters are time-sensitive.
The Heavy Hitters: Legendaries and Ultra Beasts
Let’s get into the meat of it. The "Box Legends" are the obvious ones. You’ve got Dusk Mane Necrozma (Solgaleo) in Ultra Sun and Dawn Wings Necrozma (Lunala) in Ultra Moon. But it goes deeper. The Ultra Wormholes—those trippy mini-games where you fly through space—house the real treasures.
If you’re hunting the classic legends from Johto or Sinnoh, your choice of game is everything.
Ultra Sun players get the "hot" and "brave" themed legendaries. Think Ho-Oh, Groudon, Dialga, and Reshiram. It’s a powerhouse lineup. On the flip side, Ultra Moon is for the "cool" and "mystical" fans. You’re looking at Lugia, Kyogre, Palkia, and Zekrom.
It’s not just the old-school favorites, though. The Ultra Beasts—those interdimensional aliens that broke the competitive meta—are split too. Ultra Sun gives you Buzzwole (the mosquito that skipped leg day) and Kartana (a literal piece of paper that can cut through a skyscraper). Ultra Moon users get Pheromosa and Celesteela.
And then there are the newcomers specifically added for the "Ultra" versions. Blacephalon is an Ultra Sun exclusive. It’s a colorful clown that literally blows up its own head to attack you. Ultra Moon gets Stakataka, which is a living stone fortress made of hundreds of sentient bricks.
The Alolan Form Dilemma
Alolan forms changed everything. Seeing a Grimer that looks like it ate a box of crayons or an Exeggutor with a neck that reaches the stratosphere was a highlight of Gen 7.
But guess what? They’re split.
In the wild, you’ll find Alolan Vulpix and its elegant evolution Ninetales only in Ultra Sun. If you want that Ice/Fairy typing to dragon-slay your way through the Elite Four, you need Sun. Ultra Moon players get Alolan Sandshrew and Sandslash. They’re Ice/Steel types, which look cool but honestly have way too many weaknesses to Fire and Fighting moves.
Fossil Pokemon and Early Route Encounters
Remember when you had to pick between two fossils in Mt. Moon? Same energy here.
Ultra Sun features:
- Cranidos (Rampardos)
- Tirtouga (Carracosta)
- Cottonee (Whimsicott)
- Rufflet (Braviary)
- Passimian
Ultra Moon features:
- Shieldon (Bastiodon)
- Archen (Archeops)
- Petilil (Lilligant)
- Vullaby (Mandibuzz)
- Oranguru
I’ve always felt that Ultra Moon got the better deal with Oranguru. The "Instruct" move is a literal game-changer in double battles. But then again, Whimsicott with the Prankster ability is a menace that I’ve lost to more times than I’d like to admit.
The Totem Problem
This is a detail most people forget. The "Boss" Pokémon you fight during the trials actually change.
In the Lush Jungle trial, Ultra Sun players face a massive Totem Lurantis. It’s fast, it heals itself, and it’s generally a nightmare if you didn't bring a Fire-type. In Ultra Moon, you might face a different configuration or support Pokémon that changes the strategy entirely.
Even the rewards for collecting Totem Stickers—those little gold peels hidden all over the islands—are version-dependent. In Ultra Sun, Samson Oak will eventually give you a giant-sized Totem Gumshoos or Ribombee. In Ultra Moon, you’re getting a Raticate or an Araquanid.
Size matters here. These Totem-sized Pokémon aren't just for show; they have different weights and can be used in competitive play to mess with moves like Low Kick or Grass Knot.
Why "Ultra" Matters More Than the Originals
If you’re still playing the original Sun and Moon, you’re missing out on a massive chunk of the Ultra Sun and Moon Pokemon exclusives list.
The Ultra Warp Ride is basically a shiny hunter's fever dream. By traveling through different colored wormholes, you can find non-legendary Pokémon with a significantly higher shiny rate. But the color of the wormhole isn't the only factor. Certain species only show up in one version.
For example, if you want a shiny Magmortar, you’re hunting in Ultra Sun. If you want a shiny Electivire, you’re looking at Ultra Moon.
It’s an ecosystem designed to make you talk to people. Or, more realistically in 2026, it’s designed to make you use the GTS (Global Trade Station), assuming the servers are behaving.
Does it actually impact the story?
Kinda.
The narrative beat of the Ultra Recon Squad—those blue-suited people from another dimension—changes slightly. In Ultra Sun, you mainly deal with Dulse and Zossie. In Ultra Moon, you spend more time with Soliera and Phyco.
The dialogue is different, and their team compositions vary. It’s not a "Red Dead Redemption 2" level of narrative branching, but it’s enough to make the world feel distinct. You're seeing two different sides of the same interdimensional crisis.
Making the Choice: Which One Should You Buy?
If you're a collector, you're eventually going to need both. But if you're just starting out, look at the Ultra Beasts.
Kartana (Ultra Sun) is arguably one of the best physical attackers in the entire history of the franchise. Its Attack stat is 181. That’s absurd. If you care about winning battles quickly, Ultra Sun is usually the "pro" choice.
However, if you like the "weird" side of Pokémon, Ultra Moon is the way to go. Celesteela is a giant bamboo rocket ship that is incredibly hard to take down. It’s a defensive beast. Plus, the 12-hour time flip in Ultra Moon makes the game feel more atmospheric if you usually play during the day.
Specific Version Exclusives Reference
To make this simple, let's look at the "pairs" that define the versions:
The Classic Encounters
In Ultra Sun, you find the Alolan Vulpix line, Houndoom, and the mighty Groudon. In Ultra Moon, you get Alolan Sandshrew, Manectric, and Kyogre.
The Ultra Beasts
Sun has Buzzwole, Kartana, and Blacephalon. Moon has Pheromosa, Celesteela, and Stakataka.
The Legendaries
Sun houses Dialga, Heatran, and Reshiram. Moon houses Palkia, Regigigas, and Zekrom.
Addressing the "Third Version" Myth
A lot of people think Ultra Sun and Moon are just "DLC" for the original games. That’s a mistake.
The Pokédex in the Ultra versions is expanded by over 100 entries. This means the pool of Ultra Sun and Moon Pokemon exclusives is significantly larger than what we saw in 2016. You’re finding Zorua and Larvitar much earlier in the game. You're seeing Pokémon like Tropius and Manectric that weren't even in the Alolan wild before.
It changes the "flow" of your team building. You aren't just stuck with the same three birds and a cat for the first three islands.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you’re trying to finish that Pokédex today, here is how you handle the exclusives without losing your mind.
Leverage the GTS Wisely
Don't just ask for a legendary. Put up a version exclusive of your own. If you have Ultra Sun, catch an extra Alolan Vulpix or a Turtonator. Put it on the GTS and request an Alolan Sandshrew or a Drampa. These "fair trades" usually resolve in less than an hour because there are thousands of other players in the exact same boat as you.
The QR Scanner Trick
Don't forget the Island Scan. By scanning QR codes, you can spawn "non-native" Pokémon like Charmander or Squirtle. These aren't technically version-exclusive, but they are rare. If you use the scanner on a specific day of the week on a specific island, you can bypass a lot of the trading hassle for certain species.
Check Your Time Zone
If you need an evolution that only happens at night (like Lycanroc's Midnight Form), remember that Ultra Moon is reversed. If it’s noon in your living room, it’s midnight in the game. Use this to your advantage so you aren't staying up until 3:00 AM just to evolve a digital dog.
Sync with a Friend
The easiest way is still the old way. Find someone who has the opposite version. Since the Ultra Beasts can be caught multiple times in the Ultra Warp Wilds, you can easily trade a Kartana for a Celesteela without "losing" your only copy. This is the only way to get the opposite version's legendaries with your own Trainer ID.
The Alola region is dense. It’s colorful. It’s a bit hand-holdy at times, but the variety of Pokémon available—especially the weird ones from other dimensions—makes it one of the most unique entries in the series. Pick your version based on the legendary you think looks coolest, but keep a trade partner on speed dial. You're going to need them.