Pokémon HOME’s 9,000-Slot Upgrade Has a Critical Bank Deadline

The practical change is a 3,000-Pokémon buffer for players consolidating collections before the Nintendo 3DS era’s transfer route disappears. Pokémon HOME Version 4.1.0 will raise Premium Plan capacity from 6,000 to 9,000 Pokémon in October 2026 — a 50% increase with no stated price change. Free accounts do not receive the higher limit.

That expansion matters because Pokémon Bank ends service on February 26, 2027. Once Bank closes, transfers from the 3DS storage app to Pokémon HOME will no longer work. Bank was the bridge for Pokémon from games including Black and White, X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Sun and Moon; HOME is now the destination for preserving those collections across Switch and mobile platforms.

October also brings HOME connectivity for the Nintendo Switch versions of Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version. Pokémon moved from those games into HOME cannot be returned to their original game, so players should treat the move as permanent. Species already registered in a linked game’s Pokédex will automatically register in HOME’s smartphone-app Pokédex. Completing both FireRed and LeafGreen Pokédex entries there unlocks a Mystery Gift Celebi named Mitsurin.

The classic games also add post-Hall of Fame event access: defeating the Elite Four grants the Mystic Ticket for Lugia and Ho-Oh encounters, plus the Aurora Ticket for Deoxys. Those Pokémon can then be considered alongside the one-way HOME migration path rather than moved immediately.

For Pokémon GO players, Version 4.1.0 finally permits transfers of Pokémon caught in Safari Balls. The original ball will not carry over: HOME converts every transferred Safari Ball Pokémon to a Strange Ball. The sensible order is to secure any irreplaceable Bank Pokémon before February, then use October’s added capacity to organize FireRed, LeafGreen, and GO imports.