You can only transfer certain Pokémon into Sword and Shield

Best answer: Nintendo has revealed a new trading and storage cloud service called Pokémon Home, which will be compatible with Pokémon Sword and Shield. You'll be able to transfer Pokémon from your Pokémon Bank account into your Pokémon Home account. Pokémon Home will release on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices.

• Blue Sword: Pokémon Sword ($60 pre-order at Amazon)
• Red Shield: Pokémon Shield ($60 pre-order at Amazon)
• Pokémon Bank: Pokémon Bank for 3DS ($5/year at Nintendo)

What is Pokémon Bank?

Pokémon Bank is a Pokémon storage service that was introduced on the Nintendo 3DS. For just $5 a year, you can store and manage up to 3,000 of your captured Pokémon from Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby, and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. That way players can trade Pokémon from compatible Pokémon games to get their ultimate Pokémon dream team. It is also a great resource for players who want to start their games over without losing rare Pokémon, or for gamers who compete in Pokémon competitions.

Can you transfer Pokémon from a 3DS game to Pokémon Switch games?

It does look like you'll be able to store Pokémon caught on 3DS games into the new Pokémon Home cloud service. However, whether or not Pokémon originally caught on a 3DS game can in turn be transferred into Pokémon Sword and Shield is still unknown. As stated previously, we know that only certain Pokémon will be usable in the Galar region so it might just depend on the Pokémon you want to transfer. We'll need to wait for Nintendo and Game Freak to release additional information.

What is Pokémon Home?

Pokémon Home is a new cloud service for trading and storing Pokémon that was revealed during the 2019 Pokémon Press Conference. It will work with Pokémon Bank, Pokémon GO, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee!, and the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield games. This new app is currently in development and is set to release for Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices sometime in 2020.

In 2018 during an interview conducted by GameSpot, Pokémon director, Junichi Masuda, stated that the company was working on making it possible for Pokémon gamers to transfer Pokémon from older releases to the Nintendo Switch Pokémon games. Here are Masuda's words on the subject.

"I mean, obviously, people would be very sad if they couldn't use their Pokémon in a future game. So, it does get complicated when you talk about the details and we're still figuring it out, but we do have plans to find ways to let players use their Pokémon in the next game."

At the time we weren't sure if this meant that Pokémon Bank would survive in its current form or if Game Freak would create a new way for gamers to bring previous Pokémon to the new Pokémon Sword and Shield Switch games. Now, we know that there is a new Pokémon Home cloud app that will allow gamers to trade and store Pokémon from Pokémon Bank, Pokémon GO, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. There's still much to learn. We'll post updates when we learn anything new.

Are there any limitations with Pokemon Home?

We got a ton of new information about Pokémon Sword and Shield at E3 2019, but not all of it was good. During the Nintendo Treehouse livestream Junichi Masuda revealed that you'd only be able to transfer Pokémon into Sword and Shield from Pokémon Home if that Pokémon was in the Galar region Pokédex. This means that some of your old catches won't be usable in the new games.

In previous games that worked with the Pokémon Bank service, you were able to--for example, in Sun and Moon--bring over any Pokemon, even if they weren't in the Alola Pokédex. . . At Game Freak we really spent a lot of time thinking about what the best way to move forward was, really preserving the quality of all the different Pokémon while also taking into account the battle balance, having so many different Pokémon available, all within a limited development time so we don't keep fans waiting too long for every new entry in the series. And after a lot of discussion, we decided to come to a new direction.

Considering that there are now over 800 Pokémon you can see how creating the visuals and coding for each and every one would delay the production of the Switch games further. We still aren't happy with it, but you can kind of see where Game Freak is coming from.

Which Pokémon can I transfer into Sword and Shield?

Since only some Pokémon from previous generations will be able to transfer into the new Switch games we've made a list of the ones that we've seen in Sword and Shield gameplay. We'll update this list as we learn more.

• Abomasnow
• Arcanine
• Avalugg
• Axew
• Bergmite
• Bewear
• Boldore
• Bounsweet
• Braviary
• Bronzor
• Bronzong
• Budew
• Bunnelby
• Butterfree
• Charmander
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• Charjabug
• Chinchou
• Cinccino
• Caterpie
• Cleffa
• Clefairy
• Clefable
• Combee
• Croagunk
• Deino
• Diggersby
• Diglett
• Drifloon
• Drifblim
• Dugtrio
• Duosion
• Dusknoir
• Dusclops
• Duskull
• Eevee
• Electrike
• Espeon
• Espurr
• Feebas
• Ferroseed
• Ferrothorn
• Flareon
• Flygon
• Fraxure
• Frillish
• Froslass
• Gallade
• Garbodor
• Galvantula
• Gardevoir
• Gastly
• Gengar
• Gigalith
• Glaceon
• Glalie
• Goldeen
• Golett
• Golisopod
• Golurk
• Goodra
• Goomy
• Gourgeist
• Growlithe
• Grubbin
• Gyrados
• Hakamo-o
• Haunter
• Hawlucha
• Haxorus
• Helioptile
• Heliolisk
• Hippopotas
• Hippowdon
• Hitmonchan
• Hitmonlee
• Hitmontop
• Hoothoot
• Hydreigon
• Inkay
• Jangmo-o
• Jellicent
• Jolteon
• Joltik
• Kirlia
• Koffing
• Kommo-o
• Lanturn
• Lapras
• Larvitar
• Leafeon
• Liepard
• Linoone
• Lombre
• Lotad
• Lucario
• Ludicolo
• Machop
• Machoke
• Machamp
• Magikarp
• Malamar
• Manectric
• Mantine
• Mantyke
• Maractus
• Mareanie
• Mawile
• Meowstic
• Metapod
• Mew
• Mimikyu
• Minccino
• Milotic
• Mudbray
• Mudsdale
• Munchlax
• Ninetales
• Noctowl
• Noibat
• Noivern
• Onix
• Palpitoad
• Pancham
• Pangoro
• Pelipper
• Pichu
• Pikachu
• Pumpkaboo
• Pupitar
• Purrloin
• Quagsire
• Raichu
• Ralts
• Reuniclus
• Rhydon
• Rhyperior
• Riolu
• Roggenrola
• Roselia
• Roserade
• Rufflet
• Sawk
• Scrappy
• Seaking
• Seismitoad
• Sliggoo
• Slurpuff
• Sneasel
• Snorlax
• Snover
• Solosis
• Steelix
• Stenee
• Stufful
• Swirlix
• Swoobat
• Sylveon
• Togepi
• Togetic
• Togekiss
• Toxapex
• Toxicroak
• Trapinch
• Trubbish
• Tsareena
• Tympole
• Tyranitar
• Tyrogue
• Umbreon
• Vanillite
• Vanillish
• Vanilluxe
• Vaporeon
• Vespiquen
• Vibrava
• Vikavolt
• Vulpix
• Wailmer
• Wailord
• Weavile
• Woobat
• Wooper
• Wobbuffet
• Wimpod
• Wingull
• Wishiwashi
• Wynaut
• Zwelious

Blue Sword

Pokémon Sword

$60 pre-order at Amazon

Explore the Galar region in Pokémon Sword

Generation 8 is almost here with the upcoming Pokémon Sword game. Capture Pokémon, battle in gyms, and explore a brand new map as you prove that you are the greatest Pokémon trainer of them all. You'll be able to trade Pokémon with other Switch gamers who own their own copies of Pokémon Sword or Shield.

Red Shield

Pokémon Shield

$60 pre-order at Amazon

Catch 'Em All in Pokémon Shield

Explore the Galar region as you make your way to each gym and capture every Pokémon you come across. This game features three new starters to choose from and the ability to choose whether your character is a boy or a girl. Trade Pokémon with other Sword and Shield players to fill out your Pokédex.

Pokémon Bank

Pokémon Bank for 3DS

$5/year at Nintendo

Transfer and store pocket monsters

Pokémon Bank allows you to store and manage up to 3,000 Pokémon from several different Pokémon 3DS games. Create your dream team by transferring your favorite monsters from Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.