Pokémon Bank, the massive online storage system and transfer means for Pokémon, is due for a major overhaul by the end of January 2017 – here’s what we’ll get in the update and what it means for Generation VII!
As of right now, Pokémon Bank is only compatible with Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. And its companion app, Poké Transporter, is only compatible with Pokémon Black, White, Black 2 and White 2; bridging the gap between Gen III and Gen VI if you use the proper transfer channels in each subsequent game.
In short, the promised update will make Bank compatible with Pokémon Sun and Moon, and allow Transporter to make transfers from Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow on the Virtual Console. Along with this new compatibility, a brand new National Pokédex feature will be implemented into Bank: grabbing data from XY, ORAS and SM to see if you’ve caught them all! But other than those two changes, no other details have been released on whether or not other features will be added.
So What Does This All Mean?
Like we’ve discovered with other transfer means in the past, once you transfer a Pokemon from any previous generation to Pokémon Sun & Moon, it won’t be able to go back to that era of games. That means any ‘mons you bring over from Gen VI to Sun & Moon even once cannot make a trek back to XY and ORAS. Why is this such a big deal? Well, there are so many things that aren’t currently obtainable in Sun & Moon. Take Mega Stones for example: since items aren’t transferable via Bank, and only a little under half of the Mega Stones are available for purchase in game, most of these forms are now constricted and exclusive to Gen VI (for now).
More over, this is the first time since Generation II that Gen I Pokémon will be able to be brought over to a newer era of games. It’s been a solid twenty years since we took our first steps into the Kanto Region, and in that time dozens upon dozens of changes have been made to the game. Back in RBY, Pokémon only had four IVs – Attack, Defense, Speed and Special – and only had a maximum value of 15. It wasn’t until the overhaul in Gen III that we adopted the current 6 IV, 31 value IV system that we all know and love. So what will happen to our beloved Gen I Pokémon? Will their IVs and Natures just be randomly assigned upon transfer, or will there be a way to influence these changes? Will some Pokémon just randomly transfer as shiny since they didn’t exist until Gen II? There have just been so many changes, and unfortunately we won’t get any of the answers until Pokémon Bank updates sometime this month.
What are some features you want to see in the future of Pokémon Bank? Any predictions on what event Pokémon we may get with the update if at all?
