If you’re a Pokémon fan, you’re familiar with the struggle of keeping all your beloved creatures across multiple games. That’s where Pokémon Home comes in. It is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to store, transfer, and trade Pokémon across a variety of games. But what exactly is Pokémon Home, and how does it work?
In this article, we’ll delve into all the details and answer any questions you may have about Pokemon Home.
What is Pokemon Home?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what Pokémon Home is. Essentially, it’s a cloud-based storage service that allows you to store and transfer Pokémon across a variety of games.
The Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home supports connectivity with the Nintendo Switch games. These games include Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Shield, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
Both the Nintendo Switch version and mobile device version of Pokémon HOME support connectivity with the Nintendo 3DS software Pokémon Bank. This means that you can transfer Pokémon from your old games, like Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. To your newer games and even trade with other players around the world using the Global Trade System (GTS).
However, there are some restrictions to moving Pokemon from Pokemon Home. Once a Pokemon from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Let’s Go, Eevee! is moved into Pokémon Sword and Shield. You cannot move it back to Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
However, you can move Pokémon from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! to Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee, or vice versa.
How Does Pokemon Home Work?
So, how does Pokémon Home work? First, you will need to download the app onto your Nintendo Switch, iOS, or Android device. You’ll also need a Nintendo Account to sign in to the app. Once you’ve downloaded the app and signed in. You will be able to access your Pokémon Home account. This is where you will be able to store and manage your Pokémon.
One of the main features of Pokémon Home is its ability to transfer Pokémon from previous games. This includes the Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon.
To do this, you’ll need to have a Pokémon Bank account and a paid subscription to Pokémon Home. Once you’ve transferred your Pokémon to Pokémon Bank, you will be able to transfer them to Pokemon Home. Now that you transferred them to Pokemon Home, you can freely move them to the newer Nintendo Switch Games.
The Global Trade System
Another feature of Pokémon Home is the Global Trade System (GTS). The Global Trading System allows you to trade Pokémon with players from all over the world. To use the GTS, simply select the Pokémon that you want to trade and set the conditions for the trade.
You can specify the Pokémon that you want in return, as well as any other details about the trade. Then, the app will match you with a player who meets your conditions, and the trade will take place automatically.
In addition to the GTS, Pokémon Home has a feature called Wonder Box, and it works like the Wonder Trade. The Wonder allows you to trade Pokémon with other players anonymously.
To use the Wonder Box, simply deposit a Pokémon that you’re willing to trade and wait for another player to trade with you. The app will notify you once the trade request is fulfilled, and the trade will take place automatically.
More Features of Pokemon Home
Pokémon Home also allows you to earn Home Points by completing certain tasks, like depositing or trading with other players. You can use these Home Points to purchase special items in the app, like Premium Plan or special stickers.
Speaking of the Premium Plan, this is a paid subscription service that gives you access to a variety of extra features in Pokémon Home. For example, Premium Plan subscribers can store up to 6,000 Pokémon in their Pokémon Home account.
In addition, you can transfer Pokémon from the mobile game Pokémon GO. We all know how useful it is to transfer your Pokemon from Pokemon GO to the mainline games. Premium Plan subscribers also get access to the Judge function. The Judge function allows you to see detailed information about your Pokémon’s IV and EV stats and potential.
It is Backwards Compatible?
But what about backward compatibility? Is Pokemon Home backwards compatible with older Pokémon games? The short answer is no. While Pokemon Home is compatible with Pokemon Bank, it is not compatible with all the older games.
Pokémon Home is not backward compatible with older games like Pokémon Black and White or Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. However, you can still transfer Pokémon from those games to newer games as a workaround.
For example, you can transfer them to Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire using the cloud-based storage service Pokémon Bank.
Final Thoughts: Pokemon Home
There are more features besides the ones mentioned above, which is surprising. Pokemon Home has a National Pokedex. Your Pokemon will be registered to the National Pokédex when you deposit them in the Boxes in Pokémon HOME.
Pokemon Home will also register the additional forms of your Pokemon, like Mega Evolution and Gigantamax. In the National Pokédex, you will be able to see Pokédex entries from various different games in one place.
In addition, you can also receive Mystery Gifts. You can receive Mystery Gifts in the mobile device version of Pokémon HOME! With this feature, you can receive Mystery Gifts for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, as well as gifts specifically for Pokémon HOME. You can directly deposit the Pokemon you received in Pokemon Home in a box.
Pokemon Home is a must-have tool for any serious Pokémon collector or player. Its cloud-based storage and transfer features are unmatched with a variety of Pokemon games connected to it. So go ahead and give it a whirl!
