Pokémon HOME Explained: How FireRed and LeafGreen Now Link to the Cloud

Pokémon HOME, the cloud storage app that lets players move Pokémon between games, added support for the Nintendo Switch versions of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen on October 7, 2026, according to an announcement on the official Pokémon website. The update, labelled version 4.1.0 by Nintendo Everything, is the latest step in linking classic Game Boy Advance titles to the modern cloud ecosystem that spans Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.

What changed in version 4.1.0

According to the Pokémon Company's announcement, players can now transfer Pokémon caught or befriended in the Switch releases of FireRed and LeafGreen into Pokémon HOME, and from there move them into other compatible games in the series. Nintendo Everything's patch notes describe the update as adding compatibility between the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen and Pokémon HOME, alongside unspecified general stability fixes.

The update also increases storage for paying users. Nintendo Everything reports that Premium Plan subscribers can now hold up to 9,000 Pokémon in HOME, up from the previous 6,000, with the subscription price left unchanged.

The transfer only goes one way

The link between the Kanto remakes and HOME is not a two-way bridge. Once a Pokémon is moved out of FireRed or LeafGreen into HOME, it cannot be sent back into those two games, the official Pokémon site states. The restriction also runs in the other direction: Pokémon originating in other titles cannot be deposited into FireRed or LeafGreen. Gamerant's reporting on the update confirms the same one-directional limit.

Players do not need to actually move any Pokémon to benefit from the connection. Pokémon already registered in a player's in-game Pokédex in FireRed or LeafGreen are automatically logged in Pokémon HOME's Pokédex as soon as the two are linked, the Pokémon Company says.

A free Celebi for completing the Pokédex

As an incentive, players who complete the regional Pokédex in either FireRed or LeafGreen can claim the Mythical Pokémon Celebi as a gift inside the mobile version of Pokémon HOME, per the official announcement. Siliconera reports that this Celebi arrives at level 50 with the Natural Cure Ability, a Quirky Nature, and a moveset of Heal Bell, Leech Seed, Recover and Safeguard; Gamerant's coverage also confirms the level 50 detail. The reward itself cannot be sent back into FireRed or LeafGreen, consistent with the one-way transfer rule.

Why this fuels Ruby and Sapphire speculation

The timing of the update has revived fan talk about further Game Boy Advance remakes reaching Switch. My Nintendo News reported on October 1, 2026 that an unnamed leaker on X claimed Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire would arrive on October 8, one day after the HOME update tied to FireRed and LeafGreen. The outlet stated explicitly that The Pokémon Company had not announced these games for Nintendo Switch and described the leak as an unverified rumour.

As of the HOME 4.1.0 release, no official source opened for this article — not the Pokémon Company's site, not Nintendo Everything's patch notes, nor Gamerant or Siliconera's coverage — mentions Ruby, Sapphire or any other unreleased title.

What Pokémon HOME is for

Pokémon HOME itself is not new. CBR reported that the cloud-storage app launched on February 12, 2020 for Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. According to CBR, the service could be linked to the older Pokémon Bank app on Nintendo 3DS, and Pokémon Bank was offered free for a month around the HOME launch as players transitioned between the two. Its core function, per CBR, is to let players store Pokémon online in boxes and move them between compatible games, with a free tier and a paid Premium Plan. Linking older Game Boy Advance remakes such as FireRed and LeafGreen extends that same cloud library to Pokémon caught on Switch hardware.