Skip to main content

'Pokémon Sun and Moon' to feature Ultra Beasts, a mysterious new set of monsters

Each new generation of Pokémon games brings new monsters to the party, but it seems that this year’s Sun and Moon are set to add much more to the Pokédex than the average installment. As well as its unique Alola forms of existing monsters, the latest trailer reveals an entirely new category of Pokémon that’s set to join the fray.

The closing seconds of the new trailer alerts players to a “mysterious threat” known as Ultra Beasts. The first Pokémon to be classified as such is a tall, jellyfish-inspired creature that’s being referred to as UB-01.

The official Pokémon Sun and Moon website adds that UB-01’s body is made entirely out of a substance similar to glass. Despite this, it’s able to continually change its form, never settling on one particular shape. It’s also noted that outside of a basic survival instinct, there’s no way to tell whether UB-01 has any will of its own.

As the creature’s numeric naming convention suggests, there is thought to be more than one type of Ultra Beast in existence. However, it’s unclear whether players will be able to catch these monsters as they would any other Pokémon, or whether these special species will be more akin to the series’ sought-after legendaries.

We do know that the Aether Foundation is on the hunt for these Ultra Beasts. The organization is set to be introduced in Sun and Moon, so we don’t know too much about its members’ intentions — that said, they’ve been depicted as philanthropists in pre-release materials, so it seems likely that they will be potent allies, rather than a malignant force.

Fortunately, trainers won’t have to wait too long before they’re able to learn more about both the Aether Foundation and these mysterious Ultra Beasts. Pokémon Sun and Moon are set to launch worldwide on November 18, 2016.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
Pokémon Violet and Scarlet are an even bigger leap forward than they seem
A pokemon terrestalizes in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

When I walked into my hourlong demo of Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that developer Game Freak was serious about shaking up the franchise’s established formula after it delivered this year’s Pokémon Legends Arceus, a game that radically departed from the traditional RPG mold, but that was more of a spinoff experiment. Scarlet and Violet would be the real deal: mainline entries that would determine the true future of the series. Would we actually see a radical reinvention or would Game Freak play it safe, making another small step toward lasting change?

Jump into a Paldean Journey | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

Read more
5 questions we have after the new Pokémon Violet/Scarlet trailer
Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.

The Pokémon Company officially announced that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will launch on November 18 and provided us with a brand new trailer filled with more information. Alongside the clip, The Pokémon Company shared several details about the game, such as the fact that it’ll be a true open-world game with a four-player co-op.

However, we have some lingering questions about what we learned today, as the trailer left some details vague.
How open is the world?
The Pokémon Company says that players can explore the region in a non-linear fashion, but to what extent? Will the game just straight-up thrust us into the region like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild did?

Read more
New Pokémon Unite mode lets you catch ’em just like the RPGs
Various Pokémon competing in Pokémon Unite

The Pokémon-themed MOBA, Pokémon Unite, is introducing a new game mode allowing players to catch wild Pokémon. The new mode, called "Catch 'em Battles" will be playable starting on May 30 on Switch and mobile devices.

Pokémon Unite is the free to play Switch and mobile-exclusive MOBA where players take control of their favorite pocket monsters in 5v5 battles with other players. Catch 'em Battles shrinks the team sizes to 4v4, but also brings in one of the core elements of the franchise: Catching Pokémon in the wild and using them in battle. After weakening a wild Pokémon via battle in the current mode, players will be able to use a Pokéball to recruit them. Once caught, players can swap to that Pokémon and control it at the touch of a button.

Read more