Nintendo confirms that Pokemon caught in the eShop versions of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow will transfer to the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon games.

When Nintendo announced a Pokemon-themed Nintendo Direct, many fans assumed that new games in the series would be announced. Those fans were right on the money, but not only were Pokemon Sun and Moon revealed, Nintendo also confirmed that the original 150 Pokemon caught in the 3DS re-releases of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow can be transferred to the new games.

Players will be able to bring original Pokemon like Charmander, Mewtwo, Pikachu, and more into the worlds of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon by utilizing the Pokemon Bank service. Since players were unable to transfer Pokemon caught in the original Game Boy games to the Game Boy Advance releases, this marks the first time that this is possible.

So while Pokemon Sun and Moon aren't due for release until this holiday season, players can get a head start on their collection of pocket monsters by playing Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow on the 3DS eShop. Those games will be re-released tomorrow, February 27th, exclusively for the 3DS. Furthermore, the games will support simulated link cable functionality, making it technically possible to catch all original 150 Pokemon before Pokemon Sun and Moon release at the end of the year.

With this functionality announced, it will be interesting to see if sales for the original Pokemon games on the eShop will enjoy a boost. Many fans of the series were likely going to purchase them anyway due to nostalgia and to celebrate Pokemon's 20th anniversary, but being able to transfer Pokemon caught in the original games to Pokemon Sun and Moon gives the titles additional value.

It may even convince those that still have the original cartridges to pick up the re-releases. After all, the original Pokemon Game Boy cartridges made it impossible to transfer Pokemon to the Game Boy Advance generation of games, which disappointed many back in the day. The prospect of being able to catch literally all 722 Pokemon may be too hard to pass up, even for those that are still rocking Game Boys and link cables.

Pokemon games never have a problem selling, but even so, this decision by Nintendo will likely lead to even stronger sales for the original Pokemon games on the eShop. It may even convince those only interested in the original Pokemon games to pick up Sun and Moon later this year, as they will be able to play through those games using their favorite monsters from the original 150.

Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are due for release this holiday season, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.