Speak the language
Every bit of jargon a Pokemon collector runs into, defined in plain words.
Link Trade
A direct, two-way exchange of Pokemon between two games connected by a Link Cable or wirelessly. The foundation of all transferring.
Time Capsule
The unique two-way bridge that lets Generation II games trade with Generation I, limited to the original 151 species with Gen I-legal moves.
The Great Divide
The permanent, impassable gap between Generations I/II and Generation III, caused by the hardware and data-format change to the Game Boy Advance.
Pal Park
A one-way migration area in Generation IV that imports Pokemon from a Generation III cartridge slotted into a DS or DS Lite.
Poke Transfer
The one-way Generation IV to V tool (the Poke Transfer Lab) that uses two DS systems and a mini game to move Pokemon upward.
Poke Transporter
A free 3DS app that moves Pokemon one-way from Generation V and the Virtual Console games into Pokemon Bank.
Pokemon Bank
The subscription cloud storage for the 3DS era, exchanging two-way with Gen VI/VII and feeding one-way into Pokemon HOME.
Pokemon HOME
The modern cloud hub for the Switch era, connecting the current games, Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Bank.
GO Transporter
The one-way link from Pokemon GO into Pokemon HOME, powered by GO Transporter Energy.
GO Park
A complex in Let's Go that receives Kanto Pokemon one-way from Pokemon GO; the source of the Mystery Box and Meltan.
Mystery Box
An item in Pokemon GO, obtained by sending a Pokemon to Let's Go, that makes the Mythical Meltan appear.
One-Way Ratchet
A transfer that only flows forward and cannot be reversed. Most modern migration steps are ratchets.
Regional Dex
The subset of Pokemon a particular game recognizes. A Pokemon can only be withdrawn into a game whose regional dex includes it.
Origin Mark
A small icon stamped on a Pokemon recording the game or service it came from, such as the Pokemon GO mark.
Virtual Console
The 3DS digital re-releases of the original games, which - unlike the cartridges - can reach Pokemon Bank and revive classic Pokemon.
Version Group
A set of games that share the same connectivity and data, such as Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
Generation
A numbered era of Pokemon games (I through IX) that released together and share the same data and connectivity rules.
Region
The in-game world a Pokemon game is set in, such as Kanto, Johto, or Sinnoh. A generation can span more than one region.
GTS
The Global Trade System - an online service in many games for trading Pokemon with strangers around the world.
Wonder Trade / Surprise Trade
A feature that trades one of your Pokemon for a random one from another player somewhere in the world.
National Dex
The master Pokedex listing every species across all regions, used as the universal numbering reference.
Living Dex
A collector goal of keeping one of every Pokemon species stored at once - the reason robust transfer and storage matters.
Cartridge vs Virtual Console
The original physical game cards cannot transfer past the Great Divide; the 3DS digital Virtual Console versions of the same games can.
HOME Premium
The paid tier of Pokemon HOME, required to move Pokemon up from Pokemon Bank and to unlock larger storage.
Box
A storage slot grid that holds Pokemon. Cloud services like Bank and HOME organize Pokemon into many boxes.
GO Transporter Energy
The resource consumed when sending Pokemon from Pokemon GO to Pokemon HOME; it recharges over time or with coins.
Melmetal
The evolution of Meltan, obtained with 400 Meltan Candy in Pokemon GO and transferable into the mainline games.