Coming back after leaving during Generation VI

Generation VI set the 18-type chart that still stands

X and Y went on sale worldwide on 12 October 2013, the first main-series games released on the same day in every region, and moved the series to 3D models. They added 72 species for 721 in total. Fairy arrived as the 18th type and Steel lost its resistance to Ghost and Dark; that chart is the one every game since has used. Mega Evolution raised a Pokémon's base stats by 100 once per battle. Critical hits fell to 1.5 times damage, the Destiny Knot passed five IVs, shiny odds improved to 1 in 4,096 and the Exp. Share became a switch for the whole party. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire added Primal Reversion in 2014.

Three changes since 2016 replace HMs, Megas and the full Pokédex

Sun and Moon in 2016 removed HMs in favour of Ride Pokémon, replaced gyms in Alola with island trials and cut the critical hit rate to 1 in 24, burn to one sixteenth and paralysis to a 50 percent Speed drop. Sword and Shield in 2019 left out Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, used Dynamax instead and limited each game to a regional list of species. Scarlet and Violet in 2022 went open world and swapped Dynamax for Terastallization, which changes a Pokémon's defensive type to its Tera Type. Each generation's once-per-battle mechanic has lasted one generation so far. The what-changed pages for VII, VIII and IX cover each.

Legends: Z-A returned to Kalos with Mega Evolution

Legends: Z-A came out on 16 October 2025 for Nintendo Switch, with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and is set in Lumiose City, the Kalos capital from X and Y. Mega Evolution is back as a central mechanic, with Mega forms that did not exist in Generation VI. Battles run in real time rather than in turns, so the structure differs from X and Y even where the city is familiar. The paid Mega Dimension expansion followed on 10 December 2025. For a turn-based game with the classic eight-gym circuit, Sword and Shield or Scarlet and Violet are closer in form. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire on the 3DS remain playable as used cartridges.

3DS saves reach HOME through Pokémon Bank, one way

X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire save to the cartridge or to the 3DS memory card for download copies, and both still load. Local wireless trades and battles still work. Online play on the 3DS, including the Global Trade Station, Wonder Trade and Battle Spot, ended on 8 April 2024, and the 3DS eShop stopped selling software on 27 March 2023. Pokémon Bank still connects to these games directly: deposit from the game into Bank, then move from Bank into HOME, which needs the HOME Premium plan. The move from Bank to HOME is one way, and once a Pokémon is in HOME it can go only to the Switch games that support its species. Bank became free to use in March 2023 and closes on 25 February 2027.

Limit. A Pokémon moved from Bank to HOME cannot go back to a 3DS game, and Bank closes on 25 February 2027, so keep anything you still want to use on the 3DS in the game save itself.

Spend the first week in Lumiose City or a turn-based Switch game

Day one: choose Legends: Z-A for Kalos and Mega Evolution, or Scarlet and Violet for a turn-based game with the full current ruleset; the which-game page lists other options. Day two and three: play, and read the Generation VII and IX pages so that Terastallization and the lower critical hit rate are not surprises. Day four: open each 3DS save and list the Pokémon worth keeping. Day five: open Pokémon Bank and confirm it still connects. Day six: deposit one Pokémon, move it to HOME and check that your new game accepts its species. Day seven: build a team with the first-team guide.