The latest Pokémon Home update has arrived, finally bringing with it compatibility with Scarlet and Violet. Pokémon caught in these 2022 Nintendo Switch titles can now be transferred to Pokémon Home, with special rewards in store for players who do so.
Back in ye olden days, Pokémon were transferred across titles via a connection between handheld consoles – whether using a physical Link Cable between Game Boys or wirelessly on the DS. With rare exception, Pokémon could even be transferred up to newer games thanks to their backwards compatibility.
While transferring Pokémon directly between titles still exists on the Switch, it can only be done between sets of games. Sword and Shield can trade with each other; Scarlet and Violet can too; Sword and Scarlet cannot.
Where this was once possible using the consoles themselves, times have changed, and The Pokémon Company now relies on the power and interconnectivity of mobile.
A mobile bridge
Released in 2020, Pokémon Home serves as a cloud for storing your pocket monsters from the Nintendo Switch games and Go, easing the trading process and allowing players to access their Pokémon at any time. Since Scarlet and Violet released last November, players have been anxiously awaiting the ability to transfer their Pokémon in and out of these titles. Thanks to the Version 3.0.0 update, this is finally possible.
If having your Hall of Fame team with you at all times – or perhaps your rare collection of shiny Pokémon – wasn’t enough reason to install Home, The Pokémon Company is further encouraging players towards mobile by giving away gift Pokémon to anyone who transfers their Scarlet and Violet catches into the app. When done for the first time, players will be able to receive starter Pokémon Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly with their rare Hidden Abilities.
The update also means that Gimmighoul’s Roaming Form, a Pokémon Go exclusive, can be transferred into Home and then to Scarlet and Violet.
Another nifty feature in the update is data on which games a specific Pokémon has been transferred to before, so a Pikachu in Home can qualify its jet-setting through Kanto, Galar, Sinnoh and more.
Mobile game Pokémon Masters recently reached 50 million downloads ahead of its first Legends: Arceus crossover.
