How to Trade From Pokémon Ruby to Pokémon HeartGold

Choose the Games that You Want to Trade Between

To begin, choose the game to trade from, OR use the form below.

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This page explains how to trade from Pokémon Ruby to Pokémon HeartGold.

What You Need

To send pokémon from Pokémon Ruby to Pokémon HeartGold, you need a Nintendo DS that has a GBA cartridge slot.

In-Game Requirements

Before you can trade from Pokémon Ruby to Pokémon HeartGold:

  • In Pokémon Ruby, you need to get the Pokédex from Professor Birch in Littleroot Town, and you need to have at least two pokémon in your party.
  • In Pokémon HeartGold, you need to defeat the Elite Four and enter the Hall of Fame, then try to board the S.S. Aqua to get the National Pokédex.

How to Trade

This is a ONE-WAY TRANSFER! Pokémon sent from Pokémon Ruby to Pokémon HeartGold cannot be sent back to Pokémon Ruby!

Put your Pokémon Ruby cartridge into the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS. Put your Pokémon HeartGold cartridge into the DS game slot. Start your Pokémon HeartGold game and choose the "Migrate from Pokémon Ruby" option in the menu. When asked to migrate, say Yes. When asked to confirm, say Yes. Choose exactly six pokémon (no more and no less) to transfer. After choosing, say Yes, and when informed that the pokémon cannot be returned to the GBA cartridge, say Yes.

Then start your game of Pokémon HeartGold. You need to go to Pal Park in the game. The following sections explain how to go to the Pal Park.

Pal Park Location in Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum

The Pal Park is in Route 221. To get there, go south from Sandgem Town and use Surf to travel to Route 219. Go south from there to Route 220, then use the northeast path to go to route 221. Keep going east until you reach a building. This is Pal Park. Go inside.

Pal Park Location in HeartGold or SoulSilver

Pal Park is in Fuchsia City. Go to Fuchsia City and enter the northernmost building to reach Pal Park.

Using the Pal Park

Before using Pal Park, you might want to bring a Pokémon with you that knows Surf, because certain areas of Pal Park are only accessible with Surf. If this is your first visit, Professor Oak will talk to you. Afterward, go up to the counter and talk to the guy wearing a construction helmet. Say Yes when asked to participate in the Catching Shows. He will ask if you want to read the instruction manual. When you are done, choose UNDERSTOOD! Then say Yes to participate in a Catching Show now. He'll give you six Park Balls. Then you will enter the Pal Park. Run around in the tall grass to encounter the pokémon that you migrated from Pokémon Ruby. The Park Balls always capture successfully, just like Master Balls (but you can only use Park Balls inside Pal Park), so just throw a Ball and you will catch the pokémon. Repeat this process to catch all of the pokémon that you migrated from Pokémon Ruby. After you have caught them all, you will be asked if you want to put all of the caught pokémon in PC Boxes.