Pokémon HOME is an essential tool for any Pokémon trainer looking to collect and manage their Pokémon across multiple games. One of the key features of Pokémon HOME is the box system that allows you to store your Pokémon. However, the number of free boxes you get depends on whether you are using the Basic or Premium version of Pokémon HOME. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down exactly how many free boxes you get with each version and how to unlock more box space.
Overview of Pokémon HOME Boxes
In Pokémon HOME, your Pokémon are stored in boxes with each box holding up to 30 Pokémon. This provides an easy way to organize and sort your Pokémon collection.
The number of total boxes and free boxes you get depends on your Pokémon HOME membership:
- Basic: 1 free box (max capacity of 30 Pokémon)
- Premium: 6 free boxes (max capacity of 180 Pokémon)
With a Premium plan, you can expand your storage by unlocking up to 200 additional boxes for a max storage of 6,000 Pokémon.
Basic Plan – 1 Free Box
The Basic version of Pokémon HOME is free to download and use. However, you only get access to a single Pokémon Box that can hold 30 Pokémon.
This allows you to store a small collection of Pokémon but makes completing even a single Pokédex challenging. You‘ll constantly need to swap out your stored Pokémon as you capture and trade more.
The single box also limits what you can do with online trading and transferring. For example, you can only place one Pokémon at a time in the Wonder Box and Global Trade System (GTS).
Overall, the Basic version gives you a taste of Pokémon HOME but is very restrictive for long-term use.
Premium Plan – 6 Free Boxes
Upgrading to the Premium version of Pokémon HOME greatly expands your storage capabilities.
With a paid Premium subscription, you receive six free Pokémon Boxes. Each box holds 30 Pokémon, so your starting storage is 180 Pokémon.
This gives you much more flexibility to store Pokémon from multiple games, complete Pokédexes, and engage in more active trading.
Some key benefits over the Basic plan:
- Store up to 180 Pokémon right away
- Place up to 10 Pokémon in the Wonder Box at once
- Have 6 active trades in the GTS instead of just 1
- Transfer more Pokémon from Pokémon GO and Pokémon Bank
While six boxes may still feel limiting for serious collectors, it‘s a major improvement over Basic. And you can continue to expand by purchasing additional boxes.
Expanding Pokémon HOME Boxes
Once you need more storage beyond the free boxes, you can purchase additional Pokémon Boxes through Pokémon HOME.
Each box adds 30 slots and costs $2.99 on a monthly basis or $4.99 for a yearly subscription per box.
This allows you to custom tailor your storage to fit your specific needs. You can unlock anywhere from 1 to 200 additional boxes.
With all 200 extra boxes purchased, your total Pokémon HOME storage is 6,000 Pokémon spread across 206 boxes. This is more than enough room for even the most dedicated collector!
The only downside is the extra yearly costs which can add up. But for serious Pokémon trainers, the investment is well worth it.
Tips for Managing Limited Boxes
If you don‘t want to pay for extra Pokémon HOME boxes, here are some tips for managing your storage with the free boxes:
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Only keep your favorites – Be selective and only store your most prized Pokémon. Transfer anything you don‘t absolutely need to Professor Oak.
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Organize by generation – Use each free box for a different set of games. Like Box 1 for Pokémon Red/Blue, Box 2 for Gold/Silver, etc.
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Offload to other games – Keep some Pokémon stored in older games using Pokémon Bank and only transfer to HOME when needed.
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Rotate your active team – Don‘t keep full teams stored long-term. Set your active battling team of 6 aside and rotate others through HOME.
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Leverage FREE Pokémon Bank – From March 2023, all Pokémon Bank features will be free. Use this to store legacy Pokémon.
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Complete smaller Pokédex sets – Focus on regional Dexes rather than entire National Dex when storage is limited.
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Trade wisely – Only make trades that are essential to your collections. Hoarding for trades will eat up box spots.
While the single free Pokémon Box may be frustrating, a little planning goes a long way to working within the restrictions!
Do Pokémon Ever Get Deleted From HOME?
One concern when you have limited Pokémon HOME boxes is what happens if your subscription lapses. Do you lose Pokémon?
The good news is that your Pokémon will NOT be deleted if your Premium subscription ends. However, you will lose the ability to view or withdraw any Pokémon beyond the single Basic box.
According to the Pokémon support page:
The Pokémon will remain in Pokémon HOME for a certain period of time. You will not be able to view or withdraw any Pokémon that are not in your Basic Box.
So your Pokémon are still safe if your subscription ends – you just can‘t access them until you re-subscribe and unlock those boxes again.
This gives you flexibility to take breaks from Pokémon HOME without worrying about losing your collection.
Benefits of Premium HOME Subscription
While the free Basic plan is very limited, a Premium subscription unlocks the full potential of Pokémon HOME:
- More storage – Up to 6,000 Pokémon across all boxes
- Enhanced trading – Higher max trades on GTS and Wonder Box
- Room trades – Trade directly with friends
- Judge function – View your Pokémon‘s stats and conditions
- Moving key – Instantly move Pokémon between boxes
Premium subscriptions costs $2.99 monthly, $4.99 for 3 months, or $15.99 annually. This unlocks all key features and storage.
For collectors and competitive trainers, the Premium version is almost mandatory. But casual players may find Basic meets their needs if storage is less critical.
Linking to Pokémon Games
To store Pokémon, you need to link Pokémon HOME to compatible Nintendo Switch and mobile games. Here are the currently supported titles:
Nintendo Switch
- Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
- Pokémon Let‘s Go Pikachu and Eevee
Mobile
- Pokémon GO
- Pokémon Masters EX
Pokémon can be transferred freely between linked games and Pokémon HOME. This allows you to collect Pokémon from across platforms.
Just remember your storage limits based on your Pokémon HOME subscription tier.
Transferring from Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO integration with Pokémon HOME is unique. Rather than standard transfers, you need to use the GO Transporter by linking your Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME accounts.
The Transporter becomes available after completing the initial tutorial in Pokémon GO.
With the Transporter you can move Pokémon in the following ways:
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One-way transfer – Permanently moves Pokémon from GO to HOME. Cannot be sent back to GO.
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Special Transporter Box – Allows temporary transfer between GO and HOME. Can be returned to GO once.
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Mystery Box – Special item that attracts Meltan when sent from GO to HOME. Recharges every 3 days.
The Special Transporter and Mystery Box provide nice options for temporary access to your GO Pokémon from within HOME.
And using the standard Transporter is the only way to permanently add your Pokémon GO collection to Pokémon HOME.
Transferring from Pokémon Bank
Another useful way to expand Pokémon HOME is to transfer Pokémon stored in the legacy Pokémon Bank application.
Pokémon Bank is the paid cloud service for Nintendo 3DS that allowed trading between Gen 6 and 7 games.
You can link the same Nintendo Account to Pokémon Bank and Pokémon HOME to enable direct transfers. This provides ongoing support for older Pokémon games.
As a bonus, from March 2023 Pokémon Bank will become a free service. So you‘ll be able to freely store and transfer legacy Pokémon to HOME.
Between Pokémon GO, Pokémon Bank, current Switch games, and future titles – you‘ll be able to accumulate a mighty Pokémon collection using Pokémon HOME!
HOME Connectivity with Scarlet and Violet
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet released in November 2022 as the first 9th generation Pokémon games. And full compatibility with Pokémon HOME was added in an update shortly after launch.
You can now transfer Pokémon freely between Scarlet/Violet and HOME. This is essential for completing your new Paldea Pokedex and accessing Pokémon not native to the region.
Here are some key tips for using Pokémon HOME with Scarlet and Violet:
- Send Pokémon from HOME to fill your Paldea Pokedex
- Transfer new catches back to HOME to store
- Manage your boxes in HOME since Scarlet/Violet has limited boxes
- Transfer old favorites to train in Paldea with new Tera Types
- Use GTS trades in HOME to get version-exclusive Pokémon
- Check battle statistics in HOME once you unlock rankings
As with all Pokémon titles, connectivity with Pokémon HOME vastly expands what you can achieve. So be sure to link up your Scarlet/Violet game as soon as possible.
Can You Evolve Pokémon in HOME?
A common question is whether you can actively evolve Pokémon while they are stored in Pokémon HOME.
Unfortunately, this is not possible according to the official FAQ. Pokémon do not gain experience or evolve while inside Pokémon HOME.
The only evolution that occurs automatically is if you transfer a Pokémon from GO or Let‘s Go that meets the criteria to evolve. For example, transferring a Pikachu with max happiness from Let‘s Go will prompt an immediate evolution to Raichu upon arrival in HOME.
But standard leveling and stone evolutions cannot happen in HOME. You need to transfer Pokémon back to a core game to actively evolve them through gameplay.
HOME does conveniently show you all the evolution conditions though. So you can easily see which of your Pokémon are ready to evolve once transferred back into a game.
Trading and Friend Features
Trading Pokémon is integral to completing your Pokédex and powering up your team. Pokémon HOME supports local and online trades through several methods.
Wonder Box – Trades Pokémon randomly with others around the world. Up to 10 trades at once with Premium.
Global Trade System (GTS) – Allows searching for specific Pokémon to trade. Make up to 6 simultaneous trade requests with Premium.
Friend Trades – Direct trades with players on your HOME friend list.
Room Trades – Create a trade room for up to 20 live trades with nearby players.
Transfer Key – Send 1 Pokémon to a friend who can then transfer it to their game.
These flexible options allow you to leverage the huge Pokémon community to efficiently trade and collect. Having a Premium HOME subscription greatly increases your trading power.
You can also build your friend list in HOME to coordinate future trades and transfers. While your Switch friend list doesn‘t carry over, you can search for friends by HOME username or link existing accounts.
Overall, online connectivity takes Pokémon collecting to the next level by giving you tools to easily trade and share.
Pokémon HOME Subscription Costs
Let‘s break down the full costs for premium subscriptions to Pokémon HOME and purchasing extra storage:
- Pokémon HOME Premium – $2.99 monthly, $4.99 quarterly, $15.99 annually
- Additional Boxes – $2.99 monthly or $4.99 yearly per box (up to 200 extra boxes)
So with the maximum 200 purchased boxes, the yearly costs would be:
- Pokémon HOME Premium – $15.99
- 200 Additional Boxes – $998 (200 x $4.99 each)
That‘s $1,013.99 per year for the complete 6,000 Pokémon storage capacity.
While costly for the max setup, you can customize your subscription to only unlock the number of extra boxes you actually need.
And you can cancel individual box subscriptions at any time while keeping your Pokémon stored in those boxes. Only your ability to withdraw Pokémon is affected if you stop paying.
So evaluate your personal needs and pay for only the required features and storage.
Maximizing Free Pokémon Bank
An easy way to expand your Pokémon storage at no cost is to take advantage of the free Pokémon Bank service coming in 2023.
As referenced earlier, Pokémon Bank on Nintendo 3DS will permanently become a free application starting March 2023.
Previously it was a $5 yearly subscription service to store and trade Pokémon between 3DS games like X/Y, Sun/Moon, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and the Virtual Console releases.
With Pokémon Bank going free, any Pokémon trainer who owns compatible 3DS games should download and use this legacy storage system.
Each Pokémon Bank account includes unlimited free Boxes. So you can store thousands of Pokémon from past generations at no cost.
And Pokémon Bank connects to Pokémon HOME for free transfers. So you can consolidate your legacy collections into one place.
I recommend every Pokémon fan with a 3DS install Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter before they are discontinued in March 2023. This future proofs your collection.
Then routinely transfer Pokémon up to HOME to integrate with your Switch games. Free Pokémon Bank is a great resource for long-time Pokémon fans.
Summary and Key Takeaways
- Pokémon HOME offers a powerful cross-game storage and trading solution for collecting Pokémon.
- Basic plan gives 1 Box (30 Pokémon), Premium provides 6 Boxes (180 Pokémon).
- You can purchase up to 200 additional Boxes via yearly or monthly subscriptions.
- Total maximum storage with Premium + all extra Boxes is 6,000 Pokémon.
- Pokémon are secure if you cancel Premium – you just can‘t access them beyond the Basic Box.
- Premium unlocks enhanced GTS, Wonder Box, Room Trades, Judge, and Moving Key.
- Link HOME to Pokémon GO, Bank, and Nintendo Switch games to consolidate collections.
- Upcoming free Pokémon Bank provides unlimited legacy Pokémon storage.
- Careful box management and selective storage is key if using the Basic plan.
- For serious collectors, the Premium HOME subscription is highly recommended.
Pokémon HOME both for Switch and mobile provides the connectivity that Pokémon trainers demand. Making smart use of the boxes and subscription plans allows you to get the most out of this powerful platform.
What tips do you have for mastering Pokémon HOME? Are you sticking with the Basic free plan or splurging on Premium? Let me know in the comments!
Source: Security Feed