In celebration of Pokémon's 30th anniversary in 2026, the classic Gen 1 remakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, have been made available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Despite their release, these titles initially lacked compatibility with Pokémon Home, a crucial feature for many trainers. This oversight is set to be corrected in October 2026, when both games will finally receive the much-anticipated Home support, allowing players to seamlessly transfer their cherished Pokémon across various games in the franchise.
Once the connection between your game and Pokémon Home is established, you'll be able to move your favorite Pokémon from FireRed and LeafGreen into Home, and from there, into other Pokémon titles. It's important to note that this transfer is a one-way street: once a Pokémon moves from FireRed or LeafGreen to another game, it cannot return to its original title. For example, if you decide to take your FireRed Charizard on an adventure to Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, that Charizard will permanently reside in Legends: Z-A. Similarly, Pokémon from other games cannot be transferred into FireRed or LeafGreen.
As an added bonus, connecting Pokémon FireRed or LeafGreen to Home will grant players a Celebi. Furthermore, trainers who complete their in-game Pokédex will receive a Mythical Pokémon for free. You don't necessarily need to transfer your FireRed or LeafGreen Pokémon to Home to claim the Celebi; simply having them registered in your Pokédex will suffice for their registration in Home.
While the exact date for Pokémon Home support in October 2026 remains unspecified, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company have confirmed that the update will also increase the storage capacity for Pokémon Premium Home subscribers from 6,000 to 9,000. Additionally, for the first time, trainers will be able to transfer Pokémon Go Pokémon caught with a Safari Ball to Home, where the ball will transform into a Strange Ball.
On a less positive note, the Nintendo 3DS application Pokémon Bank is scheduled to cease operations on February 25, 2027, at 10 p.m. EST. After this date, trainers will no longer be able to transfer their Pokémon from Bank to Home, highlighting the importance of migrating any desired Pokémon before the shutdown.
In summary, the upcoming Pokémon Home integration for FireRed and LeafGreen marks a significant milestone for fans, enabling greater connectivity and collection management. This update, coupled with increased storage for premium users and new transfer options for Pokémon Go, promises to enhance the overall Pokémon experience. However, the impending closure of Pokémon Bank underscores the need for trainers to act proactively in transferring their Pokémon to Home to avoid losing access to their collections.
