Pokemon Sun Moon Legendary Guide: Catch Solgaleo & Lunala

Pokemon Sun Moon Legendary Guide: Catch Solgaleo & Lunala

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Introduction

If you grew up exploring the Alola region, you know the thrill of stumbling on a rare Pokémon and the rush of a perfectly timed Poké Ball. In this guide we’ll dive deep into pokemon sun moon legendary encounters: who they are, where to find them, and how to catch them reliably. From the guardian deities like Tapu Koko to the cosmic legends Solgaleo and Lunala, this article covers locations, mechanics, battle tips, and postgame secrets. Whether you want to complete your Alola Pokédex, build a competitive team, or collect shinies, you’ll find practical steps here.

What counts as a legendary in Sun & Moon?

In Pokemon Sun and Moon, “legendary” refers to rare, plot-linked, or one-per-game Pokémon that usually can’t be bred and often drive the story forward. Key legendary Pokémon and related rare encounters include:

  • Solgaleo (Pokémon Sun) and Lunala (Pokémon Moon) — the game’s mascot legendaries.
  • Necrozma — an important late-game figure with special forms and the Ultra Beasts-linked storyline.
  • Cosmog and Cosmoem — the baby stages that evolve into Solgaleo or Lunala.
  • The four Tapu guardian deities: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini.
  • Various Ultra Beasts and other one-off encounters such as certain roaming or postgame legendaries.

Understanding which Pokémon qualify helps you prioritize story progress versus side hunts like Ultra Wormholes and SOS chains.

Where to find major legendaries and guardians

Locations in Alola and related areas matter. Below are the most important spots and the conditions that trigger legendary encounters.

  • Solgaleo/Lunala: Progress through the main story and follow the Cosmog/Cosmoem evolution path. The evolution into Cosmoem and then into Solgaleo or Lunala occurs at specific points in the plot — you don’t miss this encounter if you follow the narrative.
  • Tapu Guardians: Each guardian deities is found on its island’s shrine after beating the island’s kahuna trials. Tapu Koko (Melemele), Tapu Lele (Akala), Tapu Bulu (Ula’ula), and Tapu Fini (Poni) must be approached as part of island challenge progression.
  • Necrozma: Appears late in the campaign and in postgame; its special fused forms (Dusk Mane/ Dawn Wings) require interactions with Solgaleo/Lunala and later Prism armor mechanics in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon.
  • Ultra Beasts: Found in Ultra Wormholes during postgame. Examples include Nihilego, Buzzwole, and Pheromosa. These show up in specific wormholes and have distinct catch rates and behaviors.
  • Other legendaries: Certain story-linked encounters (like Zygarde in some cross-generational play or special events) may require carrying over data from other games or using specific in-game events.

Tip: Save before each legendary encounter. This classic advice remains essential to retry for better nature, IVs, or a shiny.

How the capturing mechanics work (SOS, status, and Balls)

Pokemon Sun & Moon have unique capture mechanics you should use to your advantage.

  • SOS Battles: Wild Pokémon can call for help; chaining SOS calls can help with catching some rare Pokémon and improving chances for shinies. However, most story legendaries do not use SOS mechanics — they’re single scripted encounters.
  • Status Conditions: Sleep and Freeze are the best statuses to apply when facing a legendary because they significantly increase catch chances. Paralysis is also useful if sleep or freeze is unavailable.
  • Best Poké Balls: Use Timer Balls late in long battles, Dusk Balls in caves/Ultra Wormholes if applicable, and Net Balls for certain types. Quick Balls are useful on turn 1 only if the legendary allows it. Luxury Ball is purely aesthetic; use it if you plan to trade them later.
  • False Swipe & damage control: Bring a Pokémon with False Swipe to reduce the legendary to 1 HP without fainting it. Combine with moves that induce sleep for a reliable capture window.

Example setup: Lead with a Pokémon that can use False Swipe, another that has a reliable sleep move (Spore/Hypnosis), and a bulky Pokémon that can tank the legendary’s hits. Stock Timer Balls and Dusk Balls, and save often.

Detailed strategies for key legendaries

Here are focused tips for individual legendaries, including Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, and the Tapu guardians.

Solgaleo & Lunala

These are story-critical and typically appear at fixed battle points.

  • They often come at levels high enough to be challenging — match their level or bring a mix of defense and status-inducing moves.
  • Because they are part of the plot, you cannot encounter them repeatedly in the same save file — but you can soft-reset for desired nature/IVs or use Pokémon Bank/Online trades to obtain copies.
  • If you want competitive stats, consider catching multiple copies via trades or using a separate save file for soft-reset attempts.

Necrozma

Necrozma has unique forms and fusion mechanics, especially in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Tips:

  • Understand its forms: Prism armor and fused states change its typing and abilities; bring moves that resist its powerful offensive coverage.
  • Bind or stat-lower cautiously. Necrozma hits hard; avoid letting it set up if possible.

Tapu Guardians (Tapu Koko/Lele/Bulu/Fini)

Guardians are easier to manage but still powerful.

  • Each guardian has signature terrain effects: Tapu Koko sets Electric Terrain, Tapu Lele Psychic Terrain, Tapu Bulu Grassy Terrain, Tapu Fini Misty Terrain. Bring counters accordingly (e.g., Ground-types vs Tapu Koko).
  • Use terrain-aware moves and Pokémon — Grass-types struggle under Grassy Terrain boosting some moves but check resistances.

Ultra Beasts

These appear in Ultra Wormholes and have low catch rates but can be managed with proper tactics.

  • Bring multiple Pokémon that can inflict sleep and False Swipe. Many Ultra Beasts hit hard but have predictable move sets.
  • Some Ultra Beasts have abilities or signature moves that counter common capture strategies — adapt accordingly and save before entry.

Postgame and rare methods: Ultra Wormholes, events, and transfer options

After the main story, Sun & Moon open up more ways to obtain rarer legendaries and forms.

  • Ultra Wormholes: These allow travel to special areas to find Ultra Beasts and sometimes alternate forms of legendary Pokémon. Equip strong team members with priority moves if you expect fast or disruptive foes.
  • In-game events: Nintendo occasionally distributes event legendaries or Mythicals. Keep an eye on official announcements or check trusted community sources for codes.
  • Pokémon Bank & Transfers: Use Pokémon Bank to bring in legendaries from previous titles if you need a particular nature or IV set without endless soft-resets.

Tip: If you plan to build competitive teams, catching a variety of the same legendary via trades or transfers allows you to tailor natures and IVs rather than relying on one story encounter.

Building teams around the Alolan legendaries

Knowing how to use legendaries effectively in battle increases their value beyond collection. Here are practical team-building notes:

  • Solgaleo — Often used as a physical or special attacker with Steel/Psychic coverage. It fits well on balanced teams that can support stall breakers.
  • Lunala — Strong special attacker and support; pair Lunala with Pokémon that can handle faster threats and set entry hazards.
  • Tapu Guardians — Each Tapu shapes the match via terrain. Build around the terrain: Tapu Koko supports fast Electric offense, Tapu Fini helps special walls and Misty support.
  • Necrozma — Versatile in fused forms; pick a role (wallbreaker or mixed attacker) and tune EVs accordingly.

Example team tip: Use a bulky Water or Ground to neutralize Tapu Koko, an Electric-resistant wall for Necrozma, and a hazard setter to complement Solgaleo or Lunala’s sweep potential.

Shiny hunting and IV/nature control

If you’re aiming for shinies or perfect IVs, plan ahead:

  • Soft-resetting: Save before the scripted encounter and reset until you see the desired shiny color or nature. This is time-consuming but the primary method for story-only legendaries.
  • Breeding & Transfer: Since legendaries can’t breed, use trades or prior-gen transfers for multiple copies to breed substitutes or use Pokémon Bank to move shinies across games.
  • Synchronize ability: Use a lead with Synchronize and the desired nature to boost the chance the wild legendary has that nature when it is generated at encounter time.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Not saving before encounters — always save at a separate slot to avoid losing progress.
  • Using weak or single-strategy teams — many legendaries have diverse move sets; bring redundancy (status, False Swipe, healers).
  • Ignoring terrain and abilities — Tapu guardians change how your team performs; prepare counters.
  • Running out of key items — stock Poké Balls, Revives, and status-curing items before challenging Ultra Wormholes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I catch Solgaleo and Lunala in the same save file?

Usually, your version determines which of Solgaleo or Lunala you encounter during the main story. To get both, you can trade with another game or use a second save file or Pokémon Bank transfers.

2. Where do Ultra Beasts spawn in Sun & Moon?

Ultra Beasts appear in Ultra Wormholes in the postgame. Each wormhole has different beast types; you need to access the postgame Ultra Wormholes by following the main narrative and then exploring the skies in the correct locations.

3. What’s the best way to ensure a legendary’s nature?

Use a Pokémon with the Synchronize ability in the lead with the desired nature. This increases the chance that the wild legendary has the same nature when it is generated at the start of the encounter.

4. Are there any legendaries that can be rematched?

Most story legendaries are one-time encounters in Sun & Moon. However, Ultra Wormholes and some postgame features allow additional encounters with Ultra Beasts and certain legendaries. For duplicates, trades and transfers are often the easiest route.

5. How do I handle legendaries that always attack first and KO my team?

Bring bulky, lower-speed Pokémon that can take a hit, or use quick defensive setups. Items like Leftovers and moves like Protect can help stall. Always have a dedicated false-swipe or sleep inducer in your team, and save beforehand to retry different strategies.

Conclusion

Pokemon Sun Moon legendary hunting is one of the most rewarding aspects of Alola: the combination of story, challenge, and strategic capture mechanics keeps the experience fresh. From catching Solgaleo or Lunala during the storyline to hunting Ultra Beasts in Wormholes, this guide covered locations, catching tactics (False Swipe, status conditions, best balls), and team-building advice for Nebulous threats like Necrozma and island guardians such as Tapu Koko. Remember to save before every major encounter, tailor your team to the legendary’s strengths, and use postgame features for extra opportunities. Good luck — may your Poké Balls be critical and your RNG favorable on every soft-reset and Ultra Wormhole dive!