The storage app Pokémon Home has announced a large update releasing in June, and new mechanics won't be the only thing available after its release. Pokémon Home is the current storage and transfer system for the Pokémon game series. It can be downloaded onto both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices to transfer Pokémon from other Pokémon games to Pokémon Sword and Shield. The June update will add new features to Pokémon Home, and the app will also be giving away two Kanto starters with the Gigantamax ability.
Pokémon Home isn't the first downloadable transfer system that has been used in the Pokémon game series. The Pokémon Bank is an application used on the Nintendo 3DS to transfer Pokémon between X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Sun and Moon, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. For an annual fee of $5 USD, players could store 3,000 Pokémon at a time. The overall interface is based on the core series mechanics of the Pokémon Storage System and offers few other ways to use the application outside of storage and transfer.
However, Pokémon Home has turned Pokémon storage into its own game. The app currently features mechanics such as the Pokémon Wonder Box, a random trade system similar to Wonder Trade or Surprise Trade. It also has a National Pokédex to complete, and even has a list of achievements to accomplish. The new update will continue these extended features by introducing the Catch Calendar, which keeps a record of when a Pokémon is caught in-game. Pokémon Home will allow players to mark special dates like birthdays or important gameplay moments. The update will also introduce a mechanic to better view Pokémon in a player's Pokédex, by offering views of each species from different angles.
Get Special Gigantamax Starters For Pokémon Sword And Shield
According to Pokémon's website, players using the app on their Nintendo Switch or mobile device will get a special, commemorative treat. The Kanto starters Squirtle and Bulbasaur will be available via Mystery Gift both in Pokémon Home and Pokémon Sword and Shield. These special staters will come with the Gigantamax ability, which is great news for those who haven't been able to get all three Kanto starters in their games. The update post doesn't mention how long Squirtle and Bulbasaur will be available, so players will want to hop on as soon as possible after the update launches to ensure they get their starters.
For some, the Gigantamax capable starters may be less exciting than the new features in Pokémon Home, especially for those who have completed the Isle of Armor DLC, or who regularly engage in Surprise Trades. Bulbasaur and Squirtle are both options for a Pokémon companion in the Isle of Armor, and due to breeding for Shiny starters and Pokémon with perfect IVs, both starters are easy to obtain when trading with random players over the internet. Despite this, getting event Pokémon through Pokémon Home is another incentive for fans of the series to download the application and try it out.
Source: Pokémon