If you’ve already made it through most of your Pokémon Ultra Sun or Pokémon Ultra Moon adventure, you may discover you have quite a bit of cash on hand. Perhaps you were good about healing your Pokémon at the Pokémon Center instead of blowing through Max Potions, or you always stocked up on items after using a Roto Bargain Rotom Power. It’d especially be true if you’ve completed the Team Rainbow Rocket episode after becoming Champion, where one reward is a massive haul of Big Nuggets.
If this sounds like you, congrats! Now the question is, where are you gonna spend all that dough? Fortunately, we have a few ideas on where to go on a shopping spree. And, if your wallet is starting to get a little thin after all that buying, we’ll finish off with some suggestions on how to make some quick money.
Be Fashion Forward
They say clothes make the Trainer...or something like that. Even though new clothing doesn’t have any gameplay effect, they’ll definitely encourage pride in your look and envy in your friends. Fortunately, there are plenty of apparel shops around the Alola region where you can personalize your character however you’d like. From cool shirts and hats to hip glasses and backpacks, you can come up with a look all your own.
Buying clothes won’t always be cheap! Sure, you can find some decent deals out there, especially in the apparel shops in Hau’oli City, Heahea City, and Konikoni City. They have simple items for both male and female Trainers to get you started on your new clothes-shopping binge.
But when it’s time to step up your fashion game, head straight to Hau’oli City’s shopping mall, where only serious Trainers shop. There you can drape your male Trainer in a Kommo-o outfit or your female Trainer in a Luran outfit for just over a lofty 2,000,000 in cash. If you’re looking to spend on clothes but all those zeroes are a little too scary, head to the Malie City Flea Market to pick up some sweet shoes and hats you won’t find anywhere else.
There are far too many different clothing items and accessories for sale around the Alola region to list them all, but you can try on outfits in store before you buy. So grab the gear that looks good to you!
Poké Ball Pairings
Take your Trainer ego to the next level by catching wild Pokémon in the right kind of Poké Ball. We’re not talking about using a Dusk Ball in a cave or a Net Ball on a Bug-type Pokémon. Instead, you could use a specialty Poké Ball that most matches the target Pokémon’s appearance. For example, use a Nest Ball, with its green-and-yellow decoration, to snag a similarly colored Alolan Grimer, or throw a cute, pink Love Ball at a cute, pink Morelull to catch it. You can also just use the Poké Ball you think looks coolest, or has a neat visual effect when it opens.
Once you've perfectly paired a Pokémon and Poké Ball, you’ll be rewarded by seeing that Poké Ball every time that Pokémon enters battle. Will it make a difference in how your Pokémon performs? No. Is it cost effective to use Poké Balls that give you lower odds of catching a Pokémon? No. Will other Trainers be jealous of how much time and effort you've spent preparing for battle when you face off? Absolutely.
You can purchase specialty Poké Balls at the following shops:
Route 2 Poké Mart
(Melemele Island)
Heal Ball
Luxury Ball
Nest Ball
Paniola Town Poké Mart (Akala Island)
Net Ball
Repeat Ball
Timer Ball
Route 8 Poké Mart (Akala Island)
Dive Ball
Dusk Ball
Quick Ball
If you want to get really wild, stock up on Beast Balls at the Aether Foundation after you’ve completed the Ultra Megalopolis event. They are awesome for catching Ultra Beasts and absolutely terrible for catching any other wild Pokémon, but watching an Alolan Rattata pop out of a Beast Ball is one of the true pleasures of being a Trainer.
Max Out Your Moves
TMs are an integral part of developing battle-ready Pokémon, but they’re not cheap. In fact, they’re easily the most expensive items in the game. But if you can afford it, your Pokémon are worth it. Time to start spending!
You can purchase many TMs at the Poké Mart counter in some Pokémon Centers. The outdoor TM shop in Konikoni City also sells them. Each store sells TMs grouped by the type of moves they provide—for example, you’ll find protective TMs such as TM16 Light Screen and TM70 Aurora Veil in the Pokémon Center in Heahea City.
Here’s a complete list of TMs for sale and where you can buy them:
Heahea City Poké Mart (Akala Island)
TM16 Light Screen
TM17 Protect
TM20 Safeguard
TM33 Reflect
TM70 Aurora Veil
Royal Avenue Poké Mart (Akala Island)
TM07 Hail
TM11 Sunny Day
TM18 Rain Dance
TM37 Sandstorm
Konikoni City TM Shop (Akala Island)
TM09 Venoshock
TM40 Aerial Ace
TM47 Low Sweep
TM51 Steel Wing
TM78 Bulldoze
Malie City Poké Mart (Ula’ula Island)
TM42 Facade
TM65 Shadow Claw
TM69 Rock Polish
TM77 Psych Up
TM89 U-turn
Seafolk Village Poké Mart (Poni Island)
TM04 Calm Mind
TM14 Blizzard
TM15 Hyper Beam
TM22 Solar Beam
TM25 Thunder
TM34 Sludge Wave
TM38 Fire Blast
TM52 Focus Blast
TM68 Giga Impact
TM71 Stone Edge
Go Antiquing
In the past, some Legendary and Mythical Pokémon became even more powerful when holding special items that were rare and difficult to find. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, those items are a lot easier to discover—they’re just expensive. Stop at the Antiquities of the Ages store in Hau’oli City’s shopping mall with a thick wallet to pick up some great items: the Red and Blue Orbs that can cause Groudon and Kyogre to undergo Primal Reversion; the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous Orbs that boost certain types of moves for Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina; and the Plates that allow the Mythical Pokémon Arceus to take advantage of its Multitype Ability and change its type.
Now you just have to get the Pokémon to use these great items with. You’ll find Groudon and Dialga in the Ultra Space Wilds when playing Pokémon Ultra Sun, and Kyogre and Palkia in Ultra Space Wilds when adventuring in Pokémon Ultra Moon. To encounter Giratina in the Ultra Space Wilds, you’ll need both Palkia and Dialga in your party. As for Arceus, pay attention to Pokemon.com for any updates on how and when you can receive that Pokémon.
Make Money to Spend Money
Do you find yourself a little short on cash after all that shopping? Here are some tips on how to refill your bank account.
Be sure to sell off valuable items that don’t have any purpose other than to make you richer. They’re not doing any good sitting in your Bag. These include the Pearls you sometimes snag when you’re fishing and the Star Pieces left after crushing rocks with Tauros Smash. You can often find a bunch of high-priced items when your Pokémon return from an excursion on Isle Aphun in Poké Pelago, especially on the Path for Rare-Treasure Hunting.
Another tip: When you’re about to battle some Trainers, be sure to use the Roto Prize Money Rotom Power, which will boost the reward you get for a winning battle. And have the first Pokémon in your party hold an Amulet Coin, ensuring that you’ll get even more prize money. You can even use the Happy Hour move (known by, among other Pokémon, the recently distributed Rockruff that evolves into Dusk Form Lycanroc) to increase your payout still further. These methods stack, so when they’re all in effect, you can expect to see some huge amounts of cash rolling in at the end of each battle. Looking for a place to meet up with Trainers who will shell out good prize money? Challenge the Kantonian Gym on Ula’ula Island daily, where the foes will fork over some good rewards for not a lot of effort.
Spending money is a lot of fun, and a great way to explore Alola and take on its challenges in a unique way. Be sure to visit Pokemon.com/Strategy for more gameplay tips and tactics.
