The Pokemon franchise has a long history, and despite the release of numerous games, it managed to constantly attract the attention of gamers. One way to do this is to stay true to its core formula, carefully implementing new tricks and features with each new release to keep it up—to-date. Consequently, over the years, players have been treated to mega-evolutions, regional Pokemon variants, and Z-moves, all with varying levels of success. Perhaps the most interesting trick that has ever appeared in the Pokemon series is Ultra Beasts.
Introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon, Ultra Beasts are strange Pokemon from other dimensions. They differ from typical Pokemon in everything, including their design, which makes them alien and otherworldly. Ultra-monsters are strange, but when you explore them deeper, it becomes obvious that they are very thematically related to Pokemon Sun and Moon. Although not all fans have fallen in love with Ultra Beasts, they remain one of the most memorable Pokemon of all time.
Ultra-monsters and their origins
In Pokemon Sun and Moon, players visit the Alola region, where they meet several new characters, including Lilly and Howe. The paths of the players intersect with some new Pokemon, many of which have adapted to the unique environment of Alola. One of the strangest Pokemon that players see is the Cosmog, a creature that looks like a cosmic cloud. Although Cosmog is hard to understand, it is a cute creature, and Lily takes good care of him and calls him Nebbie. Using Nebbi’s powers, Lily’s mother opens Ultra-Wormholes that connect to Ultra-Cosmos, a world inhabited by Ultra-Monsters. As soon as the Ultra-Wormholes open, the Ultra-Monsters are released on Alola and quickly wreak havoc.
To ensure the safety of Alola, players can capture Ultra-Monsters, although when working with them, everything works a little differently. For example, when ordinary Pokemon meet, they are recorded in Pokedex, which cannot be said about Ultra Beasts, which emphasizes their alienness. In particular, most pokeballs are completely ineffective against Ultra-Monsters, with the exception of Beast Balls, which are the recommended type of pokeballs to use against Ultra-Monsters. Ultra Beasts reappear in Pokemon Sword and Shield, where players can catch them in Dynamax Adventures, and it remains to be seen if Ultra Beasts will appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Inspiration of Ultra Beasts
Like ordinary Pokemon, Ultra-monsters draw inspiration from the real world. It seems that the Ultra Beasts of Pokemon resemble the invasive species that have invaded many biomes around the world. This is a particularly noteworthy topic for exploring the Alola region, inspired by the Hawaiian Islands, which had to deal with invasive species threatening their fragile ecosystem. Like the invasive species of the real world, Ultra-monsters look out of place, and they represent a destructive force. The problem is not that Ultra-Monsters should not exist at all, but that they were forcibly transplanted into an environment to which they do not belong. Thus, through Ultra Beasts Pokemon Sun and Moon deliver an environmental warning, warning players that although nature is beautiful, its balance is very easy to upset.
For most Ultra-Fads, it is not difficult to understand what they are based on. Buzzwole looks like a mosquito, and some fans suggest that it was specifically inspired by the Aedes albopictus species, which has spread around the world and continues to be a pest due to its close relationship with humans. Pheromose is similar to a cockroach, which is another insect that has become a globally invasive species, while Nikhilego looks like a jellyfish and is most likely based on Phyllorhiza punctata species that live in the western Pacific Ocean, but have spread to other waters, including those surrounding Hawaii. Celesteela looks like a plant, not an animal, as her hands resemble bamboo.
Guzzlord is a big ultra monster that eats everything and has claws. It shares many features with the European green crab, a notoriously invasive marine species that causes problems when it preys on all small marine life in its presence and displaces native species. The poipole looks like a bee larva, and its developed form, the Naganadel, looks like a wasp. Blacephalon is a bizarre Ultra-Monster similar to a dandelion, which is a type of plant that spreads easily when its seeds are fluttering in the wind.
It is a little more difficult to recognize other Ultra-monsters found in the Alola region. Xurkitree looks like a bundle of electrical cables, which at first glance may seem pointless.
