The closing seconds of the new trailer alerts players to a “mysterious threat” known as Ultra Beasts. The first Pokémon to be classified as such is a tall, jellyfish-inspired creature that’s being referred to as UB-01.
The official Pokémon Sun and Moon website adds that UB-01’s body is made entirely out of a substance similar to glass. Despite this, it’s able to continually change its form, never settling on one particular shape. It’s also noted that outside of a basic survival instinct, there’s no way to tell whether UB-01 has any will of its own.
As the creature’s numeric naming convention suggests, there is thought to be more than one type of Ultra Beast in existence. However, it’s unclear whether players will be able to catch these monsters as they would any other Pokémon, or whether these special species will be more akin to the series’ sought-after legendaries.
We do know that the Aether Foundation is on the hunt for these Ultra Beasts. The organization is set to be introduced in Sun and Moon, so we don’t know too much about its members’ intentions — that said, they’ve been depicted as philanthropists in pre-release materials, so it seems likely that they will be potent allies, rather than a malignant force.
Fortunately, trainers won’t have to wait too long before they’re able to learn more about both the Aether Foundation and these mysterious Ultra Beasts. Pokémon Sun and Moon are set to launch worldwide on November 18, 2016.