Pokémon Sun and Moon take place in the island region of Alola.
Alola is a tropical archipelago loosely based on Hawaii. The region consists of several islands, each with its own landscapes, settlements, traditions, and guardian Pokémon. Instead of following the traditional Gym progression, the games center on an Island Challenge involving trials and battles against powerful Totem Pokémon.
The setting was designed to emphasize travel, community, and the relationship between people and Pokémon. This influenced the games’ characters, music, architecture, and story. Professor Kukui serves as an important local scientist, while Team Skull and the Aether Foundation are major groups in the plot.
Sun and Moon also introduced Alolan Forms, regional variants of Pokémon first seen in earlier generations. These forms can have different appearances, types, and abilities from their counterparts elsewhere. For example, Alolan Vulpix is Ice-type rather than the original Fire-type.
Alola is sometimes confused with Kalos because both regions were introduced on the Nintendo 3DS. Kalos is the setting of Pokémon X and Y, while Alola belongs to the seventh-generation games Sun and Moon.