The Pokemon Company will end Pokemon Bank and Bank-to-HOME transfers on February 25, 2027 at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET. Any Pokemon already in HOME will remain there, and players will still be able to trade existing copies.
What ends is the only official bridge that carries Pokemon from the 3DS Virtual Console, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Nintendo DS and native 3DS games into the current ecosystem.
While Dexerto covered the initial shutdown announcement, this article aims to list the Pokemon, forms, Shinies, Ribbons, titles, origin records and HOME challenges that become impossible to obtain or that become increasingly finite when that bridge closes.
This list reflects announced games and compatibility as of August 14, 2026. A future game, event or HOME update could restore an affected species or form.
Table of Contents
What Pokemon Bank’s shutdown actually means
There are three different kinds of loss, and treating them as the same thing produces misleading lists.
Hard loss: no new legitimate specimen or record can reach HOME through any announced route. Spinda, Battle Bond Greninja and Poke Ball Pattern Vivillon are the clearest examples.
Finite supply: existing copies in HOME survive and can still be traded, but no new copies can be moved from their original games. Most old Ribbons, origin marks and event Pokemon fall here.
Provenance loss: the species remains available in a modern game, but the exact game of origin, OT, event, ball, move history or Ribbon journey cannot be recreated.
Nothing in HOME is being deleted by the Bank shutdown. Pokemon left inside Bank itself, or stranded in the games below it, simply lose their official path forward.
Games cut off from Pokemon HOME
| Games Effected | Route that works until shutdown | Where it stops afterward |
| Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal on 3DS Virtual Console | Poke Transporter to Bank to HOME | Generation 7 or the Virtual Console save |
| Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, original FireRed and LeafGreen | Pal Park to a Generation 4 game, Poke Transfer to Generation 5, Poke Transporter to Bank, then HOME | Generation 5 |
| Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness | Trade to a Generation 3 GBA game, then follow the Generation 3 chain | Generation 5 |
| Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver | Poke Transfer to Generation 5, Poke Transporter to Bank, then HOME | Generation 5 |
| Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 | Poke Transporter to Bank to HOME | Generation 5 |
| X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire | Bank to HOME | Generation 6 |
| Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Bank to HOME | Generation 7 |
Bank and Poke Transporter can no longer be downloaded from the 3DS eShop. A working installation is therefore already required, along with a Pokemon HOME Premium Plan for the final Bank-to-HOME move.
Pokemon and forms locked behind Bank
Only one species and two collectible forms are currently dependent on Bank for new HOME specimens.
| Species or form | Original source | Why the route closes |
| Spinda | Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, original FireRed and LeafGreen, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, or the Alola games | Spinda from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl cannot move to HOME because those games read its spot-generating value in reverse byte order. Pokemon GO uses a limited set of patterns and also blocks Spinda transfers. After Bank closes, only Spinda already in HOME remain available there. |
| Greninja with Battle Bond Ash-Greninja |
Pokemon Sun and Moon Special Demo Version, then transferred into Sun or Moon | This male Greninja cannot breed, and the demo is its only source. In Sun and Moon, Battle Bond changes it into Ash-Greninja after a knockout. Scarlet and Violet changed Battle Bond into a one-time stat boost and no longer show the transformation, but the original Battle Bond specimen is still unique. |
| Poke Ball Pattern Vivillon | Limited Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire distributions, primarily in 2014 with a small number of later local events | The event-only pattern has never received a Bank-free distribution. Fancy Pattern is available in Scarlet and Violet, but Poke Ball Pattern is not. Existing copies in HOME will still trade. |
Totem-sized Pokemon are not on this list because HOME already converts the transferable ones to normal size. Cosplay Pikachu, Spiky-eared Pichu, partner Pikachu and partner Eevee also cannot enter Bank or HOME in the first place.
Shiny Pokemon locked behind Bank
Under current availability, these are the Shiny species or forms that could be obtained before the Switch era but are Shiny-locked in every announced Switch appearance.
| Shiny | Legitimate legacy source | What remains after shutdown |
| Celebi | The in-game GS Ball encounter in the 3DS Virtual Console release of Pokemon Crystal | Existing Shiny Celebi in HOME remain tradable. The Celebi reward tied to the 2026 Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen is a separate, non-Shiny route. |
| Type: Null | The in-game gift in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon | Modern Type: Null gifts are Shiny-locked. Existing transferred copies remain. |
| Silvally | Evolve a Shiny Type: Null from an Alola game, or use a limited Shiny Silvally event from the Sun and Moon era | Existing transferred copies remain. |
| Poipole | The in-game gift in Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, or a limited Shiny Poipole event | The Sword and Shield gift is Shiny-locked. Existing transferred copies remain. |
| Naganadel | Evolve a Shiny Poipole from Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon | Existing transferred copies remain. |
| Partner Cap Pikachu | The Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon QR gift. A programming error can make it Shiny against the player’s Trainer data | The later Sword and Shield Partner Cap distribution is Shiny-locked. This affects the Partner Cap form, not ordinary Pikachu or the other cap designs. |
Shiny Mew, Jirachi, Deoxys, Manaphy, Darkrai and Shaymin all have, or have had, non-Bank routes in Pokemon GO, Switch games or HOME rewards. Their old game origins still become finite, but the Shiny species do not currently meet the same hard-loss test.
The Shiny Manaphy HOME reward is one example of a modern route changing this calculation.
Shiny HOME Pokedex entries at risk
This is a different collectible from owning a Shiny Pokemon.
The Generation 7 QR Scanner can register certain unobtainable Shiny forms in the Alola Pokedex. Moving a Pokemon from Bank to HOME also moves Bank’s Pokedex data, so those registrations can carry into HOME even though no legitimate Shiny specimen exists.
| Shiny Pokedex entry | Source of the record | Important caveat |
| Victini | QR Scanner in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | No Shiny Victini specimen is created. |
| Ash-Greninja | Generation 7 QR Scanner, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | This is the Shiny image for the transformed form, not a Shiny Battle Bond Greninja. |
| Poke Ball Pattern Vivillon | Generation 7 QR Scanner, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | This is only the Shiny Pokedex entry. |
| Eternal Flower Floette | Generation 7 QR Scanner, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | The modern non-Shiny form does not create its Shiny entry. |
| Hoopa Confined | Generation 7 QR Scanner, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | No Shiny Hoopa specimen is created. |
| Hoopa Unbound | Generation 7 QR Scanner, then Bank Pokedex data moved to HOME | Both Hoopa form entries are tracked separately. |
Players who only care about a living collection can ignore this section. Players trying to maximize HOME’s Shiny form Pokedex cannot.
Ribbons and titles locked behind Bank
Ribbons stay attached to a Pokemon across generations. In Sword, Shield, Scarlet and Violet, many of them also unlock a title that can be displayed when the Pokemon enters battle.
These 15 Ribbon titles have no announced Bank-free way to be newly earned and carried into HOME. The Champion Ribbon is a separate edge case listed immediately afterward.
| Ribbon | Battle title | Game where it is earned |
| Artist Ribbon | the Model for Paintings | Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald |
| Legend Ribbon | the Living Legend | HeartGold or SoulSilver, by defeating Red |
| National Ribbon | the Triumphant | Pokemon Colosseum or XD, by purifying a Shadow Pokemon |
| Earth Ribbon | the 100x Victorious | Pokemon Colosseum or XD, for 100 consecutive Mt. Battle wins |
| Contest Memory Ribbon | the Treasured Memory | Created when Generation 3 or 4 Contest Ribbons are moved into Generation 6 |
| Battle Memory Ribbon | the Exciting Memory | Created when Generation 3 or 4 Battle Tower Ribbons are moved into Generation 6 |
| Kalos Champion Ribbon | the Kalos Champion | Pokemon X or Y |
| Hoenn Champion Ribbon | the Hoenn Champion | Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire |
| Training Ribbon | the Tried and True | Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire after completing every Super Training regimen |
| Skillful Battler Ribbon | the Veteran | X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire Battle Maison |
| Expert Battler Ribbon | the Master | X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire Battle Maison |
| Alola Champion Ribbon | the Alola Champion | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon |
| Battle Royal Master Ribbon | the Royal Master | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon Battle Royal Dome |
| Battle Tree Great Ribbon | the Tree Victor | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon Battle Tree |
| Battle Tree Master Ribbon | the Tree Master | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon Battle Tree Super battles |
The original Generation 3 Champion Ribbon gives the title “the Champion.” It comes from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and the original GBA versions of FireRed and LeafGreen.
The Switch releases of FireRed and LeafGreen are getting HOME support in October 2026, and Pokemon from those releases receive a new Game Boy Advance origin mark. Until the transfer implementation is live, it is safer not to call the Ribbon itself permanently lost. The original no-mark GBA provenance will still be finite.
Two exceptionally rare historical titles are also tied to old tournament winners: the Country Ribbon gives “the Victor,” while the World Ribbon gives “the World Conqueror.” The Battle Champion Ribbon, found on a small number of older competition or event Pokemon, gives “the Battle Champion.” Existing copies can move forward until Bank closes.
Not every old Ribbon is affected as a class. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl can still award the Sinnoh Champion Ribbon, Contest Star Ribbon, five Master Rank Contest Ribbons, daily Ribbons, Footprint Ribbon, Gorgeous and Royal Ribbons, and Tower Master Ribbon.
Current games also retain routes for the Effort, Best Friends and Master Rank Ribbons. Gift Ribbons such as Classic, Premier, Event and Wishing also continue to appear on modern distributions.
Legendary Pokemon affected
There is no long list of Legendary species that suddenly vanishes from Pokemon HOME. Modern games and Pokemon GO provide alternatives for most of them.
What Bank’s closure freezes is the supply of Legendaries carrying these exact game origins, encounter histories and, in some cases, old Ribbons or event data.
| Legacy origin | Legendary and special Pokemon whose origin becomes finite |
| 3DS Virtual Console Red, Blue and Yellow | Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Mewtwo, plus limited Mew distributions |
| 3DS Virtual Console Gold, Silver and Crystal | Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia and Ho-Oh, plus Celebi from Crystal |
| Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald | Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza |
| Original GBA FireRed and LeafGreen | Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, one roaming Johto beast, plus event-route Lugia, Ho-Oh and Deoxys |
| Pokemon Colosseum | Shadow Raikou, Entei and Suicune, plus the Mt. Battle Ho-Oh reward |
| Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness | Shadow Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Lugia |
| Diamond, Pearl and Platinum | Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Heatran, Regigigas and Cresselia, plus Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Regirock, Regice and Registeel through Platinum-specific or event-enabled encounters |
| HeartGold and SoulSilver | Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Latias, Latios, Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza, plus Dialga, Palkia or Giratina from the event-only Sinjoh Ruins |
| Black and White | Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem |
| Black 2 and White 2 | Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem, plus Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regigigas, Latias, Latios, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Heatran and Cresselia |
| X and Y | One Kanto bird, Mewtwo, Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde |
| Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire | Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regigigas, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Deoxys, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Heatran, Cresselia, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem |
| Sun and Moon | Type: Null, Silvally, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, Nihilego, Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Celesteela, Kartana and Guzzlord |
| Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | The Sun and Moon group above, plus Poipole, Naganadel, Stakataka and Blacephalon, and Ultra Wormhole encounters for most earlier Legendary groups |
The Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen soften part of the loss. They can produce new Kanto and event-island Pokemon once HOME support arrives, but HOME gives them a Game Boy Advance origin mark.
Pokemon from the original 2004 cartridges have no origin mark, so collectors can tell the two lineages apart.
Mythical Pokemon affected
Most Mythical species below have another modern source, or may receive one later. These are the notable legitimate old routes that Bank can still preserve.
| Mythical or special Pokemon | Legacy source to preserve | What is unique about it |
| Mew | Japanese Pokemon Emerald with the Old Sea Map, plus legitimate Virtual Console event Mew | Emerald’s Faraway Island Mew can be Shiny and carries old game provenance. Pokemon GO offers a separate Shiny route. |
| Celebi | 3DS Virtual Console Pokemon Crystal, and the Japanese Pokemon Colosseum Bonus Disc distribution | Virtual Console Crystal is the current hard-loss Shiny route. |
| Jirachi | North American Pokemon Colosseum Bonus Disc and PAL Pokemon Channel | These repeatable gifts have distinctive OTs and can produce legitimate Shiny Jirachi under their original generation methods. |
| Deoxys | Aurora Ticket encounters in original FireRed, LeafGreen and Emerald | The 2026 Switch FireRed and LeafGreen releases restore a modern route, but cannot recreate an original no-mark cartridge specimen. |
| Manaphy and Phione | A Pokemon Ranger Manaphy Egg sent into Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver | Trading the Egg before hatching creates the famous Shiny-capable Ranger Manaphy route. Modern HOME now offers a different Shiny Manaphy reward. |
| Darkrai | Member Card encounter in Pokemon Platinum | The item existed in Diamond and Pearl data but was never officially distributed for those games. Modern and Pokemon GO copies exist, but the legitimate original event-island origin becomes finite. |
| Shaymin | Oak’s Letter encounter in Pokemon Platinum | Modern and Pokemon GO copies exist, but the Flower Paradise origin becomes finite. |
| Arceus | Legitimate Generation 4 event distributions | The Azure Flute was never officially distributed in the original games, so it is not counted as a legitimate old encounter route. |
| Victini | Liberty Pass encounter and other Generation 5 events | The Liberty Garden origin and Generation 5 event data become finite. |
| Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect | Generation 5 event distributions | Modern alternatives exist for the species, but not for the same event origins. |
| Diancie, Hoopa and Volcanion | Generation 6 event distributions | Modern routes exist or have existed, but the blue-pentagon event copies become finite. |
| Magearna | Permanent QR gift in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Magearna is available in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but only Bank can move the Alola QR gift into HOME. |
| Marshadow and Zeraora | Generation 7 event distributions | Later distributions and games cover some availability, but the original black-clover event copies become finite. |
Meltan and Melmetal are unaffected because their transfer route begins with Pokemon GO or Pokemon: Let’s Go rather than Bank.
Origin marks and special Pokemon affected
HOME records more than a species name. It preserves the game of origin, origin mark, language, OT, Trainer ID, met data, Poke Ball and Ribbons. Bank’s closure stops new examples of four major legacy provenance groups.
| HOME provenance | Games | Status after Bank closes |
| No origin mark | Generation 3, 4 and 5 games, including Colosseum and XD Pokemon traded into the GBA games | No new legitimate no-mark Pokemon can be added to HOME. Switch FireRed and LeafGreen use a new Game Boy Advance mark instead. |
| Game Boy origin mark | 3DS Virtual Console Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal | Existing copies remain, but the mark’s supply becomes finite. |
| Blue pentagon | X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire | Existing copies remain, but no new Generation 6-origin specimens can reach HOME. |
| Black clover | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Existing copies remain, but no new Generation 7-origin specimens can reach HOME. |
That also captures several specialist collections:
- Shadow Pokemon from Colosseum and XD, especially purified Pokemon carrying the National Ribbon.
- N’s 15 Pokemon from Black 2 and White 2: Purrloin, Pidove, Woobat, Timburr, Tympole, Sandile, Darumaka, Darmanitan, Scraggy, Sigilyph, Zorua, Boldore, Joltik, Ferroseed and Klink. They have OT N, Trainer ID 00002, fixed near-perfect IVs and cannot be Shiny.
- Pokemon Dream Radar Legendaries and Dream Ball origins, including the Therian forces of nature and cartridge-linked Legendary encounters.
- Pokemon Dream World specimens with old Dream Ball, Hidden Ability and move combinations.
- Hayley’s Mew and Phione from My Pokemon Ranch, Battle Revolution gifts, Pokemon Ranger rewards, PokeWalker Pokemon and other side-game transfers.
- Every pre-Switch Mystery Gift or local event Pokemon still sitting below Bank. The species may be common, but its OT, ID, Ribbon or event moves can be unique.
Moves, abilities and Poke Balls affected
The list of old move combinations is enormous, but modern HOME does not treat all of them as one permanent competitive moveset. HOME stores game-specific move data, and Scarlet and Violet rebuild a transferred Pokemon’s moves from what that game allows. Deleted moves remain unusable even if they appear in old history.
There are three current Bank-dependent Egg Move combinations that matter inside Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl:
| Pokemon | Bank-dependent move in BDSP | Legacy breeding source |
| Chatot | Encore | Breed through an older generation, then transfer through Bank and HOME |
| Chatot | Boomburst | Breed through an older generation, then transfer through Bank and HOME |
| Swellow | Boomburst | Breed through an older generation, then transfer through Bank and HOME |
Rare Poke Ball collectors face a broader provenance freeze.
Apricorn Ball captures from HeartGold and SoulSilver, Dream Ball Pokemon from the Dream World and Dream Radar, old Safari and Sport Ball lines, and unusual GameCube captures all become finite in HOME.
Many of those balls have been reissued in modern games, so the lost element is often the ball plus origin combination rather than the ball alone.
Carnivine is the main current edge case. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl only catch it in a Safari Ball at the Great Marsh, while older games can create many other ball combinations, including Apricorn Ball Carnivine through HeartGold and SoulSilver’s Thursday Sinnoh Sound encounters.
Pokemon GO can cover some standard balls, so specialist ball-by-ball legality should be checked before describing every non-Safari Carnivine as extinct.
Pokemon HOME challenges affected
One HOME challenge becomes completely impossible to complete after the servers close:
- Move Pokemon from Pokemon Bank!
You can still complete the remaining origin challenges later by receiving an already-transferred qualifying Pokemon in a trade. Players who want their own OT or do not want to depend on a shrinking trade pool should finish them now.
| Required origin | Pokemon HOME challenge requirements |
| Poke Transporter | Eevee; Litwick |
| Good ol’ Kanto, 3DS Virtual Console | Venusaur; Charizard; Blastoise; Pikachu |
| Good ol’ Johto, 3DS Virtual Console | Suicune; Ho-Oh; Lugia |
| Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald | Groudon; Kyogre; Rayquaza |
| Diamond, Pearl or Platinum | Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup; Dialga; Palkia; Giratina; Dialga, Palkia and Giratina together |
| HeartGold or SoulSilver | Ho-Oh; Lugia |
| Black or White | Reshiram; Zekrom |
| Black 2 or White 2 | Reshiram and Kyurem; Zekrom and Kyurem |
| X or Y | Xerneas; Yveltal; Diancie |
| Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire | Treecko line; Torchic line; Mudkip line; all three starters together; Groudon; Kyogre; Groudon and Kyogre together; Rayquaza |
| Sun or Moon | Lunala; Solgaleo; Pulverizing Snorlax from the Snorlium Z Munchlax event or qualifying event Snorlax |
| Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon | Lunala and Necrozma; Solgaleo and Necrozma |
| Alola, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon | Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo and Lunala; Solgaleo, Lunala and Necrozma |
The hidden “Move Pokemon from Pokemon Bank,” Diancie, Poke Transporter Eevee, Poke Transporter Litwick and Pulverizing Snorlax challenges still remain visible on accounts that already completed them.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Time Travel Award also requires a Pokemon that originated in the original Diamond, Pearl or Platinum. Existing transferred Pokemon can still be traded after Bank closes, but no new qualifying specimen can leave a DS save.
What to transfer first
Players do not need to empty every cartridge blindly. A priority order avoids wasting the remaining window.
- Move anything already stored in Pokemon Bank. Those Pokemon are at the greatest risk because the cloud box closes with the service
- Secure the hard exclusives: Spinda, Battle Bond Greninja, Poke Ball Pattern Vivillon and the Bank-only Shinies
- Finish Ribbon Masters before moving them out of each generation. Transfers are one-way, and several Ribbons require long battle streaks or Contest progress
- Move legitimate event Pokemon, Shadow Pokemon, Ranger Manaphy Eggs, N’s Pokemon and side-game gifts with unique OTs or Ribbons
- Complete HOME’s Bank transfer challenge and any game-origin challenges you want under your own OT
- Preserve representative Pokemon from every origin group: no mark, Game Boy, blue pentagon and black clover
- Check moves and balls last. Many old moves cannot be used in current games, while modern games reproduce a large number of old ball combinations. Bank-to-HOME moves are one-way. Once a Pokemon enters HOME, it cannot return to Bank or its original game, so finish any old-game goals before pressing transfer
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
