SPOILERS! Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon In-Game Discussion

DHR-107

Robot from the Future
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Orange Islands
Hey all!

It's that glorious time again!

Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are finally here! Let's get to it and discuss how you feel about the games as you're playing them! Don't forget you can also discuss your in-game team plans in this thread: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ultra-sun-ultra-moon-in-game-team-thread.3620255/

Be warned as there will definitely be spoilers in this thread! I would ask people to Spoiler tag any huge story spoilers in some way!

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Let's have at it and adventure on in our second Alola Adventure!
 
Game is awesome, I'm enjoying and taking my time more than last time. Four hours to change my hair and clothes.

Right now, I'm with Bunneary, Popplio, Zorua and Grubbin.

Also, fwiw, I found out Furfrou trims don't change anymore when boxed. I caught one and have him the Pharaoh trim, boxed it and it kept the trim.
 
Can someone explain how and when you get Dusk Form Lycanroc or rather the Rockruff that evolves into it? What level is it and does it know Fire Fang/Thunder Fang?
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
inkay's a pretty strong early game mon -- you can catch it right next to kukui's house and it learns foul play at level 8
 

DHR-107

Robot from the Future
is a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Pokemon Researcheris a Smogon Media Contributor
Orange Islands
Does anyone know when you're able to do Island Scan (or just QR scan for that matter)? I don't have the second menu available yet
You can Island Scan immediately after gaining access to the second menu set (this includes the Festival Plaza and the ability to trade).
 

Mario With Lasers

Self-proclaimed NERFED king
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inkay's a pretty strong early game mon -- you can catch it right next to kukui's house and it learns foul play at level 8
Reeeeeally early game only. It becomes trash somewhere before evolving.

What did I even expect from a no-resists, no-boosts, <100 Base Stat pokémon with its strongest move learned at lv8...
 

Nexus

Forever the Recusant
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Have to agree about Inkay, even the power of cuteness can't save it from becoming rather dead around mid island 2 :(. Level-up move pool and learnable tms by that point leave a lot to be desired and while the AI can be pretty dumb about contrary and give it a boost at times it's not enough to carry it.
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Have to agree about Inkay, even the power of cuteness can't save it from becoming rather dead around mid island 2 :(. Level-up move pool and learnable tms by that point leave a lot to be desired and while the AI can be pretty dumb about contrary and give it a boost at times it's not enough to carry it.
Reeeeeally early game only. It becomes trash somewhere before evolving.

What did I even expect from a no-resists, no-boosts, <100 Base Stat pokémon with its strongest move learned at lv8...
Might be why then, I'm still on the first island
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
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Ultra Moon Playthrough Day 1:
So at the moment I've just gotten past Hau'oli City and got to Big Wave Beach (didn't do any surfing yet, just caught a Zubat and Psyduck). Also, how my observations are going to work is that I'm just going to note new/changed things instead of retelling the story like I did with my Moon playthrough if anyone remembers that. So onto my experience:
1. Starting in your room, one of the changes from the trailers that got me curious was replacing of the Pikachu Doll with a signed portrait. Examining reveals what's that about: it's an autograph of a Kanto Gym Leader wishing the player "good luck". Doesn't say who the Kanto Gym Leader is, but still it makes me curious. Whoever our character is they idolize this Gym Leader enough to portrait their signature and wishing of good luck. Also it could maybe indicate the player may have known the Gym Leader, or at least maybe is from the city/town that Gym Leader is of. Could we maybe see this Gym Leader later on?

2.
Speaking of mysterious role model, the tutorial notebook isn't the only thing we have of our dad's: apparently mom also took his car so she could drive to the city to run errands! Geez mom, it wasn't enough we moved across an entire ocean without him (not to mention the nearest city is only a jog away!).

3. So I gotta say the way we get our starter feels less ceremonial and special than in Sun & Moon. Where in Sun & Moon it was a small ritual where it was not only the trainer choosing the Starter but also the Starter accepting the trainer, the beginning steps of forming a long time bond, here we just did a Gen IV. We get attacked by a Pokemon, the Starters save us, and Kukui tells us to pick one and we do. No Starter having to accept us, all of them saving us apparently meant they all accepted us so we just skipped to which one the player wanted. Oh, but don't think it's any quicker getting the Starter, it's still smack dab in the middle of lengthy cutscenes. Thankfully I got a Popplio with a neutral nature.

4. So an interesting change for Hau, his mother is in Alola as after he gets his starter he rushes off to show her (though we have yet met her). I'm curious if they're setting up for a big reveal or they just decided to include Hau's mother who's a plain NPC.

5. Now that we have a Pokemon when going to save Nebby they had us battle a Spearow. I thought we were going to battle all three Spearow to change up the scene... but we only battle an additional fourth one which was kind of a let down. It felt pointless if they weren't going to change the scene.

6. The writers do know that a Lunar Eclipse is specifically when the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up in a way that the Sun is casting the Earth's shadow onto the Moon, right? It's not storm clouds blocking the moon. But if they mean for it to be a Lunar Eclipses, those just don't happen out of the blue. At the very least it's not a good omen like Kukui tried to write it off as. Was he trying to keep Lillie and the player calm or was he really just shrugging off a celestial event that shouldn't be happening?

7. Alola Youngster Joey now uses an Alolan Grimer...

8. Ilima, if you're just putting the Totem Stickers up in public places you don't really have the right to complain about Team Skull taking them. Sure, they're intended for Trial Goers, but if you're putting them out in public anyone can take them even if they can't use them. How about instead of leaving it to the honor system why not go to the local businesses and services and ask them to give them the stickers out to Trial Goers who ask for them/they decide deserve to be awarded a sticker.

9. A neat little detail, while all the normal trainers have a new battle theme, the Captains instead use the old Sun & Moon trainer battle theme.

10. They added a child swing set next to the house of the abusive father who son beat them up (not revealing who the son is as that's technically a spoiler, but those who played SM know who I'm talking about).

11. So, like with any early game, my team is constantly changing. Like until reaching Big Wave Beach my Melemele team was Popplio, Butterfree, Furfrou, Alolan Grimer, Trumbeak, & Own Tempo Rockruff. However upon getting a Zubat at Big Wave Beach I changed it to Popplio, Butterfree, Furfrou, Own Temp Rockruff, Zubat, and Zorua. Odd choice I know, but I decided to not choose the same Pokemon I used for my Moon playthrough which has resulted in some odd choices. But this is just Melemele, I'll see what the other islands bring. Though it's kind of odd how Melemele offers a batch of Water-types yet there's no Grass- or Fire-types.

12. While Yungoos is still present in places, so far I'm liking the distribution of Pokemon. Either they heard our complaints and removed all the Yungoos and Wingull or they added in so many other Pokemon it sort of saturates them to a non-issue. I was surprised to see Zorua and Furfrou available early on, always wanted to use them and, at least for now, is my chance. Haven't really used Zorua much yet, but I certainly got a lot from Furfrou who's surprisingly a beast being able to both absorb damage and dish it out (early Headbutt destroys).

13. Now that I don't have a money making Munchlax in my party I'm beginning to feel a bit of a money crunch.
 
Picked Rowlet. More or less I'm just waiting for someone to trade me a Houndour and then a Baltoy that's lv 1-10. GTS is bringing me no luck so far. If anyone could help with this I'll be extremely thankful. Friend code is in sig.
 
I found Quick Claw Topsy-Turvy Inkay very useful for the tough totem battles. Just go back and catch it and raise to 15 when you need it really.
 

breh

強いだね
I've been watching speedrunners trying to go through the game - I'm genuinely curious how spoiler boss is meant to be dealt with. Current ideas all center around toxic, combined with something else that helps you move first (prankster) or eat a hit (sturdy after stalling out its ability-breaking move, sash, mimikyu (? maybe it ignores disguise?), maybe some bulkier steel types) as well as potentially revive spam or protect to stall turns.

A better question is how exactly you're supposed to get past it in nuzlockes lol
 
1. Starting in your room, one of the changes from the trailers that got me curious was replacing of the Pikachu Doll with a signed portrait. Examining reveals what's that about: it's an autograph of a Kanto Gym Leader wishing the player "good luck". Doesn't say who the Kanto Gym Leader is, but still it makes me curious. Whoever our character is they idolize this Gym Leader enough to portrait their signature and wishing of good luck. Also it could maybe indicate the player may have known the Gym Leader, or at least maybe is from the city/town that Gym Leader is of. Could we maybe see this Gym Leader later on?
In Japanese the "Good Luck" part is written in English and in the Latin alphabet which implies Lt. Surge is the gym leader. You know, he's the Lightning American!
 
Do the totems have boosted base stats?

Mallow's totem survived Dusk Mane's Z move with almost no heath...
I think it might had been ev'd...
22+ Atk Solgaleo Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lurantis: 81-96 (90 - 106.6%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
That's the ONLY way that could had happened...
 
That would be relying on a 20% chance to cripple a foe. Shouldn't you have a more reliable strategy ready?
You can always just restart the battle until it works. It is really useful when a pokemon with totem boosts is just really good against your team.

Ultra Necrozma is one of the worst designed boss fights in Pokemon history. I had no trouble getting to it but it OHKO'd and outspeed my entire team, even at +2 Sp Def. Some people I heard were relying on Prankster Tricking Lagging Tail. Topsy-Turvy is way way easier to do, even at a 20% success rate.
 
Does anybody know if you can switch 12 hours in-game just like you could using Solgaleo/Lunala at the Altars? I haven’t found any info regarding that and, I know I can switch the time with the 3DS but having that simple convenience in the older game made stuff like evolving at night/day easier.

Also, just finished the game and... it’s OKish at best.
So dissapointed the lazy route Gamefreak took this time with a story that had so much potential, it’s like replaying the same old game with just minor differences at the end. 7.5/10 this time, as it felt more like a DLC than anything, totally not worth the full price for stuff that could be added in a $20 pack (Pokemon, items, Areas).

Compared to B2/W2 the games at least had new and big areas to explore, new story, post-game, and was worth the full price IMHO.
 
Yes, you can.
...how? I caught Lunala but there’s no option to switch the time when you check the wormhole at the altar.

Edit: Checked Serebii because I did not find anything in the forums.

Welp, it’s called “the Reverse World” and opens only durning the day/night depending the game.
 
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