Pokémon Let’s Go is a reimagining of the classic Pokémon series, and harks back to the days of Yellow, Red and Blue. It not only introduces a new way to catch Pokémon, but the ability to transfer your favourite pocket monsters from Pokémon GO to Let’s Go on the Switch.
The process is remarkably unintuitive, but we’ll explain exactly how it’s done. And by the way, you’ll need to have reached the stage in the game where you can speak to the receptionist at Fuchsia City’s GO Park, which will probably take most players 15-20 hours – it’s where the game’s fifth Gym Leader is. Until then, you cannot bring Pokémon across from Go to the Nintendo Switch.
Once you’ve got to that point in Let’s Go Eevee or Pikachu, you can follow the steps below.
Note: if you’re doing this to get a Mystery Box to catch Meltan, you can now t
ransfer Pokémon to the Pokémon HOME app on your phone.
How to connect your Pokémon Go account
On the Nintendo Switch:
- Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled.
- When playing Let’s Go, pause the game by pressing X. Then press Y to bring up the Options menu.
- From here select ‘Open Pokémon Go settings’.
- You’ll be asked if you want to pair the game with a Pokémon Go account. Select Yes.
- You might see some information on data privacy, but once you agree to it, the Switch will search for a Pokémon Go account.
You should then see this screen:
On your phone:
Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled.
Open Pokémon Go, log in to your account and tap the Poké Ball at the bottom. Now tap Settings (top right) and scroll down until you see Nintendo Switch.
Tap on it and then tap ‘Connect to Nintendo Switch’.
After a few seconds the switch should tell you it has found a Pokémon Go account, and will display the account name:
How to bring Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Let’s Go!
You must have completed the steps above, or the process will not work.
On the Nintendo Switch:
Go up to the receptionist at the Fuchsia City Go Park. Press A and when asked “What would you like to do?” select ‘Bring Pokémon’.
Choose a park from the list – each one can receive up to 50 Pokémon, and the number on the right indicates how many are in each currently.
You might see the warning about information sharing again, but accept this if it is displayed. The Switch should then say it’s searching for a Pokémon Go account.
On your phone:
Pick up your phone and in Pokémon Go tap the Poké Ball and then tap Pokémon. You should now see a little Switch icon at the top right. Tap it and a red bar will appear instructing you to select Pokémon. You can choose just one or multiple.
At the bottom, tap ‘Send to Nintendo Switch’ and accept the warning that comes up.
The two devices should communicate with each other and you’ll see this screen on the Switch. Select Yes to continue.
You’ll see animations on both devices showing that the Pokémon are being transferred. Note that this process is irreversible, so don’t send any that you want to keep on your phone.
How to use Pokémon from Pokémon Go
Completing this process doesn’t immediately add the Pokémon from Go into your Pokémon Box in Let’s Go. Instead, they’re added to the Go Park that you chose when you transferred them.
You can enter the Go Park at any time to go and play with the Pokémon, where you’ll find them roaming around to their heart’s content. However, If you want to add one to your Party to use in the main game you’ll need to catch it. This is much like catching any Pokémon you’ve found in the wild, so by now you should be pretty good at it.
One final warning though: just like transferring Pokémon between the games, taking a Pokémon out of the Go Park is permanent, so don’t catch any unless you’re sure you want to carry them around with you.
How to get a Mystery Box in Pokémon Go
Once the transfer is complete, tap OK on the phone. You’ll receive 100XP per Pokémon, and as a special bonus, a Mystery Box will be added to your items in Pokémon Go.
When you open it, 10 Meltans will spawn over a period of 30 minutes. It works like incense, but you don’t need to walk around: just ensure you are somewhere with a decent internet connection and mobile or Wi-Fi signal.
