Reference 2 min read

The Pre-Transfer Checklist

Five seconds of prep saves a lost Master Ball.

One-way transfers are permanent, so a moment of preparation prevents permanent regret. Run this checklist before every upward migration.

Before you transfer

Remove held items. Pal Park, Poke Transfer and the Time Capsule all strip items - take them off and bank them first.
Check the destination dex. Make sure the species is allowed in the game you ultimately want it in.
Confirm it is the right copy. Transfers cannot be undone; double-check you are moving the Pokemon you mean to.
Mind your subscriptions. Bank (and HOME Premium for the Bank-to-HOME step) must be active.
Place Pokemon correctly. Poke Transporter only takes what is in Box 1 of the source game.

Tick those five boxes and the only thing that climbs the ratchet is exactly what you intended.

There is exactly one hard wall in 30 years of Pokemon transfers. Here is why it exists and the only way past it.

Most transfer methods only flow in one direction. Understanding this "ratchet" is the key to planning any route.

Follow a single Pokemon from the Virtual Console games all the way to the current generation.