A disturbing incident has come to light involving a dedicated Pokémon fan who reportedly lost an incredible “20 years worth of data” during a system transfer from the Nintendo Switch to the newly released Switch 2.

In a now-deleted Reddit post, user ThatOtaku26 revealed that they had successfully transferred their data, including Pokémon from as far back as the Game Boy Advance (GBA). However, the joy quickly turned to despair when they discovered that their save file for Pokémon Scarlet had vanished without a trace.

“I just got a Switch 2, did the startup and initial data transfer with no issues. My Scarlet save file is gone. It loads straight into the language selection and create a character screens. No data on my OLED. Just all gone.”

The user stressed that there were no errors during the transfer process. While they could access save files from other Pokémon games, the one containing two decades of dedicated gameplay was inexplicably lost.

To make matters worse, Pokémon games are among the few titles on the Switch that do not support cloud save functionality, a key feature of Nintendo Switch Online. This limitation raises concerns for players about the safety of their beloved Pokémon collections.

“THERE WAS NO ERROR IN DATA TRANSFER AT ALL. IT WENT FINE. ALL MY OTHER POKEMON DATA IS STILL THERE, BUT NOT SCARLET. I had mons from my original GBA up to current on there. Literally 20 years worth of data. There’s nothing I can do. I don’t even know if I wanna play anymore.”

Many commenters on Reddit advised ThatOtaku26 to use Pokémon HOME, a cloud-based service that allows players to store their treasured Pokémon securely. One user pointed out the importance of transferring significant Pokémon prior to executing a system transfer, highlighting that this could prevent scenarios like the one described.

“Ngl the fact that you didn’t transfer all of your important Pokémon to Home first is on you. We’ve known that this is the only way to preserve your Pokémon for sure… I’d have done it just to be safe.”

In contrast, other users expressed empathy, indicating that they too have experienced similar heartbreak over lost data. One user remarked, “tears were shed” when they faced a comparable issue.

The precise cause of the save file loss remains unknown, but this incident serves as an important reminder for Pokémon trainers everywhere. If you’ve invested years in building a collection dating back generations, it’s essential to utilize Pokémon HOME to safeguard your lovable creatures against unexpected challenges.