Pokémon Masters can rejoice since Pokémon Home is on the horizon to help players move their Pocket Monsters between games.
Players will be able to transfer monsters from Pokémon Go, Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Shield, Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, Pokémon Let’s go Pikachu and the old Pokémon storage app, Pokémon Bank.
Transfering rules
However, it’s not as simple as transferring from one game to another since there are a ton of rules about what games can interact and how.
Pokémon Home is only going to be available on iOS and Android devices and the Nintendo Switch. So far, both mobile and Nintendo Switch version of the app can interact with Pokémon Bank, but only the Switch version can interact with the Switch-based Pokémon games.
To interact with Pokémon Bank, players need to pay for the Premium version of Pokémon Home. To make the release of Pokémon Home easier, both Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter will be free for a month.
The press release says the support for Pokémon from Pokémon Go is still in development, and it’s unclear what devices will support connectivity to this app, but it seems like just the mobile version.
Another rule states that once you move a Pokémon from Let’s Go Pikachu or Eevee to Sword or Sheild, it can’t be moved back.
Trading rules
Not only can users store Pocket Monsters in Pokémon Home, but they can trade them as well. There are four ways to trade in the app, as outlined below:
- There’s a ‘Wonder Box’ that will trade Pokémon automatically, even when you’re not using the app.
- The second way to trade is called the ‘Global Trade System.’ This version lets users ask for a specific Pokémon and if someone else around the world is trading a monster that meets your criteria.
- The third new trading option is called ‘Room Trade.’ This trading option lets up to 20 people enter an online space at once so everyone can trade with each other. Only Pokémon Home Premium subscribers can create one of these rooms, but everyone can participate in them.
- ‘Friend Trading’ is the final way to trade. It’s a simple way to trade with one other person who is nearby.
Extras
Pokémon that are added to your Pokémon Home locker are also added to your National PokéDex. So while users can’t fill out a full National PokéDex in the mainline games like Sword and Shield, they can now accomplish that task in Pokémon Home.
The Pokémon Company will also be sending Pokémon Home users ‘Mystery Gifts.’ Generally, in Pokémon Games, Mystery Gifts are free gifts to help players out or free event Pokémon.
Premium users will have access to a feature that allows the app to judge their monsters. This will show some of the monsters’ more complex stats.
Players will also be able to see Pokémon descriptions for every game that the monster was featured in.
Premium vs. free
The Premium version of Pokémon Home costs either $2.99 USD (roughly $4 CAD) per month, $4.99 USD (about $6.55 CAD) for three months or $15.99 USD (approximately $21 CAD) per year.
Only premium users will be able to move monsters from Pokémon Bank.
Paying users will also be able to store 6,000 monsters while free members can only do 30. These members can also trade up to 10 Pokémon in their Wonder Box and three in the Global Trade System pool.
Free members can only add three Pokémon to the Wonder box and one to the Global Trade System.
You can find out more about Pokémon Bank on the service’s website.
Source: The Pokémon Company
