A Cautionary Tale for Switch 2 Owners: Pokemon Scarlet Player Loses 1000+ Hours of Playtime

Oh boy, where do I even start with this one? So, you’re a die-hard Pokemon fan, right? Imagine pouring your heart and soul into this world for like, two decades. And then — bam! — it all goes poof while trying to move your stuff onto the shiny new Nintendo Switch 2. I know, wild, right?

This whole data transfer thing, it’s kinda like playing with fire, folks. Especially if you’re moving your Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games over. Sure, not everyone crashes and burns, but you’ve got to tiptoe a bit when migrating to the Switch 2. Not trying to scare anyone, but you don’t want your adorable Chimchar vanishing into the digital abyss.

Nintendo dropped the Switch 2 bombshell on June 5. And people are going bonkers — over 3.5 million units gone just like that! And guess what? Pokemon Legends: Z-A is coming in October. Meanwhile, thanks to the magic of backward compatibility, your old Pokemon games aren’t totally out of the loop. So there’s that.

But here’s where it gets tragic. Some poor soul lost over 1,000 hours and like, all their precious Pokemon. We’re talking buddies from the days of Pokemon Diamond on the DS and LeafGreen on Game Boy Advance. I mean, talk about brutality. They were just doing the usual switcheroo, and when they fired up Pokemon Scarlet? Boom, language and character screens. And after playing detective (or trying to), they realized the save file was history.

Word’s out, and other fans were like, “Oh snap, that’s happened to us, too!” But, plot twist, they mostly got their data back. One suggested this weird button trick — up, B, and X — like they’re pulling off some secret handshake. Didn’t work for our unlucky friend, though. Everyone’s throwing advice left and right: hit up Nintendo support, transfer one game at a time, you name it.

Not everything went down the drain. Thanks to Pokemon Home, some creatures are safe and sound. Even with community pals offering trades, the whole ordeal’s made ’em hesitant about carrying on. It’s like losing a pet, you know? I’m not crying, you are.

Anyway, hang tight out there, trainers. Adventures are fun and all, but they’re definitely not worth a heart-wrenching data disaster. Whatever you guy’s plan, double-check and then double-check again. Trust me, your Pikachu will thank you later.