Pokemon Bank will be free for a month to let players transfer to Pokemon Home

Pokémon Home is on its way, and to help players transfer their beloved Pokémon partners to the new service, the previous iteration, Pokémon Bank, is going to be free for a month.

The Pokémon Company announced on its website that Pokémon Bank will be free to let players transfer Pokémon to the new Home app. The company did warn, though, that once a Pokémon is transferred, it cannot be sent back. 

Pokémon Bank was the first iteration of Pokémon Home. The 3DS app allowed players to transfer Pokémon to an off-game bank where their collection could sit happily and safely. Pokémon Bank was, controversially, a paid feature, but the cost wasn’t high, topping off at $5 per year. It was compatible with most of the 3DS generation of Pokémon games, including X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Sun and Moon. It held up to 3,000 Pokémon. 

The official details of the upcoming Pokémon Home feature were finally released today—including its $15 annual price tag. Home will hold up to 6,000 Pokémon, and for longtime fans, that massive amount of space will be necessary.

Pokémon Home improves on this system for a little extra money. It will hold double the amount of Pokémon and is compatible with Pokémon Bank, Pokémon Lets Go Eevee and Pikachu, and Pokémon Sword and Shield, and it brings back the beloved GTS. The company said it plans to add Pokémon Go functionality to the system in the future, according to their website. 

The release date for Pokémon Home is still unknown. The company has promised a February 2020 release, but no specific date has been given. As a result, it is currently unknown when the free month for Pokémon Bank will begin, but it will likely be sometime in February 2020.