Alola isn't the vacation people think it is. Honestly, if you're jumping into an ultra sun pokemon walkthrough expecting the breezy hand-holding of the original Sun and Moon, you're going to get wiped by a Totem Pokemon before you even leave Melemele Island. It's frustrating. It's jarring. But that's exactly why these "Ultra" versions are the definitive way to play Generation 7.
The difficulty spike is real.
Game Freak basically took the foundation of the 2016 games and decided to inject a dose of adrenaline and sheer chaos. You aren't just dealing with a slightly different story; you're dealing with a fundamentally rebalanced mechanical experience. From the moment you meet the Ultra Recon Squad—those weird, stiff-moving aliens from another dimension—the game signals that the rules have changed.
Getting Off the Starter Island Without Crying
Melemele Island is usually a slog in Pokemon games. You know the drill: catch a bird, catch a bug, fight your rival. But in Ultra Sun, the first Trial against Totem Raticate (or Gumshoos) is a gatekeeper. Unlike previous games where you could just over-level your starter, Totem Pokemon in Alola have aura boosts that increase their stats immediately.
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Specifically, that first Totem gets a Defense boost. If you picked Litten and haven't caught a Makuhita in Hau'oli City, you're going to spend twenty minutes chipping away at a giant rat that keeps calling for help.
The Alola region is built on "SOS Battles." This is the mechanic most people hate, yet it's the core of any efficient ultra sun pokemon walkthrough. When a wild Pokemon's health gets low, it cries out for help. Another Pokemon joins. Now it’s two-on-one. If you don't manage the field, you'll get stuck in an endless loop of reinforcements.
Pro tip: Use Adrenaline Orbs. They make the wild Pokemon more likely to call for help. Why would you want that? Because that's how you find Hidden Abilities and Shiny Pokemon. It’s high-risk, high-reward gameplay that requires actual planning.
The Teacher's Challenge
One detail many players miss is the optional battle against Principal Asahi at the Trainers' School. Most people just finish the four required battles and leave. Don't do that. If you come back after beating the Melemele Grand Trial, she challenges you with a surprisingly competent team. It’s these small, missable encounters that give Alola its texture.
Why Akala Island is the True Mid-Game Wall
By the time you reach Akala Island, the game stops playing nice. This is where most casual runs die. You've got Mallow’s Trial in the Lush Jungle. In the original Sun, it was tough. In Ultra Sun, the Totem Lurantis is a nightmare.
It holds a Power Herb. It uses Solar Blade—a physical move that usually takes two turns—instantly.
Then it calls a Castform.
The Castform uses Sunny Day. Now, Solar Blade doesn't need to charge at all. It just hits you. Hard. Every single turn. Plus, the sun heals Lurantis through its Synthesis move. If you aren't bringing a Salandit or something with a priority move to disrupt this synergy, you're toast. It’s a masterclass in AI synergy that we rarely see in mainline Pokemon titles.
The Necrozma Problem and the Ultra Megalopolis
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the blindingly bright dragon in the room.
Ultra Necrozma.
This is arguably the hardest boss fight in the history of the franchise. Period. When you reach the top of the Megalo Tower, you face a Level 60 beast that has a +1 boost to every single one of its stats right at the start. It’s faster than your team. It hits harder than your team. It will likely one-shot your entire party before you can even select an attack.
Most people looking for an ultra sun pokemon walkthrough are specifically looking for a way to cheese this fight.
- Zoroark Strategy: If you have a Zoroark in the back of your party and a Fighting-type in the last slot, Necrozma’s AI will see a Fighting-type and try to use Psychic-type moves (Photon Geyser). Because of Zoroark's Illusion ability, it looks like a Fighting-type but is actually Immune to Psychic moves. You can just chip away while it fails to hit you.
- Focus Band / Toxic: It’s cheap, but it works. Use a Pokemon that can survive one hit, poison the dragon, and then just use Revives until the poison ticks down its HP.
It feels like cheating because, honestly, the fight is tuned to be nearly impossible for a standard "press A to win" playthrough. It requires you to actually respect the mechanics of the game.
Mantine Surfing and the Move Tutor Economy
One of the biggest additions in Ultra Sun is Mantine Surfing. It’s not just a minigame; it’s a necessity. In the original games, getting "Move Tutor" moves—those high-powered attacks like Iron Head or Drain Punch—was usually locked to the post-game.
In Ultra Sun, you earn Beach Points (BP) by doing tricks on a surfboard between islands.
You can get competitive-grade moves before you even finish the second island. This completely changes the power dynamic of your team. If you’re struggling, stop the main quest for thirty minutes, hit the waves, and buy your Pokemon some better coverage moves. It makes the mid-game much smoother.
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The Narrative Shift: Lusamine vs. The Recon Squad
There is a weird tension in the story. In the first Sun and Moon, Lusamine was a straight-up villain—a mother driven mad by interdimensional toxins. In Ultra Sun, she’s... kinda redeemed? Or at least, her motivations are shifted to make her more of a "misguided hero" trying to save the world from Necrozma.
Some fans hate this. They feel it softens her character.
But from a gameplay perspective, it opens up the Ultra Wormhole mechanic. Once you get the ability to travel through wormholes on the back of Solgaleo or Lunala, the game becomes a different beast entirely. You’re no longer just in Alola. You’re hunting Legendaries from every previous generation in these warped, psychedelic dimensions.
The Rarity of the Warp Ride
The further you travel in the Warp Ride (measured in light-years), the higher your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon. It’s not uncommon to find odds as high as 35% if you reach the rarest tier of holes. This effectively broke the "value" of Shinies for some purists, but for the average player, it’s a dopamine goldmine.
Team Rainbow Rocket: The Ultimate Fanservice
Post-game content in Pokemon has been hit-or-miss for a decade. Ultra Sun, however, delivers one of the best "boss rushes" ever. Team Rainbow Rocket brings back every previous villain—Giovanni, Maxie, Archie, Cyrus, Ghetsis, and Lysandre.
The twist? These are versions of the villains who actually won in their respective timelines.
They all have Legendaries. Ghetsis has Zekrom or Reshiram. Giovanni has a Mega Mewtwo. It’s a brutal gauntlet that rewards players who actually paid attention to type matchups and held items. It’s the "victory lap" the game deserves, and it's where your ultra sun pokemon walkthrough truly concludes.
Essential Checklist for a Smooth Run
Don't just wander into the tall grass. If you want to actually beat the game without grinding for ten hours, follow these specific beats:
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- Catch a Magnemite early. It resists almost everything the first two islands throw at you. Its Steel/Electric typing is a godsend against Totems.
- Trade for "Rocky" the Lycanroc. There’s an NPC trade early on that gives you a leveled-up Pokemon with boosted EXP gains.
- Collect the Zygarde Cells? Actually, don't bother. Unlike the first game where you had to find 100 hidden glints, Ultra Sun streamlines this. You just catch Zygarde in Resolution Cave later. Save your eyesight.
- Use the Roto-Loto. That annoying buzzing thing on your bottom screen? The "Roto Boosts" it gives you can raise all your stats in battle. It’s basically a legal cheat code for the harder Boss fights.
- Look for Totem Stickers. There are 100 scattered across the region. Collecting them allows you to get giant, Totem-sized versions of Pokemon for your own team. They don't have the stat boosts, but they look cool as hell in battle.
The Reality of Alola
Alola is a polarizing region. The cutscenes are long—way too long. You’ll feel like you’re watching a movie sometimes rather than playing a game. But if you can get past the slow start, the tactical depth of the Totem battles and the sheer volume of Legendary Pokemon available in the post-game make Ultra Sun one of the most robust entries in the series.
It’s a game about the sun setting on the 3DS era. It’s crowded, colorful, and surprisingly difficult.
To wrap this up, the best way to handle your journey is to stay flexible. Don't get attached to a single team of six. The Alola Trials are designed to counter specific types, so keep a rotating roster in your PC.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your team for the Necrozma fight immediately: If you don't have a Dark-type or a Pokemon with the "Sturdy" ability, go find one now.
- Farm Mantine Surf early: Get at least 50 BP before leaving Akala Island so you can access elemental punches and Zen Headbutt for your physical attackers.
- Save your Master Ball: Don't use it on Solgaleo. You have a 100% catch rate on some story encounters. Save it for a shiny Legendary in the Ultra Wormholes that might have a self-destruct move.