A long-time Pokémon fan reports that upgrading to the Switch 2 cost him his favorite pocket monsters from 20 years. Many in the community can empathize.
What happened to the player? On Reddit, a user reported on June 14, 2025, about a tragic incident during his transition to the Switch 2. He performed the start-up normally and then transferred his data from the predecessor. During the transfer, there was no error message; everything seemed to be working wonderfully.
The shock came when the player opened Pokémon Scarlet, as his save file had disappeared, he reported. Instead, the game would directly start in language selection and then proceed to create a new character. Also, on the original Switch the save file is gone, as the data is deleted during the transfer.
His other save files remain intact, the player further states. But the pocket monsters that meant the most to him were on Scarlet. This includes Pokémon he has had since the GBA days. In total, he lost not only one save file with over 1,000 hours but also his most loyal companions from 20 years of Pokémon – now he doesn’t even know if he wants to play anymore (via IGN).
Players sympathize: “Tears were shed”
Could this happen to me? The problem seems to be rare, but the player is not alone. Users report in the comments on Reddit about similar experiences:
- “Exactly the same happened to me when I switched from the original Switch to the OLED. Tears were shed.” – Reddit user Grouchy-Cress-215 via IGN
- “The same happened to me as well, but literally all my data is gone, so BOTW, TOTK, MK8, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet, and so on. I literally have to replay everything from scratch.” – Existing-Possible550 via IGN
Some users have had similar experiences but assure the player: The next game is coming, and eventually, he will go on a Pokémon hunt again.
DefinedAwesomeness explains on Reddit: “[…] Yes, I lost event Pokémon that I will never get back, and that sucks, but we both know I would never have used them anyway. Everything will be fine, buddy. But again, I’m so sorry.”
Some other users also report equally tragic losses, which, however, are attributed to human error: They had let friends or relatives play with their editions, who then promptly overwrote the save files.
So, if someone really wants to make sure not to lose their beloved pocket monsters when upgrading to the Switch 2, they should consider a temporary storage on Pokémon Home. The player also advises to learn from their mistakes and ignore the transfer as the system suggests. Instead, it is safer to transfer the data manually.
If you still want to use the automatic transfer, do it as soon as you start your Switch 2 for the first time – you can learn more about it from the colleagues at GameStar.
Some players develop a special bond with their favorite Pokémon and carry them into newer generations. However, this is not always so easy with older games: Player invested 315 € and a year of his life to save his beloved Pokémon – After 15 years, they are reunited
