The Pokémon Company recently opened up the official website for Pokémon Home, the upcoming cloud-based service that will serve as a central hub for past and future Pokémon titles. The service will launch this February for the Nintendo Switch and compatible iOS and Android devices, and will allow players to transfer over their Pokémon from Sword and Shield, Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee, Pokémon Bank, and (eventually) Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Home on the Switch can link up with Sword and Shield, allowing users to freely transfer their collected critters between the Home service and the games. Players can also transfer over their Pokémon from the Let’s Go! games, although be forewarned that once a Pokémon from Let’s Go! has been transferred to Sword and Shield, it cannot be transferred back. There are plans to support Pokémon Go in the future, as well. 3DS owners can also transfer their Pokémon from the old Pokémon Bank service. To commemorate the launch of Home, the Bank service will be free to use for a month after Home’s release, giving players some time to send over their collection.
The mobile version of Home also functions as a kind of social hub for trainers across the globe, allowing trades to take place. By putting a Pokémon in the Wonder Box, players can trade Pokémon when they’re not actively using the app. The GTS also makes a grand return, allowing users to select various criteria in order to find a specific Pokémon. Room Trades allow up to 20 people to join a lobby in order to swap Pokémon. Lastly, Friend Trades allow players to trade with their in-app friends, which can be done using the Add Friend function. The mobile version of Home also let’s players receive Mystery Gifts: ones for Sword and Shield as well as exclusive Gifts for Pokémon Home.
Also, breathe easy, trainers: the National Dex is alive and well, in Pokémon Home! Every Pokémon brought into the service will be registered to the National Pokédex, scratching that urge to catch them all. Mobile users can even bring up which abilities and moves each Pokémon can learn.
The Judge function, which is usable by those who purchase a Premium Plan for Pokémon Home, will allow users to check the hidden stats of their creatures. Users will also have their own custom profile page, which can be outfitted with various stickers earned by completing certain objectives. There’s also an in-app currency earned by transferring over more Pokémon, which can in turn be used to receive BP in the core games.
To recap: only the mobile version of Pokémon Home allows users to trade Pokémon, while only the console version connects to the recent console games. Both versions are compatible with Pokémon Bank. While Pokémon Home will offer a free-to-use Basic Plan, to unlock more features and store more Pokémon, users will need to purchase a Premium Plan (a paltry storage capacity of 30 Pokémon on the former upgrades to a whopping 6,000 Pokémon on the latter). Additionally, you’ll need to be a Premium member to connect to the Pokémon Bank, host Room Trades, or use the Judge Function. Premium Plans will cost $2.99 USD for 30 days, $4.99 USD for 90 days, and $15.99 for a year.
Stay tuned to RPGFan for more information on the Pokémon series! Check out our game page for additional new images from Pokémon Home as well.
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