Pokémon Bank, the storage app that has served trainers since 2013, will cease operations on February 25, 2027. This closure means that any Pokémon stored within the app, or those residing in older Nintendo 3DS and DS titles, will become inaccessible on newer Nintendo Switch systems unless transferred beforehand. To ensure your digital companions can be used in current games and continue their journey through Pokémon Home, a transfer process is necessary.

Essential Requirements

To begin moving your Pokémon, you will need access to both Pokémon Home and Pokémon Bank. Pokémon Home is available as an application on the Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices. However, transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Home requires a Premium Plan subscription for Pokémon Home, which costs $2.99 for one month, $4.99 for three months, or $15.99 for a year. The free tier of Pokémon Home only allows storage for up to 30 Pokémon, while the Premium Plan accommodates up to 6,000.

Crucially, Pokémon Bank requires a Nintendo 3DS system with the application already installed. Since the Nintendo 3DS ended online services in 2023, the ability to download new applications like Pokémon Bank has been lost. Therefore, users who do not already have Pokémon Bank installed on their 3DS will likely need to resort to modifying their system to install it, or they will be unable to access Pokémon stored within it.

For transfers originating from games other than those already in Pokémon Bank, additional hardware and software may be necessary:

  • A copy of the game containing the Pokémon you wish to transfer.
  • For virtual console titles (Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal) and Black, White, Black 2, and White 2, the Poké Transporter app must be downloaded on the 3DS.
  • Transferring from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, SoulSilver, or HeartGold requires a second Nintendo DS or 3DS system.
  • Moving Pokémon from Game Boy Advance titles like Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, or LeafGreen necessitates a Nintendo DS system, as it needs the GBA cartridge slot.

Transfers from GameCube titles such as Colosseum or Wii games like My Pokémon Ranch are not supported by this guide.

Simple Transfers from Bank to Home

For those with Pokémon already housed in Pokémon Bank, the transfer process to Pokémon Home is relatively straightforward. Ensure your Pokémon Home account has an active Premium Plan. Open Pokémon Home on your chosen device (Switch, iOS, or Android). If this is your first time using it on that device, you will need to go through the initial setup. Next, launch Pokémon Bank on your Nintendo 3DS. In Pokémon Home, select the 'Move' option from the main menu (on mobile, this is found under 'Options'). Choose 'Begin Move,' then 'Begin, Ready!,' and finally 'Display Moving Key.' Switch to your 3DS and select 'Move Pokémon to Pokémon Home' within Pokémon Bank. Choose the boxes containing the Pokémon you wish to transfer and confirm. Enter the Moving Key displayed on your Pokémon Home app into the Bank application when prompted. The transfer will then commence.

Moving Pokémon Not in Bank

Transferring Pokémon that are not already in Pokémon Bank requires additional steps depending on the original game.

From Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire

Insert the game cartridge into your 3DS. Open Pokémon Bank and select 'Use Pokémon Bank.' Choose the game you wish to transfer from. Select the desired boxes and confirm to transfer those Pokémon into Pokémon Bank. From there, you can follow the 'Simple Transfers from Bank to Home' steps to move them to Pokémon Home.

From Virtual Console Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, or Crystal, or from Black, White, Black 2, or White 2

This process requires the Poké Transporter app to be installed on your 3DS. Ensure any Pokémon you wish to move are in Box 1 of the PC in the original game, and that Box 1 does not contain Pokémon you intend to keep in that game. Launch the Poké Transporter app and follow the on-screen prompts to move your Pokémon into Pokémon Bank. Once they are in Bank, proceed with the steps outlined for simple transfers to Pokémon Home.

From Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, or SoulSilver on DS

This method requires two systems: at least one 3DS and a second Nintendo DS or 3DS. You will also need a copy of Black, White, Black 2, or White 2 with the PokéTransfer Lab unlocked (by beating the Elite Four) and the Poké Transporter app. Insert the generation 5 game into one console and the game you are transferring from into the other. Speak to the scientist in the PokéTransfer Lab on the generation 5 system. On the other DS, select 'DS Download Play' from the home screen menu. Follow the prompts on both systems to move your Pokémon via a minigame. After this, the Pokémon will be in your generation 5 game, from which you can transfer them to Pokémon Bank and then to Pokémon Home.

From Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, or LeafGreen on GBA

This extensive transfer requires a Nintendo DS, a Nintendo 3DS, a copy of a fourth-generation DS game (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, or SoulSilver), and a copy of Black, White, Black 2, or White 2 with the PokéTransfer Lab unlocked, along with the Poké Transporter app. Insert the GBA game into the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS and the fourth-generation DS game into the DS slot. Access Pal Park within the fourth-generation game (after unlocking the National Pokédex) and follow the instructions to move up to six Pokémon at a time from the GBA game to the DS game. Once these Pokémon are in the DS game, they can be transferred to Black, White, Black 2, or White 2, then to Pokémon Bank, and finally to Pokémon Home.