You've spent hours breeding the perfect Garchomp. It has the right Nature, five perfect IVs, and you even went through the trouble of getting it in a Beast Ball because, let's be real, the aesthetic matters. But then you look at its movepool. It’s missing something. It needs Iron Head to deal with those pesky Fairy-types, or maybe you want to surprise someone with Stealth Rock. This is exactly where the ultra sun and ultra moon move tutors become the most important NPCs in your entire Alolan journey.
Gen 7 was a weird, beautiful time for Pokémon.
Honestly, the jump from Sun and Moon to the Ultra versions felt mostly like a massive quality-of-life patch, and a huge chunk of that value came specifically from the expanded move tutoring system. In the original Sun and Moon, you were pretty much stuck with whatever a Pokémon learned by leveling up or through TMs. That sucked for competitive play. When Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon dropped, Game Freak dumped a massive list of over 70 moves onto four specific beach-side tutors.
It changed everything.
Suddenly, your favorite Pokémon wasn't just "okay"—it was viable. But the system is a bit of a grind. You don't pay these guys with Poké Dollars. They want Beach Points (BP). If you aren't a fan of Mantine Surfing or grinding the Battle Tree, you’re gonna have a tough time.
The Four Beaches You Need to Bookmark
Most players stumble onto the first tutor by accident. You’re just wandering around Big Wave Beach on Melemele Island, trying to figure out how to use the Mantine Surf feature, and there’s a guy standing under a parasol ready to teach your Pokémon some of the most iconic moves in the game.
Each island has one.
The Melemele tutor at Big Wave Beach is basically the "Starter Kit." He’s got the basics like Snore and Shock Wave, but he also carries Drain Punch. That move alone is a staple for fighting types or bulky attackers that need sustain. It’s cheap, too. Well, "cheap" is relative when you’re falling off your surfboard every five seconds trying to hit a Primarina Twist.
Once you get to Akala Island, things get serious. The tutor at Heahea Beach is where you go when you want to ruin someone’s day with utility moves. This is where Knock Off lives. In the competitive circuit, Knock Off is arguably one of the best moves in the history of the franchise. It removes items, hits like a truck on a boosted calculation, and has incredible type coverage. If your Pokémon can learn it, you basically have to teach it.
Ula'ula and Poni Island: The Heavy Hitters
By the time you reach Ula’ula Beach, the BP prices start to sting a bit more, but the moves are legendary. You’re looking at Iron Head, Seed Bomb, and Drill Run. These are the coverage moves that allow a Pokémon to stay in against a counter. Think about a Pokémon like Excadrill or even certain Jirachi sets; without the Ula’ula tutor, they lose half their pressure.
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Finally, there’s Poni Beach. This one is tucked away and feels like the "End Game" shop. We’re talking Outrage, Superpower, and Sky Attack. These are the high-risk, high-reward buttons. It’s also where you find Stealth Rock.
If you aren't running Stealth Rock on a competitive team, are you even playing Pokémon?
Setting up entry hazards is the bread and butter of singles matches. Having a tutor that can just teach it to half the roster for some BP is a godsend. It’s much better than the old days of hoping a Pokémon had it as an Egg Move or burning a rare TM from a previous generation.
Why BP is a Love-Hate Relationship
The currency system for the ultra sun and ultra moon move tutors is polarizing. In previous games, you often used Heart Scales or Shards. Shards were a pain to find. You had to dig in the dirt or trade with specific NPCs, and it felt like busywork.
BP feels more like "playing the game."
You have two main ways to get it. First, there’s Mantine Surf. It’s a minigame where you do tricks on the back of a Mantine while traveling between islands. If you get good at it—specifically by mastering the "Starmie 720" or the "Magikarp Splash"—you can rake in 10 to 15 BP per trip. Since most high-end moves cost about 12 to 16 BP, one good surf session equals one new move.
The other way is the Battle Tree. This is for the hardcore players. It’s a gauntlet of AI trainers who do not play fair. They will use Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and perfect strategies to shut you down. But the BP payout is consistent.
A lot of people prefer Mantine Surfing because it’s relaxing. You’ve got the upbeat music, the bright Alolan sun, and zero stress about a Choice Scarf Garchomp outspeeding your entire team. Plus, it’s available much earlier in the game than the Battle Tree. You can actually deck out your team with tutor moves before you even face the Elite Four.
Moves That Changed the Meta
It isn't just about having "more" moves; it's about which ones were added. Before the ultra sun and ultra moon move tutors arrived, certain Pokémon were arguably "incomplete."
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Take Tapu Koko, for example.
One of the legendary guardians of Alola. It’s fast, it’s strong, but its physical movepool was absolute garbage in the base Sun and Moon games. Then the tutors arrived. Suddenly, Koko could learn Iron Head and Fire Punch (well, if it were a different type, but you get the point—it opened up the physical sets). Actually, a better example is Tapu Fini getting access to Defog.
Defog is mandatory for clearing hazards like Spikes and Stealth Rock. Before Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Fini was good, but it couldn't support the team by clearing the field. Once that tutor move became available, Tapu Fini skyrocketed in usage and became a staple of the OU (Overused) tier in competitive play.
Here is a quick look at the move distribution across the beaches:
- Big Wave Beach (Melemele): Focused on elemental punches (Fire/Ice/Thunder Punch) and basic utility like Bind or Snore.
- Heahea Beach (Akala): This is the "Technical" beach. Think Giga Drain, Signal Beam, and the aforementioned Knock Off.
- Ula'ula Beach: The "Tactical" spot. You get access to moves like Tail Wind and Role Play, plus solid attacks like Iron Head.
- Poni Beach: The "Power" beach. Focus Punch, Dragon Pulse, and the big ones like Hyper Voice.
There's a specific nuance to Hyper Voice. If you have a Pokémon with the "Pixilate" or "Aerilate" ability (like Mega Altaria or Sylveon), Hyper Voice becomes an incredibly powerful STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) move that bypasses Substitutes. You can only get that through the Poni Island tutor.
The "Special" Tutors You Might Miss
Beyond the four main beaches, Alola has a few specialized tutors that don't care about your Beach Points. They want to see your bond with your Pokémon or check if you have a specific legendary in your party.
The Move Reminder and Move Deleter are actually the same person in this game. Her name is Madam Memorial, and she’s located in the Pokémon Center on Mount Lanakila. This is right before the Pokémon League.
She is unique.
Unlike previous games where you could only "relearn" moves the Pokémon had already forgotten, Madam Memorial can teach a Pokémon a move it hasn't even reached the level for yet. If you have a Heart Scale, you can teach a Level 10 Pokémon a move it wouldn't naturally learn until Level 50. This is a massive shortcut for training.
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Then you have the "Ultimate Move" tutors. These are in Hau'oli City and at the Mall. They teach the high-power moves like Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon to the starter Pokémon. Are these moves good? Usually no, because the recharge turn leaves you wide open. But for a casual playthrough, watching your Decidueye blast something with a massive vine-cannon is pretty satisfying.
And we can't forget the Keldeo and Meloetta tutor. If you have these Mythical Pokémon, you need to head to the Hano Grand Resort. There’s a man there who teaches Secret Sword and Relic Song. Without these moves, these Pokémon can't even access their alternate forms. It’s a weirdly specific requirement that has caught many players off guard.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong all the time is thinking every Pokémon can learn every tutor move. They can't. Just because ultra sun and ultra moon move tutors offer Gunk Shot doesn't mean your Pikachu can learn it. You still have to check compatibility.
I always tell people to check Serebii or Bulbapedia before grinding the BP. There is nothing worse than doing 20 minutes of Mantine Surfing only to find out your Garchomp actually can't learn the move you wanted from that specific tutor.
Another mistake? Ignoring the "Defog" tutor because you think you don't need it for the main story. Trust me, the AI in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is significantly harder than in previous games. The "Ultra Necrozma" fight is notorious for ending Nuzlocke runs. Having a move like Toxic (which is a TM, but often associated with these specialized sets) or high-tier tutor moves like Aqua Tail can make the difference between winning and blacking out.
The Heart Scale Problem
While the beach tutors take BP, Madam Memorial takes Heart Scales.
Don't go hunting for Luvdisc with a fishing rod. It’s a waste of time.
Instead, go to the restaurants in Alola—specifically the one in Konikoni City or the sushi high-roller spot in Malie City. If you order the most expensive meal, you get free Heart Scales. In Malie City, if you order the "Ronin Set," Olivia might even show up and pay for your meal, and you’ll walk away with 4 or 8 Heart Scales for free. It’s the fastest way to stock up.
Actionable Strategy for Your Team
If you are looking to optimize your team right now, here is the most efficient path to utilizing the ultra sun and ultra moon move tutors without burning out:
- Early Game BP: Start Mantine Surfing as soon as you hit the second island. Don't wait for the Battle Tree. Get about 50 BP early on. This covers four high-end moves.
- Target "Knock Off" First: It is the most versatile move in the game. Almost any physical attacker benefits from it.
- The "Transfer" Trick: If you have older Pokémon from Sun or Moon, move them to Ultra Sun/Moon via Pokémon Bank (or Home, depending on your hardware setup) to teach them these moves, then move them back if you prefer the original games.
- Farm Heart Scales via Dining: Skip the wild encounters. Use the Malie City restaurant once a day to keep your "Move Reminder" bank full.
- Check for "Z-Move" Synergy: Some tutor moves become insane when used with a Z-Crystal. For example, Z-Stealth Rock gives you a Defense boost on top of setting the rocks.
The move tutor system in Alola is deep, rewarding, and honestly a bit exhausting if you try to do it all at once. Take it one beach at a time. Whether you’re prepping for a competitive match or just want your Incineroar to have the best possible coverage for the Elite Four, these tutors are your best friends.
Start with the Melemele surf spot and work your way up. You'll have a championship-ready team before you even reach the Altar of the Sunne.
Next Steps:
- Check your current party's compatibility with Knock Off and Drain Punch at Heahea Beach.
- Spend 15 minutes at Big Wave Beach to master the basic Mantine Surf tricks for easy BP farming.
- Visit the Malie City sushi shop to grab your daily Heart Scales for the Move Reminder.