Has it been confirmed that US/UM is a sequel?

[YakisobaDayo]

I've always assumed they were sequels to Sun and Moon, but then I saw the trailer where the player character for US/UM is in Aether Paradise, with Hau, and Lusamine, when Nihiliego first appears... Almost exactly like it happened in Sun/Moon. Which then leads my mind to other things. Hau and Lillie are both in the game, and don't seem to have aged (while being of the age where even just a few years will be noticeable because they're not adults yet); plus Lusamine and Lillie went to Kanto after S/M's storyline. It's definitely possible they could have come back, I know...
It's just that, Nihiliego reappearing in almost the exact same scene, and with Hau and Lillie seemingly the same as in S/M, are noteworthy when considering the games' storyline revolve around wormholes. To alternate dimensions. Plus the recent news that the storyline for US/UM revolves around people FROM another dimension! So this all makes me think it's possible that US/UM (which also don't have #2 or any other sequel-y numerical identifier) are actually set in a parallel dimension/timeline.
So, Has it been explicitly stated that US/UM are actual sequels to S/M that take place later? The announcements I've seen state that the games will feature an alternate storyline to S/M. A sequel would be an alternate storyline, from the point of view of consumers worried the games would be the same storyline, but "alternate storyline" is a broad statement that could include sequels, prequels... or a literal alternate storyline.
Because I'd like to know for sure.

 

[Esserise]

They have not been described as sequels at any point. Just an “alternate story” and an “upgraded” version of SM.

They’re not sequels, as is evident from that and all the things you already mentioned.

 

[Silktree]

Honestly, the only (somewhat) notable story change I expect to see before the transition to Poni Island is the Recon members showing up a few times to foreshadow what's to come. And Hau will have a somewhat different personality and Lillie might get a Vulpix, I guess.

 

[Alola]

It's an alternate retelling! So while the characters may be alternate versions of their Sun & Moon selves, the games are not sequels to Sun & Moon.

 

[Harryghost]

No, it's not. The game has always been advertised as an 'alternate version', and honestly, I like to keep it at that.

 

[YakisobaDayo]

Alright, thanks; I was thinking that, but it seemed really out there, so I wanted some confirmation.
A retelling WOULD be really cool, especially if that's why they chose "ULTRA Sun/Moon" as the titles because, well... it's the Ultra version.

What if US/UM takes place in a parallel universe, and we end up taking a wormhole to the universe of S/M?! That would be crazy!

 

[YakisobaDayo]

Woah, so does this mean that Sun/Moon (player character) from Sun/Moon doesn't exist in this storyline? Or they do, but a point of departure is that they stayed in Kanto? OR WHAT IF WE MEET THEM?!
Crazy.

 

[Harryghost]

Well, they do exist somewhere, in some other dimension, but not in the dimension of USUM Alola.

 

[Esserise]

Woah, so does this mean that Sun/Moon (player character) from Sun/Moon doesn't exist in this storyline? Or they do, but a point of departure is that they stayed in Kanto? OR WHAT IF WE MEET THEM?!
Crazy.

I’m fairly certain that we still are them, just a different universe’s version of them.

 

[Harryghost]

I’m fairly certain that we still are them, just a different universe’s version of them.

Ummm... I wouldn't be so certain. The player characters of USUM are being advertised as Ray and Ailey. If they were just the same Sun and Moon (respectively), GF could have easily gone with the latter, more familiar names to carry out their promotions.

Then again, it is quite possible that Ray and Ailey are indeed Sun and Moon; they just have different names in a different timeline. Actually, now that I think about it, this theory seems quite plausible.

 

[Esserise]

Ummm... I wouldn't be so certain. The player characters of USUM are being advertised as Ray and Ailey. If they were just the same Sun and Moon (respectively), GF could have easily gone with the latter, more familiar names to carry out their promotions.

Then again, it is quite possible that Ray and Ailey are indeed Sun and Moon; they just have different names in a different timeline. Actually, now that I think about it, this theory seems quite plausible.

Publicity names never matter, and frankly, people can’t even agree on what to call the protagonists from the first games anyway (promotional material for SM offered both “Sun/Moon” and “Elio/Selene”).

The official site says this:

> The look of the main characters’ outfits has changed from the first trip through the Alola region—just in time for them to begin a new adventure!

Why would it specify their outfits as what has changed if they were entirely new people?

 

[FroyoDragon]

Depends on your definition of sequel, I guess.

Are they chronologically after the ending of SuMo? No.

Are they succesor games with a new story unrelated chronologically to SuMo's? That's what it looks like.

Essentially, same characters, same setup, different events. An alternative take. That's what it feels like to me.

 

[Esserise]

If there was any shred of uncertainty left, the new interview from Famitsu has buried it under concrete:

> The story isn’t a “sequel.” It’s a “story that has a little divergence” from Sun and Moon.

 

[Pyrax]

A retelling WOULD be really cool, especially if that's why they chose "ULTRA Sun/Moon" as the titles because, well... it's the Ultra version.

It's gen VII's equivalent to Crystal/Emerald/Platinum. It's been eight years since the last proper third version, so I don't blame you for being confused.

 

[YakisobaDayo]

Depends on your definition of sequel, I guess.

Are they chronologically after the ending of SuMo? No.

Are they succesor games with a new story unrelated chronologically to SuMo's? That's what it looks like.

Essentially, same characters, same setup, different events. An alternative take. That's what it feels like to me.

Sequel definitely means "same storyline, occurring chronologically after the thing it's a sequel of". The Dark Knight was a sequel to Batman Begins; Batman Begins is a retelling of the same Batman-origin story as in... a million other things.

 

[Kallyle]

Nope. It's actually an "alternate telling" that, depending on who you ask, are going to be like standard third versions (aka "just SM with Necrozma"). However, a recent interview with Game Freak and various promotional material seems to indicate that it's going to be more of "For Want of a Nail" story in regards to Sun and Moon instead. I won't spoil it for you though.

 

[YakisobaDayo]

Nope. It's actually an "alternate telling" that, depending on who you ask, are going to be like standard third versions (aka "just SM with Necrozma"). However, a recent interview with Game Freak and various promotional material seems to indicate that it's going to be more of "For Want of a Nail" story in regards to Sun and Moon instead. I won't spoil it for you though.

That sounds interesting; "for want of a nail" makes it sound like there's one little thing missing, which ripples outward to cause tremendous changes ["for want of a nail... the kingdom was lost"]. A Butterfree Effect, if you will.