Sun and Moon Festival Plaza and connectivity
Use Plaza facilities and local wireless play while distinguishing historical internet features from current availability.
Original Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon for Nintendo 3DS (2016). Sun and Moon differences are labelled. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have a different story, expanded Pokédex and altered trials.
Develop a useful Plaza
Sophocles introduces Festival Plaza through the menu. Speak with visitors and complete available tasks to earn Festival Coins, then choose facilities that fit your goals. Shops, lotteries, food stalls, dye houses and training facilities have different services and ranks. Higher Plaza progress expands the options. Inspect the actual service and cost before replacing a facility you use frequently.
Choose facilities for one purpose
Training houses can add EVs, meals can support levelling or friendship, and lottery facilities offer item prizes. Some facility ranks are native to only Sun or only Moon, while visiting players historically allowed wider choices. Treat the service description as the useful information: a high-star facility is not necessarily the right facility for the Pokémon you are developing.
Internet services have ended
Nintendo ended ordinary Nintendo 3DS online play on 8 April 2024. Sun/Moon’s GTS, internet trades and battles are historical features, so a modern collection plan should use available local wireless partners. Offline gameplay and modes that do not use online communication remain available. Nintendo lists Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter as exceptions that may also end in the future; check its linked service notice before planning a transfer.
Local wireless and compatibility
Nearby compatible systems can use local trading and battles. Check any trade evolution’s held item before confirming. Sun/Moon can trade with Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon under compatibility limits, but cannot receive the Ultra games’ new species or forms. Later-generation transfers move eligible Pokémon onward through their supported services; they do not provide a route back from a modern Switch game.
These guides cover original Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon (2016). Check the version and in-game time before planning an encounter.