Necrozma in Pokemon: Exploring the lore behind the Gen VII legendary

Necrozma arrived in the Pokemon series by way of the Sun and Moon games before becoming a major antagonist in their sequels Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Known as the Prism Pocket Monster in the Pokedex and the Pillager of Light in Alolan legends, Necrozma is a powerful legendary creature from Ultra Space that once had a luminous body but lost it, forcing it to seek light elsewhere.

Although it hasn't appeared as often as some legendary Pokemon in the core game series, Necrozma has some pretty interesting background lore and a story to match. Given its enduring popularity, it doesn't hurt to examine the story of Necrozma and the lore behind the immense power that it possesses.

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The lore and history of the legendary Pokemon Necrozma

Necrozma's Ultimate Form, when its body possesses the ability to produce immense light and energy (Image via The Pokemon Company)

When it still had a body filled to the brim with blinding light, Alolan legends called Necrozma the "Blinding One," known as such because its unending light would stretch across Ultra Space. The light passed through Ultra Wormholes and entered other worlds and dimensions, ultimately appearing in the Pokemon world in the Alola region, where it would eventually come to be known as Z-Power.

The inhabitants of Ultra Megalopolis, ancestors of the Ultra Recon Squad, attempted to capture Necrozma to replicate the light of its body. This resulted in it becoming injured, flying into a rage, and transforming its body into the black prism form it is typically seen in.

In this form, Necrozma was in constant pain, and it sought to reclaim its lost light by any means necessary.

Necrozma battles the legendary creature Lunala (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Meanwhile, the fragments of Necrozma's body fell to the Alola region. They were discovered by humans as Sparkling Stones, which would become the core material for creating Z-Rings, allowing trainers and Pokemon to use Z-Moves in battle.

Necrozma eventually made its way to Ultra Megalopolis to reclaim its light, shrouding the city in darkness and being imprisoned in Megalo Tower.

At some point before its capture, Necrozma once ventured to Alola to drain the region's light, where it came into conflict with the Guardian Deities (AKA the Tapus) as well as the legendary Pokemon Solgaleo and Lunala.

Necrozma defeated Solgaleo and Lunala, draining their power and fusing with their bodies to create new forms known as Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma.

During this time, Alolans referred to Necrozma as the Pillager of Light. In the region's darkest hour, a young Alolan joined forces with the Guardian Deities and harnessed the Sparkling Stones to use Z-Energy.

With the power of Z-Energy, the youth, and the Tapus managed to defeat Necrozma and send it back to Ultra Space, and the Tapus were bestowed Z-Stones by Solgaleo and Lunala.

Dusk Wings Necrozma, one of Necrozma's four forms (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This battle against Necrozma formed the Alolan tradition of the Island Challenge where, in lieu of the traditional Pokemon League, prospective trainers would trek across Alola and defeat the Kahunas and Totem species on each island to prove their skills. Years later, two Alolan youths named Elio and Selene took up the challenge and came toe-to-toe with Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts.

In Pokemon Sun and Moon, Necrozma successfully escaped from Megalo Tower and opened Ultra Wormholes to Alola, leading to the Ultra Beasts entering the region along with this legendary itself.

After assisting the Aether Foundation and catching every Ultra Beast, Elio and Selene caught Necrozma, and Looker of the International Police said that it must just be a rare creature and not an Ultra Beast.

In Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, the Aether Foundation attempted to open an Ultra Wormhole to prevent Necrozma from entering Alola after it escaped from Megalo Tower. They hoped to use a Cosmog to accomplish this, but a girl named Lillie (who also appears in Sun and Moon in roughly the same capacity) took the Cosmog from the Aether Foundation and fled, naming it Nebby.

Base form Necrozma battles Marshadow in the Trading Card Game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Dodging the Ultra Recon Squad and the Aether Foundation, Elio and Selene took Lillie to Poni Island, where Nebby evolves into Solgaleo/Lunala through the use of a ritual. This caused an Ultra Wormhole to open, and Necrozma invades Alola and fuses with Solgaleo/Lunala to become Dusk Mane/Dawn Wings Necrozma while draining the light from the Alola region.

Elio and Selene defeated Necrozma in battle, but it opened additional Ultra Wormholes and allowed Ultra Beasts to join it in its Alolan invasion. The Ultra Recon Squad arrived and provided their own Solgaleo/Lunala to Elio and Selene, which helped them reach Ultra Megalopolis and Megalo Tower, where Necrozma transformed into its light-filled Ultra Necrozma form.

Elio and Selene battled the legendary Pokemon and defeated it, causing its light to rain back down on Alola and for Nebby to be released from Necrozma's body. Elio and Selene returned home in victory with Nebby in tow. However, they eventually find a depleted Necrozma in a crater at Mount Lanakila, allowing them to catch it.

Necrozma recaptures its Ultimate form (Image via The Pokemon Company)

After finally catching Necrozma, the Pokemon researcher Colress provided Elio and Selene with the N-Solarizer/Lunarizer, allowing it to temporarily fuse with Solgaleo/Lunala once more.

Elio and Selene also found that Necrozma was holding Ultranecronium Z, a stone that allowed it to transform into its Ultra Necrozma form temporarily during battle.

Understanding that Necrozma's pain is due to it being far from the light that once composed its body, Lillie offered Elio/Selene to take Nebby with them so that Nebby and Necrozma could be in close proximity, making the latter feel whole again to a degree and calming its seemingly endless rage.