Transfer Your Pokémon to Pokémon Home
If you want to skip the gacha-like "recruit" process in Pokémon Champions, using your existing Pokémon from other games is a straightforward option. To do this, you first need to transfer your Pokémon to Pokémon Home, a cloud storage system accessible via your Nintendo Switch.
The transfer process is consistent across games on the Switch. Start by ensuring all the Pokémon games you want to transfer from are updated and that the Pokémon are stored in your PC boxes, as you cannot move them directly from your party.
Download Pokémon Home from the eShop and open the app with the user account linked to your Pokémon save files. If it’s your first time using Pokémon Home, a setup tutorial will guide you through the account creation process. After that, select "Pokémon" from the main menu to view your accessible games.
Choose the game you wish to transfer from, which will open the storage system for that title. Simply select the Pokémon you want to move, place them in a box, and press Plus to save and quit. Remember, transferring Pokémon from Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! is a one-way process.
Sending Pokémon to Pokémon Champions
Once your Pokémon are in Pokémon Home, you can send them to Pokémon Champions. However, be cautious: the stats of the Pokémon will be locked once you accept them into Champions. This means that if you later decide to change their stats through other games, it won't affect their performance in Champions.
To send your Pokémon, open Pokémon Home on your Switch and select the bottom right icon for Pokémon Champions. Link your account and open your Pokémon Home boxes. Select the Pokémon you want to send; those with a red "no entry" symbol cannot be transferred.
After selecting, press Y to ship them off. You’ll get a warning that while the Pokémon will remain in Pokémon Home, you can’t send them back to other games or modify them during their visit to Champions. After closing Pokémon Home, open Pokémon Champions and navigate to the "Recruit" menu option.
Using the Mobile App for Pokémon Champions
You can also use the Pokémon Home mobile app to send Pokémon to Champions. Open the app, log in with your Nintendo account, and access the menu. Tap "Options" and select "Send for a visit" under the Pokémon Champions section. Confirm the account and choose your Pokémon to send, remembering that ineligible Pokémon will be greyed out.
After confirming your selections, go back to Pokémon Champions and choose the "Recruit" option. At the ranch, select "Collect from Pokémon Home" to bring your Pokémon into the game. If you make a mistake, you can choose to send them back to Pokémon Home.
Once your Pokémon arrives, you can begin training them for battle. Be aware that the moves they possess may not all be usable in the game, so you’ll likely need to update their moveset in the training menu.