Pokémon HOME Transfer Guide: Every Game and the Bank Deadline
November 9, 2026 · 6 min read
On this page
- Which games connect to Pokémon HOME?
- How to move Pokémon from a Switch game
- Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
- FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch
- How to move Pokémon from Pokémon Bank before it closes
- Getting older Pokémon into Bank first
- How to transfer from Pokémon GO
- Pokémon Champions
- Free vs Premium Plan
- Gifts for connecting
- Frequently asked questions
- Is Pokémon HOME free?
- When does Pokémon Bank shut down?
- Do you need Premium to move Pokémon from Bank to HOME?
- Can you move Pokémon from HOME back to Pokémon GO or Bank?
- Can you transfer Pokémon from Legends: Z-A to Scarlet and Violet?
- Why can't I move a Pokémon into my game?
Pokémon HOME is the free storage app for Nintendo Switch and mobile, with an optional paid Premium Plan, that moves Pokémon between games. It connects to Legends: Z-A, Scarlet and Violet, Legends: Arceus, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Sword and Shield, Let's Go, the Switch release of FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon GO and the 3DS app Pokémon Bank. Pokémon Bank shuts down on February 25, 2027 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time, so if you still have Pokémon there, move them soon. This guide uses the official Pokémon HOME site, with details from Serebii and Wikipedia.
Last checked: November 9, 2026.
Which games connect to Pokémon HOME?
| Game | HOME version you use | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Legends: Z-A | Nintendo Switch | Both ways |
| Scarlet and Violet | Nintendo Switch | Both ways |
| Legends: Arceus | Nintendo Switch | Both ways |
| Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl | Nintendo Switch | Both ways |
| Sword and Shield | Nintendo Switch | Both ways |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! | Nintendo Switch | Both ways, until moved to another game |
| FireRed and LeafGreen (Switch) | Nintendo Switch | Into HOME only |
| Pokémon Bank (3DS) | Switch or mobile | Into HOME only |
| Pokémon GO | Switch or mobile | Into HOME only |
| Pokémon Champions | Switch or mobile | Pokémon visit, then return |
Two rules apply everywhere. A Pokémon can only go into a game it appears in, so a Pokémon missing from Scarlet and Violet's data can't be placed there. And when a Pokémon from another game enters Scarlet and Violet, its Tera Type is set from its original type or types.
How to move Pokémon from a Switch game
- Download Pokémon HOME from the Nintendo eShop on your Switch. It's free.
- Save and close your game, then open Pokémon HOME and choose the option to move Pokémon.
- Pick the game you want to connect. HOME shows that game's boxes next to your HOME boxes.
- Drag Pokémon between the two sides, then save and exit.
Linking games is a Switch-only feature. The mobile app can't connect to your Switch games directly, but it shows the same HOME boxes if both versions use the same Nintendo Account.
Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
You can send Pokémon from Let's Go into HOME and back again. Once one of them goes into a different game, such as Sword and Shield, it can never return to Let's Go.
FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch
The Switch re-release of FireRed and LeafGreen gained HOME support in October 2026. It's a one-way move: you send a full box at a time, and the Pokémon can't go back. Serebii notes that Pokémon holding an item, knowing an HM, or still in an Egg can't be sent.
How to move Pokémon from Pokémon Bank before it closes
Pokémon Bank is the 3DS cloud app that holds Pokémon from the 3DS and older games. On August 13, 2026, it was announced that the service ends on February 25, 2027 at 19:00 PST. Moving Pokémon from Bank to HOME needs the HOME Premium Plan.
- Subscribe to the HOME Premium Plan. One month is enough if you move everything at once.
- In HOME, choose the option to move Pokémon from Pokémon Bank.
- Follow the steps to link the two: either enter a code from HOME into Bank, or move everything at once if your Bank's Nintendo Network ID is linked to the Nintendo Account you use for HOME.
- Send your boxes across. Bank can hold up to 3,000 Pokémon.
The move is one way. Once Pokémon leave Bank for HOME, they can't go back. Bank itself has been free to use since March 2023 for anyone who already had it installed, but the 3DS eShop no longer lets new players download it.
Getting older Pokémon into Bank first
| Your Pokémon are in | Route to HOME |
|---|---|
| X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Deposit in Bank, then move to HOME |
| Black and White, Black 2 and White 2 | Poké Transporter to Bank, then HOME |
| Red, Blue and Yellow on 3DS Virtual Console | Poké Transporter to Bank, then HOME |
| Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver | Poké Transfer to a Generation 5 game, then Poké Transporter |
| Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance) | Pal Park to a Generation 4 game, then onward as above |
Bank is the only bridge from the 3DS and DS games to HOME, so plan the whole chain and finish it before the deadline.
How to transfer from Pokémon GO
- Link your Pokémon GO account to your HOME account. You don't need the Premium Plan for this.
- In Pokémon GO, open the transfer option and send Pokémon using GO Transporter energy.
- Open HOME on Switch or mobile and collect the Pokémon.
Some rare Pokémon from GO can only move from HOME into another game once that species is registered in the destination game's Pokédex. Pokémon sent from GO can't return to GO.
Pokémon Champions
Pokémon Champions works differently. Pokémon you send there are visitors, not permanent moves. You can send them back to HOME later. Any training you give them in Champions stays in Champions and doesn't carry over. Pokémon you recruit inside Champions can't be sent to HOME.
There's also a promotion for Legends: Z-A players. Send a Chesnaught, Delphox, Greninja or Eternal Flower Floette that you befriended in Z-A to visit Champions, and you can claim its Mega Stone there.
Free vs Premium Plan
| Feature | Basic (free) | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon you can store | 30 | 9,000 |
| Moving Pokémon from Bank | No | Yes |
| Wonder Box slots | 3 | 10 |
| GTS deposits | 1 | 3 |
| Room Trade | Join only | Join and host |
| Judge function | No | Yes |
Premium prices on the Nintendo eShop, before tax:
| Length | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $2.99 |
| 3 months | $4.99 |
| 12 months | $15.99 |
The plan is shared between the Switch and mobile versions when both use the same Nintendo Account. Prices can change, so check the eShop before you buy.
Gifts for connecting
- Scarlet and Violet: the first time you move a Pokémon from Scarlet or Violet into HOME, the mobile app gives you Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly with their Hidden Abilities.
- Legends: Z-A: the first transfer from Z-A unlocks an alpha Chikorita, an alpha Tepig and an alpha Totodile, also claimed in the mobile app.
- FireRed and LeafGreen: completing the regional Pokédex earns a Celebi in HOME.
New to the series and not sure which games you own connect? Our Pokémon games in order guide lists every main series game and its console.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pokémon HOME free?
Yes, the basic version is free and stores 30 Pokémon. The Premium Plan costs $2.99 a month, $4.99 for three months or $15.99 a year on the Nintendo eShop, and raises storage to 9,000.
When does Pokémon Bank shut down?
On February 25, 2027 at 19:00 PST. After that, Pokémon left in Bank can't be moved, so transfer them to HOME before the deadline.
Do you need Premium to move Pokémon from Bank to HOME?
Yes. Moving Pokémon from Pokémon Bank into HOME is a Premium Plan feature. A one-month plan is enough if you move everything in one go.
Can you move Pokémon from HOME back to Pokémon GO or Bank?
No. Transfers from Pokémon GO, Pokémon Bank and the Switch release of FireRed and LeafGreen are one way. Once those Pokémon are in HOME, they can only go on to compatible Switch games.
Can you transfer Pokémon from Legends: Z-A to Scarlet and Violet?
Yes, through HOME, as long as the Pokémon appears in Scarlet and Violet. Move it from Z-A into HOME on Switch, then from HOME into Scarlet or Violet.
Why can't I move a Pokémon into my game?
The most common reason is that the species isn't in that game. A Pokémon can only be moved into games it appears in, and some Pokémon from GO also need to be registered in the destination game's Pokédex first.
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