Time Capsule

Ethan approaches the Time Capsule

The Time Capsule is a part of Generation II Pokémon Centers where players can trade with their Generation I games.

In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the Time Capsule is located on the second floor of each Pokémon Center. However, in the early part of the game, it is under repair, and thus unavailable until the player has met Bill in Ecruteak City.

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

• The player cannot have any Generation II Pokémon or Eggs in their party.
• None of the Generation I Pokémon that are 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.

Due to the restriction on later-generation moves when trading back to Generation I, the Move Deleter was also introduced in Generation II so that Generation I Pokémon that had learned newer moves could be traded back. The Move Deleter carried on into Generation III, IV, and V, even though trades with previous generations were not supported. However, it still had use for forgetting HM moves.

The Time Capsule's feature that prevents Generation II Pokémon from entering can be bypassed with the Johto guard glitch, though Generation II Pokémon brought in 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, thus enabling them to be traded back to Generation I immediately and allowing access to glitch moves in the Generation I game.

The Generation IV counterpart to the Time Capsule, which allows Pokémon from Generation III to be transferred ahead, is Pal Park; however, these are not trades, but instead, permanent transfers from Generation III to IV. Also, Generation V introduces the Poké Transfer, which does the same thing, except this time it transfers Generation IV Pokémon to Generation V.

In the TCG

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

Name	Type	Rarity	Set	Set no.
Time Capsule	Tr		Neo Genesis	90/111

Trivia

• In Generation II, when the player goes to battle Red on Mt. Silver, his dialogue may be slightly modified depending on whether or not the Time Capsule has been used. If it has not, there will be only one ellipsis. However, if it has been used, four will be present.
• Time Capsule is the only inter-generational communication system to feature Pokémon that can actually return to a game from a previous generation, since Pal Park and Poké transfer only send Pokémon to a further Generation.
• The Time Capsule is the only inter-generational Pokémon transfer system accessible before beating the Elite 4 and Champion of its region.

Inter-generational transfer
Gen I Time Capsule • Poké Transporter → Bank Gen II Gen III Dual-slot mode → Pal Park Gen IV Dual-slot mode → Pal Park • Poké Transfer • Relocator Gen V Poké Transfer • Relocator • Poké Transporter → Bank Gen VI Poké Transporter → Bank Gen VII Poké Transporter → Bank • GO Park • HOME Gen VIII Bank → HOME • GO Transporter Gen IX

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.