‘Pokemon Sun and Moon’ Updates: Pokemon Bank Allows Pokemon Transfer From 6th gen Franchises To ‘Sun and Moon’; How To Transfer Revealed [VIDEO]
ByWith the current hype on "Pokemon Sun and Moon's" global release, Nintendo's Pokemon Bank service on the 3DS can now make Pokemon transfer between any Generation 6 core game possible. However, the Bank and its bundle app, "Poke Transporter," are not compatible with "Pokemon Sun and Moon's" launch until an update in January 2017.
Players will be able to bring original Pokemon like Charmander, Mewtwo, Pikachu, and more into the worlds of "Pokemon Sun" and "Pokemon Moon" by utilizing the Pokemon Bank service.
According to IGN, Pokemon Bank is an application that allows trainers to upload and store up to 3000 Pokemon to the internet. It serves as the PCs inside the game's Pokemon Centers that allows players to view and sort their Pokemon according to their likes: sizes, types, or attributes. The service will require an annual fee of $4.99.
In order to enable the transfer option across Pokemon generations, players should download the app into the 3DS to use it with any number of physical or digital copies of "Pokemon X and Y," "Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire" and "Pokemon Sun and Moon" at any time after obtaining the Pokedex in the game.
Once a compatible 6th generation core Pokemon game is inserted, trainers can examine the in-game Pokemon PC to make easy transfers to Pokemon Bank. The PC Boxes will be viewable and searchable on the console's bottom screen, and bank will be on the top screen.
It should be noted that Pokemon cannot be transferred carrying berries or items. Any held berries or items will return to your bag, and if the bag is full, they will be deleted.
In addition, the process of Pokemon transfers into the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" is a one-way transaction, so once Pokemon from X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire in the Pokemon Bank is transferred into "Pokemon Sun or Moon," it will not be retrievable by the older generation of games.
Furthermore, Pokemon from Generation 5 core games (Black and White, Black and White 2), and Generation 1 Virtual Console (Red, Green, Yellow after the Jan. 2017 update) requires Pokemon Transporter app, which is bundled with the Pokemon Bank.
Transferring Pokemon from Generation 5 games and Virtual Console games to Generation 6 or 7 games requires a few steps, according to IGN:
1. In the copy of Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Red, Blue, or Yellow game, players should move their Pokemon to the first PC storage box and save the game.
2. Open up Poke Transporter and transfer all Pokemon in the first box over to the Pokemon Bank's transfer box.
3. Open up Pokemon Bank and transfer the Pokemon from the transfer box to one of the other boxes. This can be done one at a time or by selecting multiple Pokemon by clicking the SELECT button before choosing Pokemon with the A button.
4. Empty the transfer box of all Pokemon before players repeat the process.
Meanwhile, iDigitalTimes reported that a new "National Dex" will be implemented in Pokémon Bank along with the update. The application will record the saved data from the games trainers have connected with (X and Y, ORAS, Sun and Moon), thus collecting information about Pokémon caught.
The Pokémon Bank update will release in January 2017, which should need an annual pass of $4.99.
