Heartwarming / Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Morimoto: When we were having trouble fitting all the data in for Gold and Silver, and we were really in a pinch, this amazing guy came along and made a program for us that solved all our problems. He went on to become the amazing president of a real big company soon after that, too.

No spoiler tags allowed on these subpages! Therefore, read with caution!

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Story

• In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you get your starters right at the first ten minutes of starting the game with all three starters running to your rescue when you're about to enter the tall grass and you're about to be attacked by a Yungoos. It's awesome, cute, and sweet that these starters run to your rescue even when they had just met you for the first time.
• Lusamine's pulls a Go On Without Me to save her children from Necrozma.
• Guzma makes good on his reformation and helps you take down Team Rainbow Rocket.
  • He also does it because he still considers Lusamine ("the Prez" as he calls her) as a friend.
• In the Tide Song Hotel, when you go up to the upper levels you'll see a lone man in the far right room. He says he's waiting for his friends but they haven't shown up yet. When you bring them all together, they will be happily chatting with each other and catching up and reminiscing. The older man says proudly that they may be getting old, but they can still enjoy and live life. Compared to the bittersweet Eevee Quest from the original games, it certainly will bring a smile to your face.
• It's bittersweet, but unlike the original games, Lusamine is able to reunite with Mohn. But seeing that he's happy working (and amnesiac) at the Poké Pelago, Lusamine decided to let him do what he loves to do rather than force him to come back. That said the scene has the hopeful note that Mohn intends to see Lusamine again.
• Lusamine's postgame monologue where, after feeling down on herself for a moment, she fully re-assesses herself and the way she does everything to show "love" to her children and her Pokémon. If you've played the original games and dealt with the absolutely insane Lusamine there, it's touching to see a reality where she didn't go off the deep end enough to have a full-on Heel Realization and Heel–Face Turn all of her own volition.
• Throughout your journey, you can interact with numerous Pokémon in a manner akin to Pokémon Refresh. Playing peekaboo with Rockruff, Pyukumuku, Pikachu, Corsola, and other small Pokémon will definitely set off the Cuteness Proximity alarms.
  • After retrieving the Mimikium Z in the abandoned Thrifty Megamart (yes the same one of the Ghost Trial) and reloading the area, a Mimikyu will appear in front of the building and you can interact with it. Finally, it can be given some love. Also, in the Mimikium Z's sidequest, it is implied that the Mimikyu who gives you the Crystal is the Totem one.
  • At the Battle Tree, you can play with a Bewear. Most of the other Pokémon you can play with are smaller than you are. Bewear stands at 6'11", towering over you. However, it is no less adorable, as it does a happy stomping dance and has a visible smile whenever you play with it.
• In one side-quest in the Trainer School at night, a Preschooler and her Drifloon ask you to solve the seven mysteries of the school, though once you solve six out of seven, the Preschooler confesses that she doesn't actually know what the seventh mystery is. But she thanks you and gives you a reward anyway, explaining that the reason she wanted you to solve the seven mysteries wasn't because she was scared, but because her classmates were, and the Preschooler wanted them to be happy and not scared because she really loves the school, since they were kind to her when she came from far away and had language difficulties. Then when the security guard finds you, he claims you were alone, and then you learn the truth—the Preschooler herself was the seventh mystery, a ghost who loved her school so much she came back to ask you to solve the seven mysteries.
  • The sixth mystery, the Ghost Classroom, includes a student who is clearly supposed to be the questgiver. Upon hearing about it, she's happy that Hypno remembers her.
• When you reach the Pokémon League, the moment after Kukui goes into the building, if your starter is in your party, its Poké Ball will begin to shake. Your starter will then come out and look at you before nodding, and you and your starter look at the Pokémon League building together. It really shows how far you have come, especially if you had it in your party the entire way through.
• In another sidequest beginning in Heahea City, you're given a mysterious item called the Left Poké Ball, and you need to deliver it to a Preschooler to the left of Malie City's library. When you finally deliver it, it turns out the Left Poke Ball contains a Dartrix that used to belong to the Preschooler's grandfather; the Dartrix had refused to leave its Poke Ball due to its bond with the girl's grandfather. So the little girl decides to become Dartrix's trainer, and the heartwarming moment comes after that—you have the option of either asking her if she wants to use Dartrix on an island challenge, or if she wants to use it to battle. Either way, she responds that she doesn't know, she just really wants to be together with Dartrix, and that's enough for her.
• Cyrus, misanthrope supreme, a man who cast away all emotions because he thought he could make a better world by shunning them, who stubbornly stuck to his guns even when proven wrong by Cynthia, finally starts to show signs of relenting after he's beaten by the trainer. The source of his softening? Your Rotom Dex, which reminds him of the first Pokémon he befriended.
• Remember the Stufful in the Route 13 Motel? The one that was implied to have died/left in the Sun/Moon post-game? Well, it turns out you can find and rescue its trainer, who got lost in the Haina Desert! And if you visit their room afterwards, the Hiker is so happy to have been found, he gives you 10 Fresh Waters. It's good to see yet another Pokémon get a happy ending in the new games.
• This little bit of dialogue in the development room when you transfer from Pokémon Silver, a touching reference to how a certain man saved the franchise. It's even the page quote.
  Morimoto: When we were having trouble fitting all the data in for Gold and Silver, and we were really in a pinch, this amazing guy came along and made a program for us that solved all our problems. He went on to become the amazing president of a real big company soon after that, too.
• In Paniola Town, you can rescue an Alolan Vulpix from being bullied by Team Skull grunts, who were harassing it in order to obtain the Bottle Cap it was carrying. If you come back the next day it gives you the Bottle Cap as a reward for saving it, but the real heartwarming moment comes after that, as you can visit it later on Route 8 while the Aether Foundation is caring for it. It's lost trust in humans, but after you give it a Big Malasada and hang out with it over the course of a couple of days, it has so much fun with you that it regains its trust in humans back. Then just before it leaves for Mount Lanakila, it snuggles with you as a thank-you before it goes. Then later, when you finally reach the Pokémon League on Mount Lanakila, you can see that Alolan Vulpix again and play with it to your heart's content.
• When you grow to have a close friendship with the Rotom Dex, it will give you advice that are often than not, can be annoying. But one advice has Rotom Dex remind the player to visit their mom once in a while even if Pokémon Centers are much more handy at times. It's sweet.
• In the ending, Guzma and Plumeria come down the stairs in the Team Skull house to show off their new clothes, and ultimately announce the disbanding of Team Skull. Although no words are spoken in the ending, the grunts are visibly shocked at the news, run offscreen...and then run back onscreen, having taken off their Team Skull paraphernalia, perform the Team Skull pose, and run up the stairs to where Guzma and Plumeria are standing, still doing the wild Team Skull gesticulations. Guzma, who hasn't turned to face the grunts since he came downstairs bows his head, unable to look at them and possibly even crying, and Plumeria grins and shrugs.
• Odd as it may seem, but the interaction between Guzma and Hau can be considered this. Besides Lusamine, Hau is one of the only people Guzma treats rather fondly, mainly because he is the grandson of his former mentor, Hala. In his first interaction with Hau, he gives him some pretty reasonable points about doing the island challenge. In their second interaction, their conversation is shown to be quite amicable, and to say that Hau's last few words about how the people and Pokémon Guzma makes friends with care for him had touched Guzma, would be an understatement. He rocked him to his core, so much that he decided to reform and do the island challenge, which he actually succeeds in completing. It's safe to say that Hau just became Guzma's Morality Pet.
• Also in the ending, Gladion leaves Alola to become stronger as Wicke and other Aether Foundation workers see him off. Suddenly, Gladion gasps... and we see Lusamine join in the send off. Gladion then smiles and starts to wave back as well. A Tumblr user's description of the scene makes this even more heartwarming.
  This comes as a shock to Gladion, because he thought that his mother detested him. He ran away, with a Pokémon that was supposed to stay secret, joined the gang that sometimes hindered the Aether Foundation's conservation efforts. He blatantly disobeyed and worked against his mother time and time again... and yet... there she was. Waving and smiling.
• While it's unclear if it's even possible to fully heal Necrozma, at least with the player character the tortured creature is in a far better state than before, as being near Solgaleo/Lunala (even in the PC) plus a large variety of Z-Crystals gives it a great deal of comfort.
• In Po Town, after you defeat Team Skull, you find a Grunt near the dried swimming pool who thinks he should leave the team because he can't do the signature Team Skull pose while the other grunts could. Two more grunts happen to be listening in, but they think you're the reason why the Grunt wants to leave Team Skull. It shows that the Team's Grunts really consider and care for each other.
  • For added bonus, the end of this side quest has said Grunt, who is the quest giver, to finally be able to do the Team Skull Pose, and you have the choice to congratulate him, with the two grunts who tried to fight you over the misunderstanding being joyful that he's staying in the team.
• Lusamine's characterization in this version. If you compare her to her original counterpart, it's quite sweet to see that she's not as bad this time around.
  • To start with, she isn't as abusive to her children as she was in the original Sun and Moon games, to the point where Gladion actually tries to reason with her this time, as he doesn't want to lose her like he lost his father. When she disowns Lillie for leaving her and stealing Cosmog, her facial expressions isn't crazed rage but hurt disappointment. However, despite this, she says that she will still save her when she goes to stop Necrozma.
    Lusamine: Those wretches beside you left me. But I will still save them.
    • This dialogue is worth noting, because despite her being mad at her children for leaving her and stealing Cosmog, there's no question that she still cares for them deep down.
  • Secondly, she's also more reasonable this time. Her reason for battling the player character in Aether Paradise? It's so Gladion and Lillie won't have to worry about her disappearing forever.
  • Thirdly she has numerous Pet the Dog moments after she's revealed to be a villain, subsituting her crueler moments in the original Sun and Moon games.
    • She thanks Lillie for keeping Nebby safe until it was caught.
    • She takes a moment to show empathy and admiration towards Cosmog when it tries to resist for Lillie's sake. Before that, she hesitates in wanting to use Cosmog, showing that she knows that using Cosmog's power might kill it and as such, she didn't want to do this but feels that she must in order to save the world from Necrozma.
    • When she acknowledges that Gladion and Lillie have grown up a bit since leaving Aether Paradise, she is rather pleased.
    • After the player defeats her in battle, instead of throwing a tantrum like her previous counterpart, she is impressed and compliments their strength, taking her loss in stride all the while.
    • When Gladion pleads with her to let him fight Necrozma, she is rather touched by his concern for her and calls him a "sweet boy".
  • Finally her Character Development after the Necrozma incident.
    • She realized how her actions had affected her children and those around her, and as such, makes this apology to Lillie.
      Lusamine: Lillie... It seems that you were right. Right to feel hurt by the suffering of pokemon. Right to take Cosmog away... With it's light stolen from it, Cosmog is... No, Solgaleo/Lunala is weak. We will take it back to Paradise to care for it. Lillie, you will help also.
    • When Lusamine orders Lillie to help care for Solgaleo/Lunala, you can feel the joy and happiness in Lillie's face as she sees that her mother is changing her ways for the better.
    • When you meet her again before you challenge the Elite Four, she says that she's in no position to face her children now and that she's lost right to claim herself as the protector of Pokémon, clearing showing remorse in her actions.
    • When you meet her again after you defeat Team Rainbow Rocket, she reassesses herself and the way she does everything to show "love" to her children and her Pokémon, by watching over them without interfering with them from now on, while still caring for them.
    • On the first day of every month, she'll be a challenger for Title Defense,^note Replacing Faba from Sun and Moon which is the only time that you're battling her on friendlier terms. After her defeat, she takes the loss in stride unlike her previous incarnation, and thanks you for being Lillie and Gladion's friend.
• On Route 3, the player can meet a bystander who shows them a rainbow over a waterfall and tells them that he'll be praying for their success on their island challenge.
• On Royal Avenue, near the Pokémon Center, you'll find a Youngster who asks you to tell a story that would inspire courage. Each story and things you do in the main scenario will gradually give the boy courage and by the last story, the boy gains enough bravery to battle you, and even when he loses against you, is satisfied and strives to grow more courageous thanks to your efforts.
• When you visit Lillie's room in Professor Kukui's house post-game, you'll find a photo in the table showing a picture of you, the player character, Hau, and Lillie, that the Rotom Dex had taken at the start of your journey. You'll also find the same photo in Hau and the player character's room. It really shows the close friendship the three characters have over the course of time.
• The first message in a bottle you find helps give a woman whose brother vanished a little bit of a closure, and lets her know that for a while, he was doing fine and enjoying himself.
• Two of the Rainbow Rocket Grunts. The first tells you he won't let you bother his colleague, and once he's defeated, the other one says he'll get revenge for his favorite colleague. And since they're wearing rainbow...
• In the Game Freak office in Heahea City, you can now find an interactive book. It portrays you as someone who wants to get into videogame designing and is looking for inspirations to begin making a game. No matter which paths or choices you pick, the story always ends with you being part of a videogame developing team - the difference between each ending is what you work as: a programmer, an artist, a sound designer, a writer, and other areas of expertise that come from the inspiration you find. It makes you realize how much the Game Freak team loves their job, and leaves An Aesop in that if you dream of working in videogame designing, there are many ways you can work in that.
• In the Malie City Community Center, you can buy a unique hat called the Hero Cap. It’s the same cap Ash Ketchum wears in the Sun & Moon anime. It’s nice to show love to a trainer who has done so much, even if he exists in a world outside of the games.
• Outside of Po Town, there's a Team Skull grunt with an Alolan Meowth that you can interact with. If you talk to the grunt after playing with the Meowth long enough for it to love you, he will say that Nanu doesn't give nicknames to any of his Meowth - but when he's not around, the grunt calls this particular Meowth "Nani", after the kahuna. It's sweet to know that there are some members of Team Skull who respect Nanu that much.
• Unlike in the previous games, where Lillie entrusts you to take care of Nebby, in these games Nebby chooses to come with you so that, if you encounter Necrozma again, Nebby can help soothe its pain. The best way to do that is to let Necrozma take control of Nebby and feed on its light, and Nebby knows this, having been unwillingly subjected to it once already. And yet, it still bears no hard feelings towards Necrozma and wants to help the broken creature even at the cost of its own free will, and trusts you to take good care of them both. The player and Nebby might not be able to fully heal Necrozma, but with a little kindness from both sides, they might be able to help it achieve a much better state of both mind and body.
• In his rush to follow Lusamine through the Ultra Wormhole, Guzma bumps into Lillie with enough force to knock her off balance. When it cuts back to the protagonists after Guzma has gone, Hau is now standing behind Lillie with his hands on her shoulders. He saw what had happened and rushed to her aid before she could fall.
• A heartwarming moment that's easy to miss due to the context of the situation. When Ghetsis threatens to kill Lillie if the player doesn't release their Pokémon, their Pokéballs begin shaking, presumably with rage, according to Ghetsis. While the idea of what they could do may be scary, it's heartwarming to think the player's Pokémon care that much about the player's friends.

Pokémon

• Alakazam's Pokédex entry states that when it truly trusts its trainer, it will let them use one of its spoons.
• Both of Absol's Pokédex entries, in different ways. Ultra Sun outright states that it deserves our gratitude for appearing to help protect people from disaster, and Ultra Moon claims that younger generations are taking an interest in its powers instead of, you know, blaming it for bringing the disasters it's trying to warn against. This means that, in the Pokémon world's near future, it's very possible that Absol may shed its undeserved reputation for good. No wonder it's smiling in the 3D games.
• Hypno's Ultra Moon Pokédex entry states that trained ones can help medics with patients unable to sleep. People in convalescence and suffering from insomnia know how much of a blessing the slightest scrap of rest is.
• Lapras' PokéDex entry in Ultra Moon reveals that the species went out of endangerment because people started cherishing them so much. In fact, people stopped hunting them to the point where there's now an overabundance of them.
• In contrast to the PokéDex entries for the other Mega Evolutions, many of which are quite dark, Mega Pinsir's Ultra Sun dex entry reveals that it's incredibly happy that it's able to fly thanks to Mega Evolution, so much so that it almost never touches the ground.

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