Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon - SOS Battles: Guide

Pokemon SOS Battles

SOS Battles returns to Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon. This situation happens whenever a player has a wild Pokemon encounter or is undergoing a Totem Pokemon battle.

During the battle, when the enemy Pokemon is low on health, there is a chance that it will call for help. A typical wild Pokemon SOS Battle occurs as follows:

• The Pokemon that comes to the aid of the weakened Pokemon is of the same evolutionary line.
• The Pokemon who responds to the SOS call depends on the Location and the current Weather of the battlefield.
• Players cannot use Pokeballs to catch Pokemon when there are two enemy Pokemon in the battlefield.
• Weakened enemy Pokemon can call for help as long as they are not afflicted with Status effects such as Poison, Paralysis, Burn, etc.
• A weakened Pokemon can call for help indefinitely as long as it doesn’t faint.
• There is a chance that there are no Wild Pokemon who will come to aid the weakened Pokemon.
• The Effort Value (EV) your Pokemon gets after a wild Pokemon battle doubles even if the SOS call fails.
• The longer an SOS Battle wages on, the chance of encountering a Pokemon with high Individual Values (IV), a Rare Pokemon and even a Shiny Pokemon increases.
• Pokemon with the following abilities, “Synchronize”, “Cute Charm” and “Compound Eyes” will only work if the Pokemon is in the first slot before the SOS Battle happens.

Using these methods, it is possible to obtain a Pokemon with high EVs or even a Ditto with high IVs.

Initiating an SOS Battle

Starting an SOS Battle usually entails:

1. Lowering a wild Pokemon’s HP
2. Using Adrenaline Orb on the wild Pokemon

How Raise the Probability of a Pokemon SOS Battle

1. Send out a Pokemon with the Intimidate, Unnerve or Pressure
2. When the same enemy Pokemon tried to call for help the previous turn
3. When the enemy Pokemon is hit with a move that is Super Effective against it

A sample SOS Battle goes like this:

• During a wild Pokemon battle, make sure your lead Pokemon has False Swipe to bring down the enemy Pokemon’s health to 1 HP.
• Once it has low health, use Adrenaline Orb on the enemy Pokemon.
• Wait until the weakened Pokemon calls for back-up.
• Once it successfully calls for help, you can either defeat the new Pokemon, or check its Ability by switching your Pokemon with another one that has the Trace ability.
• In the event that the weakened Pokemon is unsuccessful in calling for help, you can use another Adrenaline Orb to give it another chance to call for an ally on its next turn (this does not consume any more Adrenaline Orbs).

Repeat the process until you get the desired Pokemon from the SOS Battle.

IV Hunting in SOS Battles

During an SOS Battle, the IVs of the Pokemon that arrives increases its value, depending on the successful SOS calls.

However, if you’re planning on having a long SOS Battle, the enemy Pokemon might run out of PP. When this happens, it will use the move Struggle, which deals self-damage to its user. You can counteract this by giving a Leppa Berry to the enemy Pokemon and restore some of its PP.

Rare Pokemon in SOS Battles

Whenever you extend an SOS Battle, there is a chance that the Pokemon helps its brethren will have some Hidden Abilities.

To determine whether the Pokemon has a Hidden Ability, switch your lead Pokemon with another one that has the Trace ability or the Skill Swap move. This way, you’ll see the enemy Pokemon’s Abilities and check whether the new Pokemon has the Ability you’re looking for.

Shiny Pokemon in SOS Battles

Aside from Pokemon with Hidden Abilities, during SOS Battles, there is a chance of encountering a Shiny Pokemon. This probability increases when your SOS Battle chain reaches 70 or more.

• How to Catch Shiny Pokemon

Special Call Patterns

Some SOS Battles also let you encounter rare Pokemon. This happens in certain locations or depending on what wild Pokemon you’re battling.

Evolutionary Pokemon SOS

In some cases, wild Pokemon from their evolutionary line will help their weakened friend. For example, an Alolan Rattata’s SOS call might bring out an Alolan Raticate during your battle.

Weather-Specific Pokemon SOS

Similarly, there are some Pokemon who are obtainable during SOS Battles on particular weather and specific places. Changing the weather while under an SOS Battle can also cause some Pokemon to appear.

The following Pokemon appear during SOS Battles under the aforementioned circumstances and areas:

Natural Pokemon Enemies SOS

In some instances, when a weakened Pokemon calls for help, its natural enemy will appear. But instead of assisting, it will try to make the weakened Pokemon faint. If you are looking for a Pokemon with specific characteristics, make sure that the rival Pokemon does not defeat the one you want to catch.

Here are some of the Pokemon that will appear to fight its rival:

Rare Pokemon Location List

Related Articles

• Effort Values (EV) Guide
• Recommended Methods to Earn EVs
• How to Catch Shiny Pokemon
• How to Catch Rare Pokemon

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