Quick Links

The hard-working folks behind Pokemon have been trying for years to have a central place for the players to collect their Pokemon, work toward a Pokedex, and trade between players or games. With new technology, they've released Pokemon HOME, a storage service with a running Pokedex which, hopefully, will conclude the company's trial-and-error process.

RELATED: Pokemon: The Best Starter Choice For Every Region

One of the best things about Pokemon HOME is that it can connect to Pokemon GO, the augmented reality mobile game that, until now, has been somewhat estranged from the other entries in the series (with the exception of being able to transfer Kanto-originating Pokemon to the Let's Go games). As players strive to reach level 50 and acquire more pokemon than ever, keep an eye out for Pokemon who can't actually be moved over to HOME.

Updated on January 30, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: This article has been updated with a new format and more details to help you understand which Pokemon can and cannot enter Pokemon HOME.

Pokemon Who Can't Be Transferred At All

All Pokemon Wearing Clothes That Aren't Part Of Their Design

Pokemon Go Halloween 2019 Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur

Pokemon GO is a fantastic game that engages the players in their own home, city, workplace, and anywhere else they may go. As a part of this goal, the Pokemon that players can catch in the game are sometimes wearing adorable costumes and outfits.

For Halloween, Pokemon dress up as... other Pokemon. During the holidays, some Pokemon will don festive ribbons or new-year glasses. Mewtwo is in the game as a boss wearing truly epic armor. There are also many "Hatchus," which are Pikachu with different hats and adornments. There are about two dozen of them now, including Pichu and Raichu with some of the hats.

Unfortunately, since this is a unique feature of Pokemon GO, the game doesn't allow players to send decked-out Pokemon to HOME.

Spinda

spinda patterns

Spinda is an adorable, if a little disoriented, Pokemon with over 85 billion unique pattern layouts. It's beloved by fans, despite never featuring heavily in the games or television shows. Spinda was added to Pokemon GO — with a handful of possible patterns — and players were ecstatic!

Unfortunately, some of that enthusiasm was killed when they realized that Spinda is one of the few Pokemon that cannot enter Pokemon HOME at all. Perhaps it's until they can set up a way for the unique skin patterns to cross over, since they're preset in GO but random in the main series.

RELATED: Pokemon Crystal: The Best Pokemon To Transfer To Home

Lucky, Shadow, And Purified Pokemon

Pokemon Go - lucky ho-oh (left), lucky pokemon on players' phones (right)

There are a few other kinds of Pokemon which are unique to Pokemon Go - not the species, but the form they're in. If a Pokemon has any of the following effects, the app won't let you transfer it at all:

  • Lucky
  • Shadow
  • Purified

We're not sure why it doesn't just remove the effect from them when they enter Pokemon HOME, since they'll never be able to return to Pokemon Go anyway, but we presume it's because these forms can have an impact on the Pokemon's stats, so removing the effect would change those.

Mega Evolved Pokemon And Pokemon In Gyms

Mega Alakazam sitting in the desert at dusk

Mega Evolved Pokemon and any Pokemon who is currently protecting a gym is in a special state: they can be sent to Pokemon HOME, but only if you wait a while. Mega Evolved Pokemon will need to return to their less-than-Mega form before they can be transferred to Pokemon HOME. Pokemon in gyms will need to return to you before they can go to Pokemon HOME.

This assumes, of course, that the Mega Evolved or Gym Pokemon doesn't have one of the other restrictions that means you can't transfer it, like being a Spinda.

RELATED: Pokémon Home: All Of The Switch Research Tasks And How To Complete Them

Pokemon Who Can Be Transferred, But Will Change Form

Rainy, Sunny, and Snowy Castform

Castform Various weather forms Pokemon

Castform is a Pokemon that changes appearance and type based on the weather. The logical next step was for players to catch different Castform types based on their own local weather! It's a pretty cool feature that increases the player's immersion ten-fold.

Unfortunately, this hard work might be in vain if people want to send their Castforms over to Pokemon HOME. The game will let you, but it automatically changes the Pokemon's type back to its neutral form.

Shock, Burn, Chill, and Douse Genesect

Genesect Army Pokemon anime

Genesect is a unique pokemon that was formed from a fossil in the Unova region. This creature is mechanical-looking, with a huge cannon on its back. Genesect's basic form has a yellow-orange drive on its back, but this can change. By giving a Drive to Genesect, one of its powerful moves, Techno Blast, changes type: Electric (Shock Drive), Fire (Burn Drive), Ice (Chill Drive), or Water (Douse Drive).

In Pokemon GO, these forms are just caught as-is, rather than changed with a held item. Unfortunately, Pokemon HOME doesn't care about which form they are: all Genesect are reverted to having no Drive when they enter HOME.

Origin Giratina

Pokemon anime Giratina Origin Forme

Giratina is a legendary pokemon who comes from the Distortion World, a place with very different rules than the ones we're used to. When it enters a world with gravity, it appears in its "Altered Forme" (which has legs). The "Origin Forme" version is spotted mainly in the Distortion World.

In Pokemon GO, the player can catch an Origin Giratina or an Altered Giratina, depending on how lucky they are and/or how much work they put in. Fans may want to hang on to their hard-won Origin Giratina since any Giratina transferred into Pokemon HOME are automatically put into the Altered Forme.

RELATED: The Best Mobile Games For Kids

Zen Mode Darmanitan and Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan

Pokemon Zen Darmanitan and Galarian Zen Darmanitan

Darmanitan is a Pokemon with a special ability: to change forms mid-battle! This power turns the Darmanitan into its Zen Mode and changes its type. The regular Darmanitan becomes a Fire/Psychic-type, and the Galarian Darmanitan becomes an Ice/Fire-type.

In Pokemon GO, players cannot yet catch Zen forms of the Darmanitans, as they have not yet been released. However, since it's supposed to be a temporary ability for battle, Pokemon HOME forces Zen Darmanitans to become regular ol' Damanitans.

Pirouette Meloetta

Aria Meloetta sits on a roack and Pirouette Meloetta stands on one leg

Meloetta, a newer Mythical pokemon beloved by fans, has two forms: Pirouette and Aria. The Aria forme is a Normal/Psychic-type but can use a move during combat called Relic Song in order to transform into the Pirouette forme, which is a Normal/Fighting-type.

The problem here is just the same as with Zen Mode Darmanitan: Meloetta is not yet released into the game but, when it is, its other form is meant to be a temporary change, so Pokemon HOME reverts the Meloetta back into the Aria form if someone transfers it out of Pokemon GO.

Sunshine Cherrim

Cherrim trio from the anime, all looking happy and standing on a branch

Cherrim is a Pokemon that reacts to its environment. The most common form it's seen in is the "overcast" form, where the Cherrim's happy face is covered up by purple leaves. Just like Castform, Pokemon GO players can catch different kinds of Cherrim depending on their local weather.

However, Pokemon HOME doesn't seem to appreciate Cherrim's duality. Players can transfer Cherrim into HOME, but it will always be forced into the Overcast Form.

NEXT: The Rarest Pokemon Cards (And What They’re Worth)