Time Capsule

The Time Capsule (Japanese: タイムカプセル Time Capsule) is a mechanic in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal that allows players to trade Pokémon back in time to Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. It is not present in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

In the core series games

Japanese and Western versions

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the Time Capsule is located on the second floor of each Pokémon Center. However, it will be undergoing adjustments until the player has met Bill at the Pokémon Center in Ecruteak City. The player then has to wait for another 24 hours according to the game's internal clock before being able to use the Time Capsule.

After this point, it is possible to trade with the core series Generation I games; however, there are still some restrictions:

The player cannot have any Generation II Pokémon or Eggs in their party.
The player cannot have any Pokémon holding Mail in their party.
None of the Pokémon in the party can know any moves introduced in Generation II.

When linked up to a Generation I game, the trade will happen as it did in Generation I, and the Generation II game will act as if it is a Generation I game.

If the Pokémon traded from the Generation I game changes its type during the trade (unless it’s a Magnemite or Magneton), the trade is immediately cancelled.

Held items of Pokémon traded from a Generation I game are determined by that Pokémon's catch rate in said game. This is why Pikachu holds a Light Ball and Kadabra holds a Twisted Spoon if traded from Pokémon Yellow, but not from Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue. For more information on this subject and a complete list of the items, see List of Pokémon by wild held item (Generation II).

Limitations and their consequences

Because of the restriction that moves introduced in Generation II cannot be traded back to Generation I, a Move Deleter in Blackthorn City will delete moves that are incompatible with earlier games. While trades with previous generations were not supported in any games after Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the concept of a Move Deleter was retained as part of gameplay, as otherwise it would be impossible to make a Pokémon forget an HM move, other than putting it in the Pokémon Day Care and having it level up so it only retains the last 3 moves, and the new move.

A Haunter, Kadabra, Graveler, or Machoke holding an Everstone won't evolve when traded to the Generation II games but will evolve when traded to the Generation I games.

A Poliwhirl, Slowpoke, Scyther, Onix, or Porygon holding the item they need to trigger a trade Evolution won't evolve when traded to the Generation II games from a Generation I game.

Glitches

The Time Capsule's limitation that prevents Generation II Pokémon from entering can be bypassed with the Time Capsule exploit, though Generation II Pokémon brought in this way must still only know Generation I moves. When traded to a Generation I game, they will become glitch Pokémon. The four Pokémon that evolve by trade in Generation I (Haunter, Kadabra, Machoke, and Graveler), if traded from a Generation I game to a Generation II game at the correct level, will learn a Generation II move after evolving, but can be traded back to Generation I immediately after. This gives access to glitch moves in the Generation I game.

Korean versions

Because the Generation I games were not released in South Korea, the Korean versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver do not officially support the Time Capsule. However, it can still be enabled by attempting to trade with a Generation I game at the regular Cable Club Trade Center. This allows the event where the player meets Bill in Ecruteak City to be triggered, unlocking the Time Capsule after 24 hours according to the game's internal clock.

Once unlocked, the player can use Time Capsule with Western versions of the Generation I games. However, like when trading between Korean and Western Generation II games, because the Western games do not support Korean characters, Pokémon names and Original Trainers will not display properly in the Western games; if a Korean character corresponds to a control character in the Western games, this can have other unexpected effects.

By SM

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In the Virtual Console releases of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Korean and Western games cannot connect to each other at all, making the Time Capsule inaccessible.

In the side series games

Pokémon Stadium 2

In Pokémon Stadium 2, the trade machine at the Pokémon Lab can be used to trade Pokémon between Generation I and/or Generation II games.

Much like in the Time Capsule, if a Pokémon was introduced in Generation II, or it has a move introduced in Generation II, it may not be traded to a Generation I game.

Comparison with other games

The Time Capsule is the only facility in the core series which allows direct inter-generational trades. Starting with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire in Generation III, this is no longer possible in the games, although it is possible to migrate Pokémon forward a generation through use of Pal Park (from Generation III to Generation IV), the Poké Transfer (from Generation IV to Generation V), the Poké Transporter (from Generation V to Generations VI and VII), and Pokémon HOME (from Generations VI and VII to Generations VIII and IX). Pokémon HOME is also the only other method for sending Pokémon back a generation, as of version 3.0.0 (i.e. Pokémon originating from Generation IX can be transferred to compatible Generation VIII games and back, though not to Generation VII games).

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

While the Time Capsule has not appeared in Pokémon Adventures, it was hinted at in The Last Battle XIV, where Bill, after learning about the Masked Man's attempt to control time, began researching time travel in order to improve the Pokémon Storage System.

Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys

The Time Capsule was first mentioned by Professor Oak in The Legendary Pokémon Appears!, when a time tunnel appeared above the Violet Gym during Gold's Gym battle with Falkner. Out of the time tunnel came a Pikachu, which joined Gold's team. In Farewell To Pikachu?!, Eusine revealed how he and Bill had used Bill's Time Capsule to send Pikachu back in time in order to help it lead him to a Legendary Pokémon he was looking for.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

The Time Capsule appeared in Find the Legendary Pokémon!!, where Bill demonstrated it to Red. Clefairy became interested in it, and Bill agreed to send Red and his Pokémon back in time.

In the TCG

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring the Time Capsule in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Time Capsule Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Time Capsule	T	Neo Genesis		090/111	Gold, Silver, to a New World...

In other languages


Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	時光膠囊 Sìhgwōng Gāaunòhng * 時間囊 Sìhgāan Nòhng *
Chinese	Mandarin	時光膠囊 / 时光胶囊 Shíguāng Jiāonáng * 時間囊 Shíjiān Náng *
French		Bloc Temporel
German		Zeitkapsel
Italian		Tempocapsula
Korean		타임캡슐 Time Capsule
Russian		Капсула времени Kapsula vremeni
Spanish		Cápsula del Tiempo

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