Delving into Intergenerational Pokémon Trading: A Comprehensive Guide to Black and White

Alright, Poké-fans, let’s dive deep into a question that’s haunted trainers for years: What games can trade with Pokémon Black and White? The answer, while seemingly simple, has nuances that veteran collectors and newcomers alike need to understand.

The straightforward answer is that Pokémon Black and White can directly trade with other copies of Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. However, the trading capabilities extend further back using a special mechanic called the Poke Transporter and Dream Radar, allowing you to bring Pokémon from the Generation IV games (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver) into your Black and White adventures. Let’s unpack this further.

Understanding the Trading Landscape

Pokémon Black and White are pivotal titles in the Pokémon series, bridging the gap between the older, pixelated generations and the newer, more technologically advanced ones. This unique position means the trading mechanics have limitations and specific requirements to consider.

Direct Trading: The Immediate Circle

As mentioned, the most straightforward trading occurs within the Generation V family itself. This involves using the Union Room or the Wi-Fi Club (for online trades before the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was discontinued). You can freely exchange Pokémon between:

• Pokémon Black
• Pokémon White
• Pokémon Black 2
• Pokémon White 2

This is a standard trading process, requiring no additional steps or special items beyond access to a Pokémon Center. It’s the backbone of completing your Pokédex and battling with friends.

Transferring from Generation IV: Bridging the Gap

Now comes the tricky part: bringing Pokémon from Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver into Black and White. This doesn’t happen through direct trading. Instead, you need to utilize the Poke Transporter and the Dream Radar (if you also want to transfer Pokemon caught in Dream Radar) which is a separate application available for the Nintendo 3DS. This is a one-way transfer, meaning you cannot send Pokémon back to your Generation IV games.

Here’s the process in a nutshell:

1. Beat the Elite Four in Black or White: You need to have completed the main story of Black or White before accessing the Poke Transporter feature.
2. Have Two Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS Systems: You’ll need one to run your Generation IV game and the other to run your Generation V game (Black or White/Black 2 or White 2).
3. Use the DS Download Play Feature: Start up your Black/White game and select “Download Play” from the main menu.
4. Select the Poke Transporter: Follow the on-screen prompts to initiate the Poke Transporter.
5. Boot up the Generation IV Game: The game will communicate with the DS Download Play feature, allowing you to transfer Pokémon to a special area within Black or White called the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15.
6. Catch the Pokémon: Once the Pokémon are transferred, you’ll need to catch them again in a mini-game within the Poke Transfer Lab.
7. Dream Radar: (Optional) Pokémon caught in Dream Radar can also be transferred via Poke Transporter, adding another layer of collecting.

Important Considerations for Transferring:

• One-Way Trip: Remember, once a Pokémon goes to Black or White, it cannot return to Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, or SoulSilver. This is a point of no return!
• No Items: Pokémon transferred through the Poke Transporter will not carry any items with them. Items will remain in your Generation IV game.
• HM Moves: Make sure your Pokemon do not have any HM moves, such as cut, fly, surf, strength, defog, rock climb, waterfall.
• Six at a Time: You can only transfer six Pokémon at a time using the Poke Transporter.
• Level 5 and above: Only Pokemon that are level 5 or higher can be transferred using the Poke Transporter.

Beyond Generation IV: The Limit

Unfortunately, trading or transferring Pokémon from games older than Diamond and Pearl (i.e., Generation III: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen; or earlier) is not directly possible with Black and White. These games use entirely different data structures and communication protocols, making direct compatibility impossible without extensive hacking or third-party tools (which are generally discouraged).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let’s address some common questions that arise when discussing Pokémon trading with Black and White:

1. Can I trade Pokémon from Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (Virtual Console) to Black and White? No. The Virtual Console versions of the Generation I games can only trade and battle with other Virtual Console Generation I games. They cannot connect to the Generation V games. However, they can be transferred to Pokemon Bank and then to newer titles such as Pokemon Home.

2. Can I trade Pokémon from Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal (Virtual Console) to Black and White? Similar to Generation I, the Virtual Console versions of Generation II cannot directly trade with Black and White. They have their own isolated trading ecosystem. However, they can be transferred to Pokemon Bank and then to newer titles such as Pokemon Home.

3. Do I need a specific Nintendo DS model to trade between Black and White? No. Any Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi, or 3DS model will work for trading and transferring Pokémon between compatible games.

4. Is the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection still active for online trading in Black and White? Unfortunately, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, which facilitated online trading in Black and White, was discontinued in 2014. Online trading within the game is no longer possible using the in-game systems.

5. Are there alternative ways to trade online for Black and White now that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is down? While Nintendo’s official service is gone, fan-made servers and private networks have emerged that attempt to recreate the functionality. However, using these may violate the terms of service.

6. Can I use Action Replay or other cheating devices to transfer Pokémon from incompatible games? While theoretically possible, using Action Replay or similar devices to inject Pokémon from incompatible games is generally discouraged. It can corrupt save data and introduce illegitimate Pokémon into your game.

7. What happens if a Pokémon I transfer has an illegal move or ability? The game will usually prevent Pokémon with blatantly illegal moves or abilities from being traded or transferred. However, some less obvious issues might slip through, potentially causing problems later.

8. Can I trade Pokémon between Black and White and Pokémon X/Y or Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire? No. You can’t trade directly. However, you can use the Pokémon Bank service (a paid cloud storage service) to transfer Pokémon from Black and White/Black 2 and White 2 to Pokémon X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, and then, finally to Pokemon Home.

9. Does the Poke Transporter require a subscription or payment? No, the Poke Transporter application is available for free download on the Nintendo eShop, but to use it, you will need a subscription to the Pokemon Bank service.

10. Can I transfer Eggs through the Poke Transporter? No, you cannot transfer Eggs through the Poke Transporter. Only hatched Pokémon can be transferred.

11. Are there any Pokémon that cannot be transferred using the Poke Transporter? Usually, no. All Pokémon should be transferrable, as long as they are level 5 or above and don’t have any HM moves assigned to them.

12. What is the Dream Radar and how does it relate to trading with Black and White? The Dream Radar is a Nintendo 3DS application that allows you to catch Pokémon with special abilities. These Pokémon can then be transferred to Pokémon Black and White/Black 2 and White 2 using the Poke Transporter.

13. Can I trade Pokémon from Black and White to Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!? No. Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee only connects to Pokemon Go and Pokemon Home. You’d need to use Pokemon Bank to transfer your Pokémon from Black/White to a compatible generation (X/Y, OR/AS, S/M, US/UM) first, then use Pokemon Bank to Pokemon Home, and then check if Pokemon Home can transfer those specific Pokémon to Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee.

14. What is Pokemon Home? Pokémon HOME is a cloud service for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices that allows you to manage your Pokémon collection across multiple games. It serves as a central hub for storing and transferring Pokémon between compatible titles.

15. Can you learn about the educational impact of gaming somewhere? Yes! Research demonstrates the power of games for learning. Visit the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ to learn more about the intersection of games and education.