The games also adopted the previously introduced battle mechanic known as Mega Evolution, which was first introduced in Pokémon X and Y. Sun and Moon introduced 81 new Pokémon species, and includes new features such as Alolan forms of previous generation Pokémon, powerful moves known as Z-Moves, new, powerful creatures known as Ultra Beasts, updated battle and training mechanics, and improved polygonal 3D graphics. This time, the game takes place in the Alola region�based on Hawaii�with the object of the game being to thwart the schemes of Team Skull, and later the Aether Foundation, all while attempting to challenge various Pokémon trainers of gradually increasing difficulty. As with previous installments, each game follows the journey of a young Pokémon trainer as they train Pokémon. First announced in February 2016 through a special Nintendo Direct, both Sun and Moon were released worldwide in November 2016, commemorating the franchise's 20th anniversary.

They are the first installments in the seventh generation of Pokémon games. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS.