Map LocationsSun&Moon
"Alola's island trials in Sun and Moon swap traditional grass-tile encounters for SOS battles where mid-fight call-ins decide which Pokemon you can actually catch."
SM MAP
Alola's four-island layout spreads across Sun and Moon's map: Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni each carry their own trial site markers. Aether Paradise floats off Akala's coast as the only marker tied to the Team Skull and Aether Foundation plot rather than the trial circuit.
SUN & MOON LOCATIONS
Hau'oli City opens Sun and Moon's chapter list, with cards walking Alola's four islands in story order. Filter by encounter method or type to jump between islands. Po Town on Ula'ula is a graffitied, rain-soaked ruin that Team Skull occupies as their headquarters, with house-by-house battles you can take in any order.
Main Story 57
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SPECIAL ENCOUNTERS
Special encounters are the one-time, fixed-location Pokemon you won't catch in random wild grass. Sun & Moon has 10 total: 8 Legendary (story-locked, once per save) and 2 Static (gift Pokemon and route roadblocks).
Wild Pokemon can call for help, bringing a second species into battle. Called Pokemon sometimes have hidden abilities or are species that don't appear in normal encounters. Chaining SOS calls by knocking out the helper (not the caller) increases shiny odds and IV guarantees. An Adrenaline Orb makes the wild Pokemon call more often.
No. Ride Pokemon replaced HMs entirely. Tauros charges through rocks, Lapras surfs water, Charizard flies between locations, Machamp pushes boulders, Mudsdale crosses rocky terrain, and Sharpedo smashes through water obstacles. You never need to teach a team member a bad move just to access an area.
Yes. Moon's in-game clock runs 12 hours offset from your 3DS system time. If it's noon in real life, it's midnight in Moon. This flips which time-based encounters you get. Sun runs on normal time. Some Pokemon like Lycanroc evolve into different forms based on the in-game time, making the version difference matter for evolution too.
Each island trial ends with a Totem battle against an oversized wild Pokemon with boosted stats. They're fixed encounters at specific locations (Verdant Cavern, Brooklet Hill, Wela Volcano, etc.). Totems call SOS allies and get a free stat boost at the start. They can't be caught. The locations are also available for normal wild encounters before and after the trial.
Sun & Moon has 69 locations with wild Pokemon encounters, featuring 244 unique Pokemon species. The location with the most Pokemon variety is Poké Pelago with 26 unique species.
Sun & Moon has 8 legendary encounters: Lunala (Lv. 55 at Altar of the Moone), Nihilego (Lv. 55 at Diglett's Tunnel), Solgaleo (Lv. 55 at Altar of the Sunne), Tapu Bulu (Lv. 60 at Ruins of Abundance), Tapu Koko (Lv. 60 at Ruins of Conflict), Tapu Fini (Lv. 60 at Ruins of Hope), Tapu Lele (Lv. 60 at Ruins of Life), Necrozma (Lv. 75 at Ten Carat Hill).
The top fishing locations in Sun & Moon by Pokemon variety are: Brooklet Hill (7 species), Poni Gauntlet (7 species), Vast Poni Canyon (6 species). These locations offer the widest selection of water-type Pokemon through various rod types (Old Rod, Good Rod, Super Rod).