What's New in Pokémon Home? 7 Things You Need to Know

Hello there, Pokémon fan. Have you heard the news about the release of Pokémon Home?

No? Then we are about to make your day.

If you have been putting off buying a Nintendo Switch, you might now have the perfect excuse to get one. You're welcome!

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How does Pokémon Home work?

Pokémon Home is basically a cloud-based system that will allow players to gather all their Pokémon from various games in one place.

"This includes the Nintendo 3DS games through Pokémon Bank, Pokémon GO, Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu & Let's Go, Eevee and Pokémon Sword & Shield allowing for players to store all their Pokémon in one place." - serebii.net. 

Pokémon Home is, in essence, an extension of the existing Pokémon Box concept. This allows you to store and move Pokémon between games and your Nintendo Switch.  

It comes in two versions -- a Switch version, and a mobile version. The app also comes in a free and paid-for form.

Premium version costs vary depending on the plan chosen. A one month plan costs $2.99, while a 3-month plan costs $4.99. 

A full year's subscription costs $15.99.

Can you transfer older Gameboy cartridge-based Pokémon games to Pokémon Home?

The simple answer is yes, it is technically possible. But for older games pre-Ruby and Sapphire, it might get a little complicated.

You will need not only the older games in hand but some of the older handheld consoles to do so. If you have everything you need, it will be a matter of laboriously "upgrading" your Pokémon between game generations until you reach Pokémon Black and White. 

From there, you can directly import them into Pokémon Home. You can check out this great guide from The Sylph Road for more details. 

Why should I buy Pokémon Home?

So, without further ado, here are some reasons you might want to consider getting yourself Pokémon Home ASAP. 

1. You can keep all your precious Pokémon in one place

The main benefit of Pokémon Home is the ability to move and store your Pokémon all in one place. It is a could-based service and can be used to add Pokémon to the latest Pokémon games' (Sword and Shield) Pokedex. 

With the app, you will also be able to trade with other players anywhere in the world. Another great benefit of it is that it is also compatible with Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter.

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For lifelong Pokémon fans, this is excellent news. Not only will it save you tons of time completing your Pokedex, but will also help you bring your old friends with you into the Galar region of Pokémon Sword and Shield.

2. You can move Pokémon from older games to the latest games

One of the main benefits of Pokémon Home is the ability to transfer, and store, Pokémon from earlier games. 

Pokémon Home is currently compatible with the following titles: 

• Pokémon Let's Go: Pikachu
• Pokémon Let's Go: Eevee
• Pokémon Sword and Shield
• Pokémon Go

For older games, so long as they are compatible with Pokémon Bank or Pokémon Transporter, you can also transfer Pokémon to Pokémon Home. According to Nintendo, this currently includes the following: 

Poké Transporter

The Poké Transporter application allows you to transfer Pokémon from older Pokémon titles into Pokémon Bank. You can use the Poké Transporter to transfer Pokémon from the following games:

• Pokémon Black
• Pokémon White
• Pokémon Black Version 2
• Pokémon White Version 2
• Pokémon Red (Virtual Console)*
• Pokémon Blue (Virtual Console)*
• Pokémon Yellow (Virtual Console)*
• Pokémon Gold (Virtual Console)**
• Pokémon Silver (Virtual Console)**
• Pokémon Crystal (Virtual Console)**

* Requires Poké Transporter ver 1.2 or higher.

** Requires Poké Transporter ver 1.4 or higher.

Pokémon Bank

With Pokémon Bank, you can directly deposit and transfer stored Pokémon (including Pokémon transferred via the Poké Transporter) into any of the following games:

• Pokémon X
• Pokémon Y
• Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
• Pokémon Omega Ruby
• Pokémon Sun †
• Pokémon Moon †
• Pokémon Ultra Sun ††
• Pokémon Ultra Moon ††
• Pokémon HOME †††

† Requires Pokémon Bank ver 1.3 or higher.

†† Requires Pokémon Bank ver 1.4 or higher.

††† Requires Pokémon Bank ver 1.5 or higher.

3. You won't be able to move Pokémon eggs though (and you can't move Pokémon back)

One downside of apps like Pokémon Home is that once you've moved your Pokémon you won't be able to return them to the source game. It doesn't matter if you have the free or premium version, once your Pokémon has been moved it's final. 

For most players who've completed older games this probably isn't a problem, but bear it in mind if you want to return to those games at a later stage.

You are also unable to move Pokémon eggs into Pokémon Home. 

4. You can filter Pokémon by region and you can get Battle Points for depositing Pokémon!

One handy feature of Pokémon Home is that you can filter your Pokémon by region. This will not only help you find a specific generation of Pokémon more easily but will also help you rapidly find your old friends.

Another great little bonus is the fact that you get "Home Points" for depositing Pokémon. Thes can then be traded for "Battle Points" that can be used in the core games.

"Pokémon HOME Points are points that accumulate in Pokémon HOME as you deposit more Pokémon. When using the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon HOME, you’ll be able to exchange your Pokémon HOME points for BP (Battle Points) to be used in core Pokémon series games." - Pokémon Home. 

5. You can also send and receive mystery gifts

Another cool feature of Pokémon Home is the ability to send and receive mystery gifts.  Only available on the mobile version of the app, gifts are available for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield as well as gifts specifically for Pokémon HOME.

6. The mobile version lets you see moves and abilities

Yet another cool feature of the mobile version of the app, it that you can see each Pokémon's abilities and moves. Not only that, but you can see what moves each Pokémon can eventually learn!

This kind of feature is incredibly powerful for any trainer to plan their Pokémon's future. With Pokémon Home, you can easily plan the perfect party to become the very best!

7. There are some important differences between the Nintendo Switch and mobile versions

Another thing you need to be made aware of is the differences between the Switch and mobile versions of the app. Each has varying access to certain features and compatibility with certain games.

For example, only the Switch version lets you move Pokémon with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! You will also need the Switch version to move Pokémon to Sword and Shield (obviously).

The mobile version, however, will let you trade Pokémon, receive mystery gifts, check battle data and keep up to date with the latest Pokémon Home news. You won't have access to these features with the Switch version. 

You can also only exchange Pokémon Home points to battle points with the Switch version only. 

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and "catch 'em all!"