The Pokemon Company International announced today that they're going to launch the Pokemon Bank service for Pokemon X and Y right after Christmas. The company also provided a new trailer that showcases the Bank's features.
The Pokemon Bank allows players to store and manage up to 3,000 Pokemon in private boxes on the Internet. That's double the amount of Pokemon that the Pokemon Box on GameCube and My Pokemon Ranch and Wii could store. The app has a search function so you can easily sift through your stockpile.
This online storage acts as a backup for your collection. If you lost your copy of Pokemon X, you'd be able to import your collection to a new copy from the Bank.
Pokemon Bank is also useful for consolidating your Pokemon. You can deposit and withdraw Pokemon from multiple copies of Pokemon X and Y. The Poke Transporter, an application that you'll download along with the Bank to your 3DS, allows you to transfer Pokemon from Black, White, White 2 and Black 2 to X and Y. You can do all of these transactions with one game system and transfer your Pokemon in bulk. I
Pokemon X and Y players who make use of these apps will discover other in-game perks. By importing certain Black/White Pokemon into X and Y with the Transporter, you'll unlock new events throughout Kalos. Depositing Pokemon can earn you Poke Miles or Battle Points that can be spent on items within X and Y
The Pokemon Bank will launch on December 27th. Between that date and January 31st, it will be free to use. Past that point, though, you'll have to pay a fee to access it.
"An annual charge of $4.99 will allow the service to be maintained long-term so it can provide support for future Pokémon titles," the Pokemon Company said. "The service charge will also enable the management and maintenance needed to allow everyone access to the online storage."
Pokemon X and Y launched alongside the 2DS in October. Last week, Nintendo began selling the handheld and games together in a limited-edition bundle.
