How to transfer Pokémon from Home to Pokémon Champions step by step

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If you've made it this far, it's because you want to transfer your Pokémon from Pokémon Home to Pokémon Champions , and the system is driving you a little crazy. Don't worry, you're not alone: ​​between versions, hidden buttons, and strange "visit" rules, it's easy to get lost even if you've been playing the series for years.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll find everything you need to connect Pokémon Home to Pokémon Champions , send and return Pokémon, understand what can and can't be moved, and even how to transfer creatures from almost any previous game (Go, Switch, 3DS, even older generations) to Home to then use them in Champions. Let's get down to business; there's a lot to cover.

What is Pokémon Home and how does it fit with Pokémon Champions?

Pokémon Home is the modern evolution of the classic Pokémon box system , inheriting innovations like the Time Capsule from Gold and Silver or the Pokémon Bank on the Nintendo 3DS. It functions as a large cloud-based storage system where you can keep your creatures from different games in one central location.

The app is available on both Nintendo Switch and iOS and Android mobile devices , and while both versions share the same storage base, each has its own features. The Switch app is the gateway to console games (Scarlet and Purple, Sword and Shield, etc.), while the mobile version allows you to trade with other players and manage some additional options.

What's interesting for this guide is that Pokémon Champions connects directly to Pokémon Home . Champions doesn't permanently store your Pokémon: your creatures "visit" from Home, battle and train there, and then can return to their box with their original stats intact.

In addition to Champions, Home is compatible with many other recent titles in the series , and with the help of Pokémon Bank you can even rescue Pokémon from generations as old as Game Boy Advance, as long as you follow the correct transfer chain.

Games compatible with Pokémon Home and general limits

Before you start moving Pokémon around, it's important to know which games communicate with Pokémon Home and in which direction , because not all of them work the same way or allow round trips.

Among the Nintendo Switch games, the following can currently be connected directly to Home (i.e., from the Switch app):

• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Purple
• Pokemon Legends: Arceus
• Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl
• Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield
• Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
• Pokemon Legends ZA
• Pokémon Champions (via the specific connection icon)

Furthermore, the Home mobile app can connect with Pokémon Go , allowing you to send Pokémon from Go to Home using Go Transporter. This opens the door to transferring creatures caught in the wild to Switch games, always using Home as an intermediary.

However, not all games allow two-way transfers. In the main Switch titles (Scarlet/Purple, Sword/Shield, Brilliant Diamond/Shielding Pearl, Arceus Legends), you can only transfer Pokémon that are included in the game's Pokédex or are officially compatible . If a Pokémon isn't part of that game's Pokédex, you'll see warning icons on the Home screen, and you won't be able to move it.

Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee also works with Home, but with an important distinction: you can move creatures from Let's Go to Home and from Home to other games , but any Pokémon that leaves Let's Go for another title can no longer be used in Let's Go ever again.

However, when you send Pokémon from older 3DS games using Pokémon Bank, the journey is one-way . Once a Pokémon enters Pokémon HOME from the Bank, it can no longer return to the original 3DS game it came from.

Account requirements, plans, and differences between Home versions

To use Pokémon Home on both Switch and mobile, you must sign in with a Nintendo Account . This allows your collection to be shared across devices and lets you manage your boxes from wherever is most convenient.

Pokémon Home offers a free plan and a paid Premium plan . With the free plan, you can store a limited number of Pokémon and use basic features, but if you want to transfer creatures from Pokémon Bank (i.e., from the 3DS), you absolutely need a Premium subscription . It's a bit of a hassle, but it's the only way to retrieve your entire collection from previous generations.

In terms of features, the Nintendo Switch version is the only one that connects directly to Switch family console games and, in general, offers quite convenient box and Pokédex navigation with a controller. The mobile version, on the other hand, allows online trading (GTS, Wonder Box, group trades, and trades with friends), as well as reviewing more detailed information about each Pokémon.

To connect with Pokémon Champions and send and receive Pokémon, you can use either the Switch or mobile version . You don't need the Premium plan for this specific connection; you only need to have Pokémon HOME updated to version 4.0.0 or higher.

How to link Pokémon Home with Pokémon Champions

One of the biggest headaches for many players is that the Champions icon doesn't appear in Pokémon Home , or the game doesn't recognize their account. If you're in that situation, check these points because you might be missing a small detail.

First, make sure you've already played Pokémon Champions with the Nintendo Account you use for Home . Champions must have created your Trainer profile (ID, name, etc.) for Home to recognize it. Playing a short match is usually enough.

Next, check that Pokémon Home is updated to version 4.0.0 or higher . On Switch, the console should update the app automatically upon launch, and on mobile, you can check for updates in the app store.

Once this is verified, follow these steps to link your account from Nintendo Switch:

• Open Pokémon Home on your Nintendo Switch and sign in if you haven't already.
• In the main menu, look in the lower right area for Pokémon Champions icon.
• When you select it, Home will display the Your Champions Manager name and your user ID.
• Check that the data is correct and press "Yes" to complete the link between accounts.

If you prefer to do it from your mobile phone, the procedure is very similar:

• Open the app Pokémon Home on iOS or Android.
• In the main menu, press on "Options".
• Within the "Connection with Pokémon Champions" section, tap the button “Send a visit”.
• Home will check your account and should Show your Champions profile; confirm with “Yes” if the data matches.

If after all this the Champions icon still doesn't appear or the "Receive from Home" option within Champions isn't working, check two things: that you're using the same Nintendo Account for both games and that you're not experiencing online connection problems or server maintenance. Sometimes, simply restarting your console or the mobile app resolves the issue.

Send visiting Pokémon from Pokémon Home to Pokémon Champions

With your account now linked, the key step is to send your Pokémon to Champions so you can use them in battles. It's important to understand that they don't disappear from Home; they are simply "reserved" while they are away.

Sending a visit is always initiated from Pokémon Home , never from Champions. You can use either the Switch or mobile version, although the menus look slightly different. The basic flow is as follows:

• Open Pokémon Home and tap the button or icon of Pokémon Champions in the bottom right corner (or “Send a visit” in the options menu on mobile).
• You'll see your Home boxes and you'll be able to Select the Pokémon you want to send visiting Champions League.
• When you have your selection ready (they will be marked with a tick or highlighted), press “Send a visit”.
• Accept the notices and confirmations that appear on the screen.

There are several important details here: from Home you can send up to 30 Pokémon at a time , and Champions can have a maximum of 1.000 visiting Pokémon , provided you have space in its boxes. Home will show a prohibited icon (a red circle with a line through it) on Pokémon that are not compatible with Champions , so you won't be able to select them.

Please note that some incompatible Pokémon don't immediately display the banned icon ; in these cases, the system will warn you during the submission process and won't allow you to complete it with those Pokémon. In any case, the general rule is clear: you can only submit Pokémon that are listed in the Champions Pokédex.

Once the shipment is accepted in Home, it's time to complete the reception from Pokémon Champions itself, otherwise your Pokémon will remain "in transit" and will not appear in the game.

Receive Pokémon sent in Pokémon Champions

After initiating the visit from Home, it's time to switch games. To have your Pokémon appear in the Champions Box , follow these steps within the game itself:

• Start Pokémon Champions and enter the menu of "Fichajes" from the main screen.
• Select option “Receive from Pokémon Home”; it will usually appear highlighted with a red exclamation mark icon when there are Pokémon waiting to be received.
• You will see on screen the list of Pokémon that you just sent to visit from Home.
• Confirm again in “Receive from Pokémon Home” and accepts the notices about statistics and compatibility.

At that point, the selected creatures will be transferred to your Pokémon Champions Box , and you can begin using them on your battle teams. If you see an option on the final screen to immediately return them to Home, you can use it if you accidentally sent something.

It's quite common for some Pokémon to display a "forbidden" icon above their portrait when you enter the Champions Box . This indicates that the Pokémon knows a move that isn't available in Champions . In that case, you won't be able to use it in battle until you change that move to a valid one.

To fix this, go to the Training menu in Champions and replace the banned moves with compatible ones. This change will usually cost you HP or other training resources , but that's the price you pay for using exotic move sets from other games.

Special Rules: Visiting Pokémon, Statistics, and Restrictions

Unlike other games in the series, in Pokémon Champions your Pokémon from Home are not permanently transferred . They are automatically considered visiting Pokémon , which has several important consequences.

On one hand, while a Pokémon is visiting Champions, it still occupies its storage slot in Home . It doesn't disappear from your main box, nor is space freed up by sending it to Champions. It's as if it were a temporary copy used only in this competitive title.

Additionally, while a Pokémon is marked as a visitor in Champions, you will not be able to perform certain actions with it in Pokémon Home :

• You can not transfer it to other games in the main series from Home.
• It's not possible trade it via GTS, Wonder Box, group trades, or with friends.
• Will not be able release it nor erase it from the boxes.
• It can not mark or unmark as favorite.
• You can not change the labels that it has assigned.

Regarding statistics, Champions uses the Pokémon's data from Home (levels, nature, IVs, moves, etc.) to generate its internal parameters in this game . There you can train it, improve some characteristics, and adjust moves, but there's a catch: when the Pokémon returns to Home, everything gained in Champions disappears.

In other words, if you raise stats, change moves, or modify any aspect that only exists in Champions, when you return the Pokémon to Home, its data will revert to its original values ​​from before you left. Training in Champions is, for the purposes of Home and the other games, temporary.

There's an additional nuance: if you return a Pokémon to Home and later send it back to Champions , the game will restore the training changes you applied the first time in Champions… unless you send it back in a different form (for example, a different regional form). In that case, it's considered a new visit, and the training results are reset.

You should also remember that no Pokémon originally obtained in Pokémon Champions can be transferred to Pokémon Home . Champions only receives visitors; it is not a source of new Pokémon for the cartridge and Home ecosystem.

Returning Pokémon from Pokémon Champions to Pokémon Home

When you get tired of using a certain team in Champions or simply want to free up an away slot , you can easily send your Pokémon back to Home. In this case, the process starts in Champions and finishes in Home.

In Pokémon Champions, follow these steps:

• Enter the menu "Fichajes" from the main game screen.
• Select option “Return to Pokémon Home”.
• Select the Pokémon you want Send back to Home (You can return up to 30 at a time).
• Push the button X to confirm and check that your Pokémon Home account details are correct.
• Choose "Yes" to complete the shipment.

Once you've done that, the second half of the process is still missing, which is completed from the Home app. Without this step, the Pokémon will remain in transit and won't appear in your boxes.

In Pokémon Home, on both Switch and mobile, all you have to do is:

• Enter the main menu and choose “Pokémon Champions” in the bottom right corner (or the corresponding section in the mobile app).
• Accept the dialogues that appear to receive the returned Pokémon.
• After loading, the creatures will be available again in their usual boxes.

Once the Pokémon have returned to Home, they behave like any other : you can move them to other compatible games, trade them, release them, mark them as favorites, or change their tags without any additional limitations.

Connecting with Pokémon Go and sending Pokémon to Home and Champions

If you regularly play Pokémon Go, you'll want to take advantage of the option to transfer your catches from your phone to Pokémon Home . From there, many of them can eventually be used in Pokémon Champions, provided they're included in the game's Pokédex.

To link Pokémon Go with Home, follow these steps in Go:

• Open Pokémon Go and press the button shaped like a Poké Ball at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap on "Options" in the upper right corner.
• Scroll to the section “Connected devices and services”.
• Choose “Pokémon Home”.
• Link your Go account with the same Nintendo Account that you use on Home.

Once the accounts are linked, you can send Pokémon from Go to Home using Go Transporter . This system works with a Transfer Energy bar that depletes depending on the type of Pokémon you transfer and regenerates over time, unless you pay PokéCoins to recharge it.

To make a transfer from Go to Home:

• In Options > Pokémon Home, tap on “Send Pokémon”.
• Accesses Go Transporter and click on “Continue”.
• Choose the Pokémon you want to send (you can select several at once).
• Confirm with "Move" to send them to Home.

The Pokémon won't appear in your Home boxes until you complete the transfer process through the Home app . When you open Home on your phone, you'll see a notification indicating that there are Pokémon from Go.

• Choose "Yes" when it asks you if you want to receive them.
• After a loading screen, you'll see the list of transferred Pokémon; tap “Receiving Pokémon”.
• If there isn't enough space in Home, you'll have to free up space or improve your plan and then try receiving again from the corresponding section of Go.

Please note several specific limitations of this connection:

First, Pokémon sent from Pokémon Go to Pokémon Home can never return to Pokémon Go . The journey is one-way. Furthermore, not all Pokémon are eligible for transfer. For example, Spinda, Black/White Kyurem, Shadow Pokémon, permanent Mega Evolutions, and certain event Pokémon with special outfits (such as some costumed Pokémon or Armored Mewtwo) cannot be sent.

There are also cases where alternate forms of Pokémon in Go are simplified to a standard form in Home . For example, Sunny/Rainy/Snowy Castform becomes normal Castform, Sunny Cherrim becomes Cloudy Cherrim, Giratina Origin Forme is registered as Giratina Altered Forme, and the same happens with other forms such as Zen Mode Darmanitan, Brave Forme Keldeo, Pirouette Meloetta, or Genesect with elemental modules, which revert to their base forms.

As a reward, the first time you transfer Pokémon from GO to HOME, you'll receive a special Melmetal in HOME that can Gigantamax , which you can claim from the Mystery Gift menu in the mobile app. Additionally, after a transfer, you can open a Mystery Box in GO that will spawn Meltan for a limited time.

If you want those Pokémon that just arrived from Go to end up participating in Champions battles, you just have to follow the same steps for sending a visit from Home that we explained before, always making sure that they are species compatible with the Champions Pokédex.

Transfers from 3DS: Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter

For those who still have their 3DS cartridges, it's still possible to rescue Pokémon from games like X/Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire or even from the virtual console versions of Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal and eventually bring them to Home.

The process necessarily involves two Nintendo 3DS applications: Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter . Both are downloaded from the eShop (if you already have them) and function as an intermediate step before Home.

To transfer Pokémon from 3DS games (X/Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon) to Home, follow this procedure:

• Make sure your 3DS is updated and you have Pokémon Bank installed.
• Move the Pokémon you want to transfer to the Pokémon Bank boxes from your 3DS game.
• In the Bank's main menu, choose the option “Move Pokémon to Pokémon Home”.
• Now, on your Nintendo Switch or smartphone, open Pokémon Home to generate a transfer key:

On the Switch version, from the Home main menu, select the icon labeled “Home (3DS)” . On the mobile app, go to Menu > Options > Account and tap the “Move” button at the bottom of the section. In both cases, when you tap “Start Transfer”, Home will generate a time-limited numeric key (valid for about three minutes) that you must enter into Pokémon Bank to begin the transfer.

Once confirmed, the system will take a while to move all your Pokémon from the Bank to Pokémon HOME. The next time you access Pokémon HOME on your Switch , you'll be able to complete the transfer and see your Pokémon in your HOME boxes. Remember that a Pokémon HOME Premium subscription is required to use this feature.

For even older 3DS games, such as Pokémon Black/White and Black/White 2, or the Virtual Console versions of Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal, Poké Transporter is used as a preliminary step before using the Bank:

• In the original game, fill the first PC box with the Pokémon you want to transfer.
• Open the app Portkey Poké on the 3DS and use it to move all the Pokémon from that first box to the Pokémon Bank transfer box.
• Then open the Pokémon Bank and distribute those Pokémon through the Bank's boxes.
• Make sure that the transfer case is empty before repeating the process with more Pokémon.
• Once you are at the bank tellers, you will be able to Use them in the "Move to Pokémon Home" option as we have explained before.

Keep several things in mind: items cannot be transferred via the Bank, so any item a Pokémon is carrying will be returned to the original 3DS game's bag. Transfers from older games to later ones cannot be undone . The Bank itself is also a paid service (with a small annual fee), although during free trial periods, you could withdraw Pokémon for a limited time.

When transferring from the virtual console versions of Red/Blue/Yellow or Gold/Silver/Crystal, Pokémon receive additional modern stats (abilities, nature, separation of Special Attack and Special Defense, etc.), adapting them to the current battle system.

How to transfer Pokémon from Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS to Home

Although neither Pokémon Bank nor Home connect directly to Game Boy Advance cartridges , it is still possible to set up a chain of transfers to rescue creatures from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen and older Nintendo DS titles such as Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The path, broadly speaking, is as follows:

• From Game Boy Advance (Gen 3) a fourth generation games (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver) using a compatible Nintendo DS that accepts GBA and DS cartridges.
• From fourth generation to fifth generation (White/Black and White 2/Black 2) connecting two DS or 3DS consoles and using the Transfer Station or internal functions.
• From the fifth generation to the Pokémon Bank using the Poké Transporter, and from there to Home as previously explained.

However, the original Generations 1 and 2 games on physical cartridges (Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal) cannot be directly uploaded . Only their Virtual Console versions on the 3DS are compatible with Poké Transporter. Currently, this is the only official way to "rescue" those older Pokémon and have them in Pokémon HOME.

Although the process is a bit of a technical ordeal, the reward is clear: you'll be able to use Pokémon in Champions that you started training many generations ago , as long as they are on the list of creatures allowed in competitive play.

With all this network of connections, versions, and visit rules, it might seem incredibly complicated, but once you understand that Home is the command center, that Champions only receives temporary guests, and that each previous generation has its own specific "bridge," moving your Pokémon becomes quite routine. With your account properly linked, your games updated, and respecting the compatibility and transfer limitations, the experience of bringing your favorites from Home to Champions and back is quite seamless, allowing you to enjoy competitive play with creatures that have been with you for years.