Hack of: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon
Released: 25th July 2018
Updated: 23rd August 2018
Current Version: 1.05
Summary
Named after Necrozma’s signature moves, Photonic Sun and Prismatic Moon are enhanced versions of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. They include all the usual features you’d expect in this sort of hack; stronger trainers, the ability to catch and train any Pokémon you want, and Ultra Changes easier access to powerful items. Training most Pokémon in the hacks is also much easier; they’ll learn egg moves by simply levelling up, won’t need to be traded to evolve, and will hatch from eggs extremely quickly. Trainers and wild Pokémon are designed around leaving the EXP Share ON from the moment you get it, so switching it off too often isn't recommended.
Photonic Sun and Prismatic Moon are each available in two distinct versions – Rebalanced and Standard. Both versions are fully documented; you can clickhere to browse all the important changes, or keep reading for a quick overview:
Rebalanced
This version of Photonic Sun or Prismatic Moon includes many changes to Pokémon stats, types, abilities and movesets, making many weaker Pokémon more powerful. Some of these changes are inspired by other ROM hacks, such as Drayano'sBlaze Black and Volt White and luuma’s Altered Emerald, but most changes are taken directly from my earlier hacks,Eternal X and Wilting Y. New additions include:
- Faster Alola – Tsareena, Vikavolt, Decidueye and more now have much higher speed stats.
- Kommo-o has regained Shell Smash, but this time it’s available to the player!
- Golisopod can now choose not to make an Emergency Exit, and learns Razor Shell after it evolves instead of before it evolves.
- Ariados’ signature move, Toxic Thread, now harshly lowers a foe’s Speed, Defense and Special Defense, as well as poisoning them!
- Water Pulse has been buffed to 80 base power, giving Ice-Types valuable type coverage and boosting the power of Pokémon with Mega Launcher.
The Rebalanced version also includes three new TMs and two new move tutors, which have a significant impact on the game:
- TM60 can now teach Aura Sphere to any Pokémon that can learn Focus Blast.
- TM79 can now teach any Ice-type Freeze Dry, which has 95 base power.
- TM100 brings back the classic Curse TM from Gold and Silver, and just like the original, it’s compatible with any Pokémon that can learn TMs!
- Sucker Punch and Natural Gift can now be tutored to many newer Pokémon.
Standard
If the changes in the Rebalanced version don’t appeal to you, but you still want to try the hack, this version of Photonic Sun or Prismatic Moon is for you. It omits the Pokémon and move changes from the Rebalanced Version but retains all the hack’s other features, including access to egg moves by leveling up, and the Golisopod/Razor Shell fix mentioned above.
Note that Pokémon captured in this version will NOT be legal for online play, but their offspring will be, provided they don’t learn any egg moves they didn’t have when they hatched. I wouldn’t suggest going online with the hack installed, and while transferring Pokémon bred in the hack to Pokémon Bank should be fine, you do so at your own risk.
Ultra Difficulty Changes
Photonic Sun and Prismatic Moon completely overhaul the game’s difficulty, giving new tools to both the player and their opponents:
- Unlike the base games, average trainers will commonly have more than one Pokémon!
- Rising Stars, Ace Trainers and Veterans will be a cut above the rest and should be expected to put up a bit of a fight.
- Important characters will eventually (not immediately!) be packing full teams of six, complete with held items, beneficial natures, and custom EV spreads.
- Totem Pokémon have new auras, new allies and new or improved strategies!
- Easy, early access to Ability Capsules allows players to switch their Pokémon’s abilities at will.
- Modified in-game trades provide useful items and stronger Pokémon, right when you need them.
- Pokémon can be EV trained with zero grinding! EV reduction berries are available cheaply at the Thrifty Megamart; using them to remove unwanted EVs occasionally will eventually get you the stats you want.
- All TMs are available before defeating the Elite Four! The post-game TMs are very expensive, but they can be purchased in Tapu Village if you want access to them earlier.
Catch’em All
Even though there are now over 800 Pokémon, they have all been carefully placed throughout Alola to ensure that each of them is found somewhere that makes sense. And, much like the base games, Photonic Sun and Prismatic Moon offer players a few unusual team building options, including very early Ice-Types and access to low level Mythical Pokémon via USUM’s Island Scan feature - they’re a little broken, but very fun to use! Additionally, all Legendary Pokémon that were previously version exclusive can now be found in the Ultra Wormhole in both versions of the game (except the Cosmog line; Cosmoem will evolve into the opposite version's cover Legendary instead).
Ultra Screenshots
Spoiler
Stronger Trainers!
Ultra Recon Squad, now with more Ultra Beasts!
Pokémon Changes
Move Changes
All Pokémon Available!
New Items in Poké Marts!
------------------ Spoilers! -----------------
This set of screenshots shows off some of the new Totem battles - don't look if you want them to be a surprise!
Spoiler
Download and Installation
Your preferred version of the hack can be downloaded from Google Drive by clicking here (link removed, as it includes files from the rom), then right-clicking the folder you want and selecting download. The files are set up for immediate, easy installation using luma 3DS’ game patching feature, and an installation guide is included in the download if you need it. Note that the hacks require the title update for Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon to be installed in order to work properly.
If you don’t have custom firmware on your 3DS, you can followthis guide to set it up. Alternatively, the games can be played on PC via Citra (a 3DS emulator), though I won’t be able to help you set them up for this.
A few things worth mentioning:
- I can't do anything about the endless cutscenes just yet; any attempt to change them causes the game to crash.
- For the same reason, I can't give players an earlier Mega Ring. If you want to use a save editor to give yourself one anyway (I fully encourage this, but it's not mandatory), the best time to do so would be immediately after defeating Guzma in Malie Garden.
Credits
I'd like to thank the following people for contributing the hacks in some way:
Kaphotics, SciresM and contributors to pk3DS: For creating pk3DS, which was used to edit almost everything in the games. Still the most important tool in making a 3DS Pokémon hack!
Maël Hörz: For HxD, which was used to do the few things pk3DS couldn’t (though it can do most of them now anyway).
Mucrush: For the Sun and Moon font used in the title image and some documents.
Everyone who gave me feedback on Eternal X and Wilting Y: I learned a lot from all of you, and I hope that will be reflected in these hacks.
Changelog
Spoiler
Version 1.05: 2018-08-23
Rebalanced Versions:
- Girafarig now has two new abilities: Strong Jaw and Contrary replace Inner Focus and Early Bird.
- Girafarig now learns Hyper Fang, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang and Psycho Boost.
- Updated files are romfs/a/0/1/3 and romfs/a/0/1/7.
Version 1.04: 2018-08-07
Rebalanced Versions:
- Seismitoad can now learn Liquidation. The level up moves file is romfs/a/0/1/3.
Version 1.03: 2018-08-03
Rebalanced Versions:
- Re-uploaded game text files, so the intro and move description changes will nowactuallybe present. The game text file is romfs/a/0/3/2.
Version 1.02: 2018-08-02
Photonic Sun:
- Uploaded correct game text files, so the intro and move description changes will now be present. The game text file can be found in romfs/a/0/3.
Version 1.01: 2018-07-26
All versions:
- Added Cherubi, Meditite and Medicham to the wild.
- Fixed the Standard versions Shop.cro file, which erroneously had the modified move tutors from the Rebalanced Versions.
Finally, any and all feedback is welcome (especially bug reports!), as are any questions related to the hack. Thanks for reading!