First: The Main Differences Between Sun and Moon
Pokemon Sun and Moon is here! If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, you might be wondering which version is better. That’s obviously a subjective question, but we’ll do our best to make an argument for both and then give you a verdict. First though, what are the main differences between Sun and Moon?
Like most other Pokemon games, the differences between the two versions are subtle. It’s mostly just version exclusives which we will dig into heavily in a bit. This time around though, there are a couple of smaller aesthetic differences worth mentioning.
First, there are time of day differences. Moon is set 12-hours forward from your current time, while Sun uses your exact system time. Meaning if you’re playing during the day, you’ll experience a lot more of Moon “at night” in-game.
In addition, there are differences in the Totem Pokemon you have to face at the end of each island trial. Island trials have replaced gyms, and to complete the trial you have to face a beefed up version of a Pokemon. So for example, on Melemele Island the Totem Pokemon is Gumshoos, while in Moon it’s an Alolan Raticate.
Ultimately, both of these differences are extremely minor and in the long term probably won’t matter to you very much, so we’re not going to spend any more time on it.
The more important differences are the version specific Pokemon available in each game. Below is the full list via our guide of the version differences. On the next page we will break down each version specific Pokemon and their strengths and weaknesses, and deliver a verdict.
Sun Exclusive Pokemon
- Lycanroc (Midday Form)
- Tortunator
- Alolan Vulpix & Ninetails
- Passimian
- Solgaleo
- UB-02 Expansion
Moon Exclusive Pokemon
- Lycanroc (Midnight Form)
- Drampa
- Alolan Sandshrew & Sandslash
- Oranguru
- Lunala
- UB-02 Beauty
Reasons to Go With Sun
Pokemon Sun has a solid roster of interesting, and potentially powerful, version exclusives. Let’s jump right in.
Out of the two Lycanroc forms (Midday vs. Midnight), the Sun exclusive Midday is the better of the two in most situations. It has the same attack stat as Midnight form, but far more of the all-important speed (112 vs 82 for Midnight). Midnight form has slightly better defenses sure, but in most cases you’ll prefer the speed. Also, Midday form has the fantastic new move Accelrock, which is a 40 BP priority rock attack, which Midnight form does not get.
As far as Alolan ice Pokemon are concerned, you’re also probably better off with Alolan Vulpix/Ninetales over Sandshrew/Sandslash. They both have unique types (Ice/Fairy vs. Ice/Steel) that have never been seen before, but have different abilities. Ninetales will eventually have access to Snow Warning, which automatically starts hail weather when they enter. This is an incredibly useful ability for teams that utilize the hail strategy as it frees you up from having to waste a move slot on Hail. Sandslash has the new ability Slush Rush, which doubles its speed in hail. It is nice, but arguably not as useful as Snow Warning.
The last main advantage is Turtonator, who is unique in the sense that it’s the only non-legendary/mega Fire/Dragon type in the game. Fire/Dragon is a pretty solid type combination, plus Turtonator has the unique move Shell Trap, which is an incredibly powerful Fire attack that bounces back damage to the opponent if Turtonator gets hit before it goes off.
On the other hand, Moon exclusive Drampa is the first ever Dragon/Normal type, but it doesn’t really add that much to anything. Normal is a very bland type that only adds a weakness to Fighting attacks and an immunity to Ghost attacks. The only other ace that Drampa has is Berserk, which raises its special attack if Drampa’s health falls below half. Nice but nothing game-breaking.
Reasons to Go With Moon
Moon may lack a tad in the version exclusive department, but it makes up for it in better legendaries. Cover star Lunala, in addition to having powerful stats like most legendary Pokemon do, has a fantastic typing of Psychic/Ghost which leaves it with only two very manageable weaknesses, Dark and Ghost. Solgaleo on the other hand is weak to Fire, Ghost, Ground, and Dark. Ground in particular is a brutal weakness given how common moves like Earthquake are. Lunala’s Shadow Shield is also an amazing ability that reduces damage taken from moves while at full health.
Moon exclusive UB-02 Beauty’s leaked data-mined stat spread is absolutely insane and very Deoxys like. 151 Speed, 137 Attack and 137 Special Attack. It’s defenses are frail, but who needs it if you’re going to crush everything before they even move. Plus it has access to one of the best stat boosting moves in the game, Quiver Dance. Sun exclusive UB 02-Absorption is no slouch either, but suffers from a not so great 79 Speed stat, which could get it in some trouble against tougher Pokemon online.
Finally, if you like doubles battles, Moon exclusive Oranguru is one of the more interesting Pokemon to hit that scene in a long time. Oranguru has Telepathy as a possible ability, which is a fantastic doubles move that grants immunity to teammate’s attacks. It also gets a unique move called Instruct, that can be used on any Pokemon to have them repeat their most recent move. That means you can have your teammate attack twice in a turn, or cause an opponent to do something it wouldn’t other wise do.
Verdict
Overall, Pokemon Sun’s roster of exclusive Pokemon is better if you’re just counting numbers. It gets what is probably the better Alolan and Lycanroc form and the more interesting exclusive Dragon. On the other hand, if you’re really into doubles, having easy access to Oranguru is a huge plus, and if you just want the most powerful Pokemon you can get your hands on right away, Pokemon Moon’s Lunala and UB 02- Beauty top Solgaleo and UB 02-Absorption.
It’s close and if we have to pick, we’ll take quantity over quality and go with the stronger more varied line up of Pokemon Sun. Still though, you can’t go wrong with Moon either. Plus, even if it’s worse, Lycanroc’s Midnight form looks vicious.
About the author
