Pokémon Bank, the online store app just recently released in Europe to accompany Pokémon X & Y, is a simple utility; at first glance you essentially take in its entirety. It's a storage box for all of your Pokémon. As such, you know what you're going to get; in Pokémon Bank, you will find 100 boxes on the server for you to store a total of up to 3,000 Pokémon. While many would say they'd never fill it up, this application is truly for the hardcore trainer.
On the surface, that's all that it seems Pokémon Bank is, a storage system for you to use across all your Generation VI games, but there is definitely a lot more to it. Bank not only stores your Pokémon, but it gives you an amazing search filter. This allows for you to check all the Pokémon in the boxes in Pokémon Bank as well as the boxes in the currently loaded Generation VI game.
This search is very intuitive, allowing for you to search by any aspect of the Pokémon you can imagine. You can sort by stat & level and filter by ability, moves, whether or not they're shiny, nature, Kalos native and even by regional Pokédexes for every region. From here, you can go to the box the Pokémon is in to allow for easy transfer from Bank to game, or vice-versa.
To move Pokémon is relatively simple, you just pick up the 'mon and drag it between the Bank and game boxes, with the Bank boxes being on the top screen and the game boxes being on the bottom. If you press the Start button you also have the ability to pick up groups of Pokémon to allow you to move entire boxes, if necessary; this makes the process very quick. Do note, if you move any Pokémon with items into Pokémon Bank, the item will be moved to your bag.
Once you have done all the changes you wish, all you have to do is press Save and both your Pokémon Bank and Pokémon X/Y saves are updated with all the changes.
However, the important thing for many players is technically part of a different application. Inside Pokémon Bank, there's the option to download Poké Transporter. This application will allow for you to transfer Pokémon from Black, White, Black 2 or White 2 into Pokémon Bank. Simply put, when you load up Poké Transporter with a Generation V game in your 3DS, it will load up all the Pokémon within Box 1 of that game, and transfer them to a special Transport Box in Pokémon Bank. There are a few restrictions with this:
- No Eggs
- No Items
- Black Kyurem & White Kyurem can't be transferred
Unlike past transfer methods, you can transfer Hidden Moves, however. Once you've done this, you can't do it again until you have moved the Pokémon out of the Transport Box in Pokémon Bank, which does elongate the process a little. You also have to move Pokémon into Box 1 in the Generation V game too, which can be a pain in Black & White due to how it deals with multiple Pokémon.
Poké Transporter is very useful if you wish to continue using the Pokémon that you have used in the past, with Pokémon from Ruby & Sapphire being able to be transferred all the way up to X & Y using all the — current and previous — transfer methods. In addition to that, many Pokémon have got Egg Moves that can only be obtained if the parent got it from a previous generation, such as Extremespeed Dragonite. However, there is a bit of an iffy situation with this. For some reason, possibly due to the multitude of hacks that existed in previous generations which may get through the hack check, you will not be able to use your transferred Pokémon in the Video Game Championships or in online competitions.
Another cool thing about Pokémon Bank as a whole is that it gives you some free stuff. When you first boot up Pokémon Bank, you will be given a choice between 100 PokéMiles and 10 Battle Points. Once you have selected this, it will be sent to the game you have selected to use. Next, until 30th September, when you go into Bank for a second time — after using it to move some Pokémon between it and X & Y — you will be given a special Celebi. This is also sent to the game. To retrieve them, you have to select the Pokémon Link option in the X & Y game and they’ll be automatically added; Celebi will be placed directly in the box. However, you can only get one Pokémon Link gift at a time, so before you get the Celebi, be sure to collect the PokéMiles/BP.
Pokémon Bank was introduced to us with a promise, that we will be using it for generations, to the point that we can pass our Bank onto our grandchildren to allow them to play with our Pokémon. If this promise holds, then Pokémon Bank is going to be the transfer method of the future, and a good way to keep all of your Pokémon. If you have multiple games, then it’s also very handy so you know where all your Pokémon are. I for one am using it for that reason, since just this past August I was battling in the Adventure Tour, wanted to change team, but they were in the wrong game. Now, I can just tether my 3DS to my phone for some Wi-Fi and get them that way. So, if you’re like me and play Pokémon a lot, and have many games, Bank is fantastic. If you’re more casual and have never had any issues with space, then it’s probably not going to have much appeal.
Comments 54
"You are tearing me apart NintendoLife! Oh hai Mark."
Pokemon Bank is out in North America guys!
I posted this on the previous article, but I think this is something NintendoLife should look at. There is new Smash Bros news that confirms a Palkia appearance, and Pokemon info.
Link: http://www.serebii.net/index2.shtml
EDIT: I just saw the author of the article (webmaster of serebii)
@WingedSnagret Wake up, man! What planet are you on?
@BlatantlyHeroic
REALLY? DDDD
goes to check eshop
ITS TRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE
About time, sounds great. Will be using.
BlatantlyHeroic is right! Im downloading Bank from my 3DS in North America And thanks for the detailed article, NintendoLife!
I was going to DL this to my kids 3DS while they were at school today - but I think I'm leaving it all in their capable hands, since I actually have to stop and think what V and VI translate to. I'm going to have them read this all first though, so that I know that they know, ya know.
@Unca_Lz I made that post literally two minutes before the announcement for the North American release and right after doing so went outside to shovel icy snow for an hour.
Bank is great. Transporter is horrible. Useful? Very. We'll designed? Not even slightly. Pokemon Company need to hire some usability testers.
@Chubblings Since its part of the daily screenshot thing Sakrai is doing, they usually don't post articles on those screenshots until the end of the week. Only exception is if the screenshot announces a new newcomer/veteran character.
@rjejr
V is Black/White and Black 2/White 2 while VI is X/Y. Hopefully your kids will control their excitement long enough to actually read through this article.
@Mizore Oh (I'm new here).
@Chubblings It's okies, just letting you know.
The whole process is very convoluted, in my opinion. Here's the simplified, step-by-step way to bring your Gen V Pokémon to Gen VI.
How to Move Pokemon from Gen V to Gen VI:
Start Gen V game
Move pokemon to 1-30 box in Amanita’s PC (don’t forget to save!)
Use Pokemon Transporter to transfer your Pokemon from Gen V to Bank
Switch Gen V cart with Gen VI cart
Start Pokemon Bank: move all Pokemon from Transporter box to X/Y cart box
Repeat for each box you want to move
Note: this must be done after the initial setup of Pokémon Bank.
Is the Celebi preset?
@sinalefa - Thanks. I can usually figure it out, but it's by no means 2nd nature for me.
@ParSnake Ah, thank you for the simplified version! I'm at work so I don't have Pokemon Bank downloaded and in front of me, so the article left me completely lost. You made things crystal clear though!
Also, for people like me, this may not be of interest now, but when Gen VII comes around, it will be incredibly handy. (I'm not the type to transfer Pokemon from far back, in fact I skipped gens III and V, which means that even though I have Platinum and plenty of Pokemon there, I can't transfer them to my copy of Y because I never got into gen V). Once Gen VII and beyond are released, this will no longer be an issue, I can skp gens like I have and still be able to transfer all my pokemon moving forward. So while I wont be buying this app now, I most certainly will in a matter of a few years.
@Swiket You mean GameFreak.
I've played every game in the series (except Black/White 2) so this could be pretty handy for my future Pokemon games.
Well, this makes me more than happy. Not only can I transfer my gigantic amount of mon' from Pokemon White 2, but I also can receive an exclusive Celebi! Only one problem: it's basically impossible to train in X. And in White 2, I can train, battle, and, yeah…do whatever I want to. So maybe, maybe not…this is still great for die-hard Pokemon fans.
One last thing; can I transfer over my Kyurem, Zekrom, and Reshiram then? Sounds like it could work.
@Swiket this is Game Freak, not Nintendo, that did it.
Both apps suck, actually, other than being able to move the pokemon from gen 5 to gen 6, I really don't like the apps at all.
ITS HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I'm curious about something. Does anyone know what happens if a yearly subscription expires and there's currently Pokemon in your online Poke-Bank? Are they permanently lost or are they inaccessible until you renew your subscription?
One question. If you restart your copy of x or y with pokemon in the bank, can yo pull them out on your new file? Please say yes.
@Swiket I agree completely. Except for the "Sideways" part. It's more like 5 steps backwards.
BAttle points or Pokemiles
Something not told about the Celebi, It is level 10 and has your trainer ID and name so you can use it as soon as you get your Pokedex in X and Y.
Wonder Trade just got a lot more interesting.
Great! I can now transfer all the legendaries from soul silver and heart gold including Rayquaza to black 2 and then transport all the legendaries of that onto Pokemon Y and transfer my Pokemon event shiny Palkia, shiny Dialga and shiny Giratina to Pokemon Y too, the day has finaly come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Skeet102 yes as far as I know I haven't tested myself but the Pokemon bank is connected to your NNID. Because it signs in to you Network ID every time you use it. So it sounds pretty safe.
I keep getting an error code now, after transporting a few boxes worth of pokemon without a problem. I'm guessing the servers might be getting flooded or something and it is kicking me off...Anyone else having the same problem?
Also, a couple of pokemon I got through trades that I was sure were hacked were transferred to my X version without a problem, and apparently a couple of people are saying that some of their not-hacked pokemon aren't being let through...That sounds odd, no?
Sounds pretty awful. I'll wait for them to update it and do it properly.
I'm still shocked that I'm the only one who finds something wrong with Nintendo charging for a "cloud" storage system where the pokemon are tied to your hardware anyways
@ferthepoet
Well, for one it does cost money for them to keep these servers up and running. It's only $5 a year and it's completely optional.
@AlexSora89 been like that for a while now...
If I were to make a legitimate Pokemon in Pokegen, would it get blocked by the transfer, or would it be let through as long as it was legal?
@ChoppedLiver How is this not done "properly"?
This is wonderful. The only things I find stange are a.) why the Poké Transporter is not fully integrated but a separate app and b.) why you can only use box 1 to transfer Pokémon from your DS games to Bank. You first have to put all Pokémon you wanna tranfer in Box 1. Why can't you just select from any box like with Pal Park and the Tranfer Machine?
It's really stupid that you can only use Box 1 and organize it in the BW game itself,but hey,I'm happy to finally have all my Pokémon back,even if it took a good hour and a half to do so.
@Swiket
Yeah, that system is reeeally weird. But I'm still glad it's finally out.
Its really annoying that it uses the one box system but hey its better then the silly mini games from before. While its a pain at least it does 30 Pokémon at once instead of 6
The system is by no means perfect but in comparison to past methods it's far superior. It took me over an hour to move everything but I was able to maintain a good rhythm with changing carts, moving pokemon to box one then transporter then to bank.
Poke Transporter sucks..... Why you can't trade Pokemon back to Gen V is beyond me.
You are able to send Pokegenned Pokemon! I sent a level 100 Rayquaza that was 100% hacked but looked 100% Legit! That is awesome and now I can have 3000 of them in Pokebank!
So glad it's out. Poké Transporter is annoying because you can only do one box at a time. It's not the incapability backwards transferring that's really bothering me.
Yep, I added the accent mark. What now!
Question for you Pokemasters: only game I've played in the series is Diamond (Gen 4, I believe?). I really liked it. I thought about getting X/Y but don't think I can get all my old Pokemon (I garnered a pretty epic collection in that one game) without picking up Black/White. It's a pretty big obstacle to getting back into the series. Any chance this app can help me with that problem? Is there any possible way to rescue those Pokemon from Sinnoh without buying Black/White?
@ferthepoet
Yes, but it's a huge storage system for TONS of Pokémon players. They need to pay something. They only have money trees in Animal Crossing.
@earthboundlink
Sorry, the game can only transfer Pokémon from Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. I know, I wish it would work with Gen 4 games. I hate that mini game, it's time consuming!
Oh well. I don't really have the time or money to put into a Pokemon game anyway. Thanks for the response.
So if I restart my pokemon y, will all my pokemon in the bank be lost?
Need to know asap plz!
I'm so happy there is a standard for transfering pokemons between generations from now on, to get my Diamond-pokemon over to Black2 then to the bank through the transporter was torture, but it's all over now
...buuut, what about flipnote? I'm still waiting
From Fire Red/Leaf Green and Ruby/Sapphire to Diamond/Pearl to Black(2)/White(2) to Pokemon bank to Pokemon X and Y... Is it worth it? I think it is.
So I reset my game of Pokemon Y and now the Pokemon Link in the main menu is gone. I tried going to the bank and seeing if there was anything that would get it back for me and I couldn't find anything. If anyone knows how to get the Pokemon Link back please tell me.
Tap here to load 54 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...