Can you transfer Pokemon from 'ORAS' to 'Sun and Moon'? How to do it with Pokémon Bank

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The Pokémon Sun and Moon Pokémon Bank update has finally hit, meaning trainers can start moving over their Pokémon collections to the newest in droves. The cross-platform support of Pokémon Bank means players of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, as well as X and Y, can take part in the cloud service fun. But for some it may not exactly be clear how to trade over your Pokémon ORAS captures to the new Sun and Moon games. Look no further.

How to transfer Pokemon from ORAS to Sun and Moon: Step one, download Pokémon Bank

The Pokémon Bank app for 3DS can be downloaded right on Nintendo's eShop. You can even find it by scanning the QR code below.

Pokémon Company/Pokémon Bank official page

While the app is free, using the service requires users to pay $4.99 per year

How to transfer Pokemon from ORAS to Sun and Moon: Step 2, send your Pokémon to the cloud

Once you've sacrificed $5 of your hard-earned cash to the Pokémon Company, fire up the Pokémon Bank app with your Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire game either downloaded on the system or inserted in the game slot. 

Next, select the Pokémon game you wish to trade from — in this case, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. You'll then be taken to two screens, one showing the Pokémon in your game's PC box (bottom) and one showing the Pokémon stored in your personal cloud account (top). 

Wildthing9o210/Youtube

Those looking to transfer ORAS Pokémon over to Sun and Moon will want to move the desired pocket monsters from Box to Bank. Once you're done making changes to your local Pokémon ORAS box and your cloud-stored Pokémon Bank section, hitting the X button will save the changes you made. After saving, a screen will pop up saying the app is saving your data and sending changes up to the Pokémon Bank server. 

How to transfer Pokemon from ORAS to Sun and Moon: The final step

Moving Pokémon from the Bank into Sun and Moon is largely similar to the process above. Open up the Pokémon Bank app and make sure your Pokémon Sun or Moon game is inserted or installed. Select that very same game and you'll be taken to a similar screen that lets you move Pokémon between your Bank and your game's PC box.

Pokémon Company/Pokémon Official Site

Sun and Moon players are still able to obtain a Mewnium Z crystal. And because Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are recent games you'll be able to trade back and forth between ORAS, Sun and Moon and Pokémon Bank. Older games like Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow and Black and White only allow one-way transfers. But don't even think about transferring over Missingno, unless you want your collection screwed up.

More Pokémon Sun and Moon tips, tricks and guides

If you're serious about Pokémon Sun and Moon, you'll want to read up so you can be the very best. Check out our guides for picking the right starter, Pokémon Sun and Moon cheats, using a damage calculator, how to catch the new legendary Pokémon, how to customize your character, how to trade, how  to find all the evolution stones, how to use QR codes, all the Team Skull passwords, which Pokémon to catch early on and picking between Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.