So you’ve done it. You’ve journeyed through the vibrant, sun-drenched landscapes of Alola, faced down Kahunas and villains, and finally, stood triumphant as the region’s first Champion. The credits have rolled, the congratulations have poured in, and now… what? For many trainers, the true adventure of Competitive Play & Post-Game Content (Gen 7) is just beginning. This isn't just about catching a few more Pokémon; it's about unlocking the full breadth of a meticulously designed world, refining your skills, and perhaps even crafting a team destined for online glory.
This guide is your roadmap to everything that opens up after you've conquered the main story in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, and even the unique experience of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. We'll explore the hidden challenges, the tools for competitive mastery, and the sheer joy of truly finishing your Pokémon journey.
At a Glance: What Awaits You After the Champion Title
- Defend Your Title: Re-challenge the Elite Four for fun and rewards.
- Battle Tree Mastery: Test your skills against powerful trainers, including fan favorites like Red and Blue.
- Team Rainbow Rocket: Embark on an epic villainous reunion in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.
- Legendary Hunts: Discover and capture a host of powerful Legendary and Mythical Pokémon.
- Complete the Pokédex: Track down every last creature in Alola for invaluable rewards.
- Competitive Prep: Dive deep into EV training, IV breeding, and optimal movesets for online battles.
- Unique Gen 7 Mechanics: Explore the strategic depth of Z-Moves and Alolan Forms.
- Let's Go Master Challenges: For Kanto enthusiasts, face the formidable Master Trainers.
Beyond the Credits: Alola's True Challenges Await
The Alola region, with its distinctive island challenges and cultural flair, offers a markedly different post-game experience compared to some of its predecessors. Gone are the days of sprawling new regions appearing out of nowhere; instead, Gen 7 focuses on deepening your engagement with the existing world, expanding its lore, and providing structured competitive challenges. This design choice pushes you to truly understand your Pokémon and the intricate mechanics at play, rather than just running through new routes.
The differences between the original Sun & Moon (SM) and the enhanced Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon (USUM) are significant in the post-game, with USUM offering a considerably expanded and more thrilling suite of activities. We'll break down both, ensuring you know exactly what to expect from your specific Alolan adventure.
The Original Journey: Sun & Moon's Post-Champion Perks
If your journey began with Pokémon Sun or Moon, your post-game content, while solid, leans more towards traditional challenges and a touch of narrative resolution. It’s a great stepping stone into the deeper mechanics without overwhelming you.
Defending Your Title: The Elite Four Rematch
One of the most immediate and satisfying post-game activities is the ability to re-challenge the Elite Four. After becoming Champion, you'll find them ready for tougher battles. While the core team structures remain similar, their Pokémon are higher level, offering a good way to test out new team compositions or grind experience for your competitive hopefuls. It’s a consistent source of money and a chance to feel like the reigning monarch you are.
The Battle Tree: Your First Competitive Test
Located on Poni Island, the Battle Tree is a crucial hub for anyone interested in competitive Pokémon. This facility offers a series of consecutive battles against increasingly challenging trainers, with different battle formats (Single Battles, Double Battles, Multi Battles). The true draw? Facing off against iconic characters from the Pokémon universe, including the legendary Red and Blue themselves, alongside other powerful trainers like Cynthia.
Winning streaks at the Battle Tree earn you Battle Points (BP), which can be exchanged for valuable items like vitamins, rare candies, and crucial competitive items like Choice Scarf, Assault Vest, and various Mega Stones (which are absent from USUM's main game but remain here). It's the perfect training ground to gauge your team's viability and fine-tune your strategies before heading online.
A Final Bout with Guzma
In a more narrative vein, Sun & Moon offer a one-time challenge against Team Skull's leader, Guzma, at the Hau'oli City beach. It's a fun, character-driven encounter that provides a bit more closure for his arc.
Completing the Alola Pokédex
As always, catching 'em all remains a core post-game objective. Alola's Pokédex features 302 entries in SM (excluding Mythicals). Fully completing it, meaning catching or registering every Pokémon, earns you the coveted Shiny Charm from Professor Kukui. This item permanently boosts your odds of encountering Shiny Pokémon, making future hunts significantly more efficient. This is a foundational step for anyone interested in serious mastering Pokémon breeding or simply collecting rare Pokémon.
Alola Enhanced: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon's Expanded Universe
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon dramatically expand upon their predecessors' post-game, offering a wealth of content that many consider some of the best in the series. If you played USUM, prepare for a far more extensive adventure after the credits roll.
The Team Rainbow Rocket Episode: A Villainous Reunion
This is arguably the crown jewel of USUM's post-game. An interdimensional incident causes iconic villains from past Pokémon games—Giovanni, alongside the leaders of Team Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, Plasma, and Flare—to appear in Alola. Your task is to thwart their grand schemes in a thrilling epilogue that brings together some of the most memorable story elements of Pokémon games.
This episode isn't just fan service; it features challenging multi-battles, new areas, and culminates in a climactic showdown with Giovanni himself, who wields a powerful Mega Mewtwo. It’s a fantastic narrative capstone that truly makes you feel like the Champion of not just Alola, but potentially other dimensions.
A Host of Legendary Pokémon to Catch
USUM throws open the floodgates for Legendary Pokémon. Through Ultra Wormholes accessed via Ultra Warp Ride, you can travel to different dimensions and encounter almost every non-Mythical Legendary Pokémon from previous generations, including Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, and many more. Each Legendary often requires specific conditions or is found in a unique environment within the wormhole. This extensive hunt is a massive undertaking, perfect for collectors and those looking to bolster their competitive reserves with powerful options.
Beyond the wormholes, you can also catch additional Ultra Beasts and even Necrozma, which plays a pivotal role in the main story. Capturing these formidable creatures is essential for a comprehensive Pokédex and provides diverse options for competitive teams.
Mantine Surf and the Photo Club
For more laid-back activities, USUM introduces Mantine Surf, a surfing mini-game that allows you to travel between Alola’s islands while performing tricks. It’s a fun way to pass the time and earn Battle Points (BP) without necessarily grinding the Battle Tree. The Alola Photo Club also offers a charming way to bond with your Pokémon and create memorable snapshots, adding to the human element of your journey.
New Items, Move Tutors, and Quality of Life
USUM also brings several quality-of-life improvements and new features that indirectly enhance competitive play. More Move Tutors become available, offering a wider range of moves for your Pokémon (for a small BP fee), allowing for greater strategic depth. Certain areas might also feature new items or expanded shop inventories, making it easier to acquire necessary tools for training and battling.
Kanto Revisited: Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee's Nostalgic Post-Game
While often grouped with Gen 7 due to their engine and release window, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee offer a distinct post-game experience focused on Kanto. If you played these charming remakes, your post-Champion journey diverges slightly.
The Return of Familiar Faces: Red, Blue, and Green
After becoming the Kanto Champion, you'll find the iconic trio of Red, Blue, and Green waiting to challenge you. These are some of the toughest trainer battles in the game, featuring high-level, well-rounded teams. Defeating them is a true test of your strategic prowess and a rewarding experience for long-time fans.
Master Trainers: The Ultimate Pokémon Specialist Challenge
Perhaps the most unique post-game content in Let's Go is the introduction of Master Trainers. These 151 trainers (one for each Kanto Pokémon) specialize in a single species. To challenge a Master Trainer, you must defeat them using only the specific Pokémon they specialize in, and that Pokémon must be incredibly powerful. Winning earns you a "Master Title" for that Pokémon, a badge of honor for true dedication. This system encourages deep understanding of individual Pokémon and offers a massive, long-term goal.
Mewtwo and Mega Stones
Post-game also unlocks the ability to catch the legendary Mewtwo in Cerulean Cave, a notoriously challenging battle. Additionally, you can find all the Mega Stones scattered across Kanto, allowing you to Mega Evolve specific Pokémon during battle, adding a crucial layer of strategy to your team compositions. This comprehensive approach ensures that Kanto's legacy is fully explored, enriching the rich Alola region's broader generational context.
The Unseen Battle: Preparing for Competitive Play in Gen 7
Winning in the main story is one thing; thriving in competitive play against other human trainers is an entirely different beast. Gen 7 introduced mechanics like Z-Moves and maintained Alolan Forms, which dramatically shifted the competitive landscape. Preparing a truly battle-ready team requires precision, patience, and a deep understanding of Pokémon's hidden stats.
Building Your Roster: The Foundation of a Champion
A champion team isn't just about picking your favorite Pokémon. It's about meticulously crafting each member to fulfill a specific role.
Nature, IVs, and EVs: The Holy Trinity
These three elements form the bedrock of a competitively viable Pokémon.
- Natures: Each Nature provides a 10% boost to one stat and a 10% reduction to another (e.g., Adamant boosts Attack, lowers Special Attack). Choosing the right Nature is critical for maximizing your Pokémon's offensive or defensive capabilities. You can influence Nature through breeding with an Everstone.
- Individual Values (IVs): These are hidden values (0-31) for each of a Pokémon's six stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed). A Pokémon with perfect (31) IVs in key stats will be significantly stronger than one with low IVs.
- How to Optimize IVs: While breeding is the traditional method, Gen 7 introduced Hyper Training. By taking a level 100 Pokémon to the Hyper Training NPC (Mr. Hyper) at the Hau'oli City Mall, you can spend Bottle Caps (for one stat) or Gold Bottle Caps (for all stats) to maximize its IVs to "Best." This is an absolute game-changer, removing much of the breeding grind for IV perfection. However, remember that Hyper Training simulates perfect IVs; the underlying IVs don't change, which can be relevant for Hidden Power types (though less so in Gen 7 competitive). Understanding understanding Pokémon IVs is crucial for making informed decisions.
- Effort Values (EVs): These are points earned by defeating specific Pokémon that boost a particular stat. Each Pokémon can gain a maximum of 510 EVs, with a maximum of 252 EVs in any single stat. Every 4 EVs in a stat equates to 1 stat point at level 100.
- How to Optimize EVs:
- Specific Encounters: Defeat specific wild Pokémon (e.g., Wingull for Speed, Machop for Attack). The Poké Pelago (Isle Evelup) offers a passive way to gain EVs.
- Items: Power Items (Power Bracer, Power Belt, etc.) held by your Pokémon will add 8 EVs to a specific stat per battle, on top of what the defeated Pokémon gives.
- Vitamins: Items like Protein, Carbos, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and HP Up give 10 EVs to their respective stats, up to 100 EVs per stat.
- SOS Battles: In SM/USUM, calling for help in battle (SOS battles) can significantly increase EV gains if the Pokémon that calls for help is defeated. This is a very efficient way to EV train.
- For a deep dive into optimal strategies, consult guides on strategic EV training.
Ability & Item Synergy: Crafting Your Strategy
Beyond raw stats, a Pokémon's Ability often defines its competitive role. Some Abilities dramatically alter battle conditions (e.g., Drizzle for rain, Intimidate to lower Attack), while others provide crucial stat boosts or defensive measures. Many Pokémon have Hidden Abilities that are often more potent than their standard ones.
- Ability Capsule: This item (available for BP at the Battle Tree) allows you to switch a Pokémon's regular Ability to its other regular Ability, but not to its Hidden Ability.
- Ability Patch (Introduced in later generations, not Gen 7): This item, sadly not in Gen 7, lets you change a regular Ability to a Hidden Ability. In Gen 7, obtaining a Hidden Ability Pokémon typically requires specific encounters (e.g., SOS battles, event distributions).
Held Items are also indispensable. Items like Choice Scarf (boosts Speed, locks into one move), Assault Vest (boosts Special Defense, limits to attacking moves), Leftovers (passive HP recovery), and various Z-Crystals (to unleash Z-Moves) are foundational to competitive strategy.
Move Sets & Z-Moves: Your Attacking Arsenal
Choosing the right move set is crucial. Aim for diverse type coverage to hit as many opponents super effectively as possible. Include status moves (e.g., Stealth Rock, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt) to disrupt opponents, and consider recovery moves for longevity.
Z-Moves, introduced in Gen 7, are one-time powerful attacks that add a new layer of strategy. Any Pokémon can use a Z-Move if it holds the corresponding Z-Crystal and knows a move of the same type. This allows for immense burst damage, potentially turning the tide of a battle. Understanding when to use your Z-Move – for a crucial knockout, to break a defensive setup, or to bait a switch – is key to mastering Gen 7 competitive play.
Breeding for Perfection: The Nursery Grind
While Hyper Training alleviates some of the IV grind, breeding remains the most reliable way to obtain Pokémon with desired Natures, Abilities (especially Hidden Abilities), and perfect IV spreads from level 1.
- Ditto: A Ditto with 4-6 perfect IVs is invaluable. Breeding it with almost any Pokémon can pass down its perfect stats.
- Destiny Knot: If held by a parent, this item ensures that 5 of the parents' combined 12 IVs (6 from each parent) are passed down to the offspring. Combine this with a 6IV Ditto, and achieving 5-6 perfect IVs on your target Pokémon becomes much more feasible.
- Everstone: If held by a parent, the offspring will inherit that parent's Nature.
The Pokémon Nursery on Akala Island (Route 5) is where you'll spend countless hours cycling through eggs, hoping for that perfect combination. For detailed strategies, refer to guides on mastering Pokémon breeding.
Training Grounds: Honing Your Skills
Once your team is bred and trained, it’s time to test them.
- Battle Tree: As mentioned, the Battle Tree is excellent for testing new teams and strategies in a single-player environment.
- Online Battles (Battle Spot & Festival Plaza): Gen 7 offered the Battle Spot (Ranked and Free Battles) and the Festival Plaza as your primary venues for competitive play against other human players.
- Battle Spot: Here, you could participate in various formats, including Single Battles, Double Battles, and special rulesets for official tournaments. This is where you truly put your skills to the test against the global community.
- Festival Plaza: This social hub allowed you to connect with other players, trade, and battle. You could set up Link Battles with friends or random players, which was a more relaxed way to practice.
Beyond the Basics: Deep Diving into Gen 7's Meta
Gen 7's competitive meta was defined by several key elements that made it distinct and exciting.
- Alolan Forms: Regional variants like Alolan Ninetales (with Snow Warning and Aurora Veil) and Alolan Muk (with Poison Touch and high bulk) carved out unique niches. These forms often brought new typings, abilities, and stat distributions that significantly impacted team building.
- Ultra Beasts: These extradimensional Pokémon boast incredibly high base stats and unique abilities (Beast Boost, which raises the highest stat upon knockout). Pokémon like Kartana, Xurkitree, and Celesteela were formidable threats that demanded specific counters.
- Z-Moves: As discussed, Z-Moves provided explosive damage, turning many defensive Pokémon into potential offensive threats and forcing players to make crucial prediction choices about when and where to unleash their one-time nuke.
- Speed Control: With Z-Moves enabling powerful wall-breaking, speed control became even more vital. Moves like Trick Room, Tailwind, Icy Wind, and Thunder Wave were instrumental in dictating the flow of battle.
Understanding these elements and how they interacted was essential for success in Gen 7's online environment.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Even seasoned trainers can fall into common traps when building or battling competitively.
- Ignoring Speed Control: Many new players focus heavily on offense or defense but forget that controlling turn order is paramount. A fast Pokémon can often clean up a weakened team, or a slow Trick Room setter can turn the tables entirely.
- Lack of Defensive Synergy: A team composed solely of offensive threats is often easily dismantled. Ensure you have Pokémon that can take hits (walls), remove status conditions (clerics), or absorb specific attacks (type resistances).
- Over-reliance on Z-Moves: While powerful, Z-Moves are a one-time use. Don't build a strategy that only works if your Z-Move lands perfectly. Have backup plans for when it's ineffective or gets baited.
- Neglecting Entry Hazards or Hazard Removal: Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes can rack up significant passive damage over a battle. Having a Pokémon that can set these up, or one that can remove them (like Defog or Rapid Spin), is often crucial for long-term success.
- Tunnel Vision on Top-Tier Pokémon: While strong, "meta" Pokémon aren't guaranteed wins. Sometimes, an unexpected pick that counters popular threats or fits your unique playstyle can be more effective. Experimentation is key.
Making the Most of Your Alolan Adventure
Even if competitive play isn't your primary goal, Gen 7 offers plenty to keep you engaged.
- Festival Plaza: This social hub in SM/USUM is more than just a battleground. You can interact with other players, invite them to your facilities, and earn Festival Coins to upgrade shops, bouncy houses, and haunted houses that offer various stat boosts, item sales, and even rare berry farming. It's a charming way to immerse yourself in the online community.
- SOS Chaining for Shinies: In SM/USUM, the SOS Battle mechanic made shiny hunting more accessible. By repeatedly knocking out allies called by a wild Pokémon, the chances of a shiny appearing gradually increase. This became a popular and rewarding post-game activity.
- Poké Pelago: This series of islands allows your Pokémon stored in PC boxes to passively gather items, train EVs, and even find wild Pokémon, including rare ones. It's an excellent passive income stream and training method.
- Completing the Pokédex (Shiny Charm): The Shiny Charm remains the ultimate incentive for a complete Pokédex, significantly boosting your chances of finding those elusive alternate-colored Pokémon across all future endeavors.
- Trainer Rematches: Beyond the Elite Four, you can often find and rematch various key trainers throughout Alola, who will have stronger teams. This is a good way to test your skills and earn extra cash.
For a broader perspective on the region and its offerings, you might want to revisit Your guide to Pokémon Generation 7.
Your Next Steps in Alola
Congratulations, Champion! Whether you’re diving headfirst into the meticulous world of competitive Pokémon, meticulously hunting every legendary creature, or simply enjoying the relaxed pace of Alola’s many side activities, Gen 7 offers a rich and rewarding post-game experience. The blend of enhanced narrative, strategic depth, and engaging collection mechanics ensures that your journey doesn't end when the credits roll.
So, pick up your Z-Ring, prepare your battle-ready team, and continue exploring everything the vibrant Alola region has to offer. The adventure, and the challenges, are truly just beginning.