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You cannot transfer Pokémon directly from the original Game Boy Advance versions of Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire to Pokémon HOME. The documented route starts by migrating them to a Nintendo DS Generation IV game, then continues through a Generation V game and Pokémon Bank before reaching HOME. One important part of that route—the Generation IV-to-V transfer—is not confirmed by the official instructions available here, so this is not a complete button-by-button walkthrough.
What you need to know before starting
This route is for the original Game Boy Advance cartridges, not the Nintendo 3DS remakes Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. Nintendo lists those remakes among games compatible with Pokémon Bank, but that is a different starting point from the GBA games.
| Starting point | What the documented route establishes |
|---|---|
| Original Ruby or Sapphire (GBA) | Migrate to Pokémon Platinum using Pal Park, then continue through later generations and Bank. The exact Generation IV-to-V procedure is not established by the official instructions cited here. |
| Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire (Nintendo 3DS) | Nintendo lists these as Pokémon Bank-compatible games. This is not the same transfer route as the original GBA games. |
For the GBA-to-Platinum step, Nintendo’s Pokémon Platinum manual specifies a Nintendo DS system with both a DS Game Card slot and a GBA Game Pak slot, a copy of Pokémon Platinum, and the original Ruby or Sapphire Game Pak. You also need the later-generation games and working Pokémon Bank access for the rest of the route; owning the dual-slot hardware alone is not enough.
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Step 1: Migrate from Ruby or Sapphire to Pokémon Platinum
Nintendo’s Pokémon Platinum manual describes migrating from the GBA games, including Ruby and Sapphire, through Pal Park. This is a one-way migration: the Pokémon leave the GBA game and cannot be returned to that Game Pak.
#1 Best Overall
![Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Dual Pack - Nintendo 3DS Edition: DualPack Model: [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41+38Ql9T6L._SL160_.jpg)
- World Edition - plays in English and works on any region 3DS system
- Comes with both a copy of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
- Obtain the National Pokédex in Pokémon Platinum.
- Insert the Platinum DS Game Card and the Ruby or Sapphire GBA Game Pak into a compatible dual-slot Nintendo DS system.
- Start Pokémon Platinum and choose “Migrate From (version name).”
- Go to Pal Park and catch the migrated Pokémon there.
The manual sets three limits for this migration:
- You can migrate no more than six Pokémon per day per GBA Game Pak.
- Pokémon holding Mail cannot migrate.
- Pokémon that know a hidden move cannot migrate.
Step 2: Get from Generation IV to Generation V
Pokémon must move from the Generation IV game to a Generation V game before Poké Transporter can send them to Bank. Nintendo’s compatibility information names Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black Version 2, and Pokémon White Version 2 as games that Poké Transporter can transfer from to Pokémon Bank. It does not, in the instructions cited here, explain the Generation IV-to-V operation or its requirements.
Because that bridge is essential, do not treat Pal Park or Poké Transporter as a direct way to send Pokémon from Ruby, Sapphire, or a Generation IV game to Bank. Confirm the Generation IV-to-V procedure using an authoritative manual or support source before attempting that part of the transfer.
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- The game is an authentic copy and a new save battery has been installed!
Step 3: Transfer from Generation V through Bank to HOME
Nintendo’s compatibility information describes Poké Transporter as the step that moves Pokémon from the listed Generation V games into Pokémon Bank. Bank is then the bridge to HOME. Nintendo’s HOME transfer guide allows a Bank-to-HOME transfer using either the HOME console app or mobile app.
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- In Pokémon HOME on Nintendo Switch, display a Moving Key.
- In Pokémon Bank, select “Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME.”
- Choose the boxes to transfer and enter the Moving Key shown in HOME before it expires. Nintendo gives the key a three-minute validity period.
Nintendo also describes an alternative that links the Nintendo Network ID associated with Bank to the Nintendo Account used with HOME. Follow the current prompts in the apps for that option.
Rank #3
- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
A transfer from Bank to HOME is one-way: Nintendo says Pokémon transferred to HOME from Bank cannot be transferred back to Bank or used with Nintendo 3DS titles. Treat it as a move, not a reversible sync.
Check Bank access and the service deadline
Nintendo says Pokémon Bank service will end on February 25, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST. After that, transfers from Bank to HOME will no longer be possible. Nintendo also says Pokémon Bank is not currently available for download, so having a 3DS does not by itself establish that you can use Bank; you need an already working installation. The deadline and availability are time-sensitive, so check Nintendo’s current service notice before relying on them.
Rank #4
![Pokemon Sapphire Version - Game Boy Advance [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cL8nokKOL._SL160_.jpg)
- Start out with just 3 Pokemon, and travel across Hoenn to earn badges in 8 different gyms
- Over 350 new Pokemon are here to battle with, collect and trade
- New battle system allows trainers to take two Pok mon into battle instead of just one at a time
- As you play you'll open up fun and exciting mini-games that advance the storyline
- You'll have to become a hero by helping Team Magma stop Team Aqua from flooding the world for control of the water Pokemon!
Check which HOME games can receive each Pokémon
Moving a Pokémon into HOME does not make it compatible with every linked game. In HOME, open that Pokémon’s details and review “Games it can travel to.” A grayed-out game indicates that the Pokémon cannot travel to that title. Check each Pokémon individually before moving it out of Bank, especially if you have a particular destination game in mind.
Quick Recap
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- Players use their flippers to hit the targets on the Ruby & Sapphire boards
- Keep your Monster Ball in play and rack up the points
- Try to capture over 200 Pokemon as you play, for extra challenge!
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