Gen VII Pokémon Bank – What We Know & What It All Means

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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?

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582 thoughts on “Gen VII Pokémon Bank – What We Know & What It All Means”

  2. Since barely anyone is talking about the article anymore, I will. I really do wonder how bank will do things. I feel like they are just gonna make a update. Adding national Dex, new mega stones, maybe some action and stuff like that, but to be totally honest idk how the gen 1 thing will work. If no old mega stones come back I will be very disappointed.

    Reply

  3. Hola

    Questions dawg

    Is there any animals (mundane or mythical) you feel are over due for inspiring a Pokémon? (including Pokémon you feel weren’t adapted well enough or were only partly the inspiration for something)

    >Like every dog breed, but especially
    (Any sort of bulldog, corgis, shibas, pugs, chihuahuas, papillons/phalènes, great danes, labs and retrievers)

    >Peacocks

    >Sea angels

    >Nearly every type of wolf

    >Krakens

    >Gorillas (Eww Slaking is bad)

    >A non legendary phoenix

    >Hydras (Hydreigon doesn’t resemble one at alllll besides being multi headed)

    >Cerberus

    Reply

  4. So funny thing that I believed:

    Before Sun and Moon came out, I made a bet with my friends and predicted that after X and Y’s gen there would be a new generation with it being based around the sun and the moon, with the sun legendary being a Griffin and the moon legend being a Wyvern. Ontop of that, I thought one of the starters would be a Grass/Flying type.

    And when the first Sun and Moon trailer came out with Rowlet, Popplio, Litten, Solgaleo, and Lunala, my jaw dropped. For the most part, I was right, with me being partially right about what the legendaries would look like. Like I was extremely happy to see all that I predicted was true.

    Reply

  13. What I WISH they would give us is Gen II on the VC. >.<
    Gold/Silver/Crystal were my FAVORITE games growing up, and they are still tied for first as my favorite in the entire franchise.

    What I wouldn't give to be able to hunt my long lost Gen II Shinies, without ever having to worry about a dying internal battery again…

    And being able to transfer them to future games via Bank? YES PLEASE.

    Reply

    • hmmmmm if i were to do a Crystal run……
      Typlosion
      Quagsire
      Donphan
      Ursaring
      Heracross
      Manetine? i wanted Octillery but they stupidly didn’t add Remoraid to Crystal

      Reply

  17. Ok this is nuts, i cannot get a frigging Teddiursa to be captured
    even using the almighty power that is the throttle and spent 8 hours in-game time finding one

    Reply

  20. so i am totally loving my one the fly Crystal rom and this is my status
    Badges: 1
    Totodile 16
    Phanpy 11
    Zubat 6
    Teddiursa 10

    Reply

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