Pokemon Home & Bank Transfer - A beginner's Guide
A beginners guide, how to use Pokemon Home with your Nintendo switch games.
Quick notes to help transfer from previous games:
Transferring from Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / FireRed / LeafGreen you need to see every Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex in Pokémon Diamond / Pearl / Platinum, or reach the Pal Park in Fuschia City in Kanto after completing the Johto Elite Four. You will also need an original Nintendo DS or a DS Lite, as you need a DS that has both a DS game card slot and a GBA game cart slot.
Transferring from Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, or SoulSilver, you need to reach the Poké Transfer Lab on Route 15 by beating the Elite Four in Pokémon Black, White, Black 2 or White 2. You will also need 2 original DS systems, or you can use 3DS systems as well if you like, or indeed one of each. This is because you need to essentially trade between the two systems wirelessly.
Pokémon with HM moves cannot be transferred through either of the previous two methods. This is to stop you from being stranded in your game without the ability to Surf or Fly when it’s necessary
Preloaded Pokemon Games
If you dont have a complete collection or want a game where everything is included for you to enjoy, check out our preloaded Pokemon Games.
Each game is authentic with every Pokemon included, both shiny and nonshiny with max items and a whole lot more.
This video by 1DarkKnight does an awesome job explaining the details:
What are the differences between the Nintendo Switch and Mobile versions of Pokémon HOME?
The Switch and Mobile versions of Pokémon HOME work in tandem, but also have exclusive features not available in the other. You'll need both in order to access the full list of available features. Here's the complete list adapted from the official Pokémon HOME website:
| Pokémon HOME feature | Nintendo Switch version | Mobile version |
|---|---|---|
| Move Pokémon with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! | Yes | No |
| Move Pokémon with Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield | Yes | No |
| Move Pokémon with Pokémon Bank | Yes | Yes |
| Judge Pokémon | Yes | Yes |
| Trade Pokémon | No | Yes |
| Receive Mystery Gifts | No | Yes |
| Check Battle Data | No | Yes |
| Check News | No | Yes |
| Exchange Pokémon HOME Points for BP (Battle Points) | Yes | No |
As you can see, certain features are exclusive to one version of the app, so you'll need both to be able to get the most out of the app. Some features are also restricted to the Premium Plan, too (the Judge feature which lets you see how strong your Pokémon are, for example).
How to Transfer Gen 3, 4, and 5 to Pokemon Bank
Gen 5 and Virtual Console Instructions
Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 (Gen 5) and the Virtual Console Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, and Crystal aren't directly compatible with Pokemon Bank, but can be moved there by using another 3DS app called Poke Transporter.
Move the Pokemon you'd like to transfer to the first PC storage box (Box 1) and save the game. Using Pokemon Transporter you can transfer all Pokemon in the first box into the Transport Box. Then, in Pokemon Bank, transfer the Pokemon from the Transport Box.
Using this method, you can also transfer Pokemon from even earlier generations by first transferring them to Black/White or Black 2/White 2.
Gen 4 Instructions
Gen 4 Games Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heart Gold, and SoulSilver can be traded to Gen 5 using the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15, but this requires two DS or 3DS.
In Black/White/Black 2/White 2, go to the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15. Have the other DS on with the Diamond, Pearl, SoulSilver or HeartGold cartridge inside. Follow the prompts from the Poke Transfer Lab and use the DS Download Play app on the DS with the older generation game.
Gen 3 Instructions
Yes, you can go back even further, but this requires a DS or DS Lite. Insert both a Gen 3 Pokemon Game Boy Advance game (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red, or Leaf Green) and a Gen 4 DS game into the same DS. Use Pal Park (unlocked after obtaining the National Pokedex / beating the Elite 4 in Gen 4).
Gen 5 and Virtual Console Instructions
Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 (Gen 5) and the Virtual Console Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, and Crystal aren't directly compatible with Pokemon Bank, but can be moved there by using another 3DS app called Poke Transporter.
Move the Pokemon you'd like to transfer to the first PC storage box (Box 1) and save the game. Using Pokemon Transporter you can transfer all Pokemon in the first box into the Transport Box. Then, in Pokemon Bank, transfer the Pokemon from the Transport Box.
Using this method, you can also transfer Pokemon from even earlier generations by first transferring them to Black/White or Black 2/White 2.
Gen 4 Instructions
Gen 4 Games Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heart Gold, and SoulSilver can be traded to Gen 5 using the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15, but this requires two DS or 3DS.
In Black/White/Black 2/White 2, go to the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15. Have the other DS on with the Diamond, Pearl, SoulSilver or HeartGold cartridge inside. Follow the prompts from the Poke Transfer Lab and use the DS Download Play app on the DS with the older generation game.
Gen 3 Instructions
Yes, you can go back even further, but this requires a DS or DS Lite. Insert both a Gen 3 Pokemon Game Boy Advance game (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red, or Leaf Green) and a Gen 4 DS game into the same DS. Use Pal Park (unlocked after obtaining the National Pokedex / beating the Elite 4 in Gen 4).
Important Details:
Poke Transporter is not available without Pokemon Bank.
You need an internet connection to use Pokemon Bank and Pokemon HOME.
Depositing or withdrawing Pokemon will NOT cause them to evolve if they normally evolve through Trading.
If your Pokemon is holding an item, the item will be dropped and sent to your bag before it is transferred to the Bank. If your bag is full, the item will disappear.