What is Pokemon Guidebook? New Pokemon HOME feature explained

Pokemon HOME has just released their new Guidebook feature meant to help players complete their Pokedexes in each of the modern titles. With the app now rewarding trainers who complete the full Pokedex for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with a Shiny Meloetta, this mechanic is an amazing addition.

The Guidebook not only gives players more information on the creatures they have registered in the Pokemon HOME Pokedex, but it also reveals where they can be found among the Nintendo Switch titles.

Here is everything to know about the feature, as well as how players can use it to complete their Pokedex.

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Explaining Pokemon HOME's new Guidebook feature

Thanks to Pokemon Guidebook, players can select any creature in the franchise to learn more about it, like its evolutions and where it can be caught. For Pocket Monsters that have yet to appear in a Nintendo Switch title, no information will be displayed. This feature also includes the original hand-drawn art for each of the critters.

While the Guidebook is great for helping newer players fill out their Pokedexes, it is strange that it does not include older games in the franchise, like Pokemon Black or Emerald. Only creatures that can be caught on the Nintendo Switch have their entries available. This is most likely done because the 3DS eShop has closed down, meaning Pokemon Bank can no longer be downloaded.

However, there are a few things about the feature that some players may not be too pleased with. The biggest one is that the evolution methods for each creature are not available. This portion of the guide only shows what each Pocket Monster evolves into.

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How Pokemon HOME's Guidebook can help players complete their Pokedex

For creatures that can be captured in the Nintendo Switch titles, Pokemon HOME's Guidebook includes the games they can be captured in, helping players better track down the remaining Pocket Monsters needed to fill out the Pokedex. However, this feature does not directly tell trainers where they can find these creatures; it only names the titles they appear in.

Since most players tend to resort to online resources like Serebii or Bulbapedia to find specific Pokemon, the Guidebook can feel a bit redundant to experienced trainers. However, the mechanic could be helpful for younger players who may not have access to such resources for whatever reason.

The Guidebook could be built upon in future updates. The exact locations where each creature can be found might be added further down the line. It is also possible that other details, like each Pokemon's move list in each game, could be included.

If this mechanic gets more fleshed out as time progresses, Pokemon HOME could become the perfect mobile companion for any fan of the main series titles.