Connecting Your 'Pokémon GO' Account to Switch Will Get You Exclusive Pokémon

The Pokémon Company made several big announcements during National Pokémon Day, and one of the most intriguing reveals was for Pokémon GO – which can now be synced with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Nintendo Switch. As of Feb 27 at 7 a.m. PST, you can connect your accounts for the chance to receive Gimmighoul Coins and a shot at catching Roaming Form Gimmighoul in Pokémon GO.

If you play both games and are interested in taking advantage of the new feature, here’s how to connect your Pokémon GO account to your Switch.

Connecting your Pokémon GO account to Switch is simple, though it does involve a few strange steps. After loading both Pokémon GO and Pokémon Scarlet or Violet, here’s what you need to do.

• Tap the PokéBall icon at the bottom of the screen in Pokémon GO. This will open the menu.
• Navigate to the "Settings tab", located at the top of the screen.
• Scroll through this menu until you find "Connected Devices and Services".
• Next, select "Nintendo Switch".
• Select "Pokémon Scarlet" or "Pokémon Violet".
• Put down Pokémon GO and head over to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet on Switch.
• Press X on your gamepad to open the menu, then select "Poké Portal".
• Choose the "Mystery Gift" option.
• Select "Connect to Pokémon GO".

Finally, select "Pair with a Pokémon GO account." Confirm your selection by pressing "Yes" when the dialogue box pops up. With all that taken care of, you’ll now have the option to send Postcards from Pokémon GO to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This can be done directly from the Pokémon GO app by heading to the "Items" menu, opening the "Postcard Book," and selecting a Postcard to send.

To receive the Postcard, head back to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet and press X to open the menu. Navigate to the "Poké Portal" menu, select "Mystery Gift," and select "Connect to Pokémon GO."

Once you’ve gone through the trouble of connecting your two accounts, you’ll be able to cash in on some great rewards. This includes the use of the Coin Bag in Pokémon GO, which forces Roaming Form Gimmighoul to appear in your area for a brief amount of time. You’ll also be able to earn Golden Lure Modules if you connect to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet multiple times.

Golden Lure Modules are valuable in Pokémon GO, as they turn PokéStops into Golden PokéStops and grant Gimmighoul Coins when spinning Photo Discs. Once you’ve managed to capture Roaming Form Gimmighoul, you can evolve the creature into Gholdengo by using 999 Gimmighoul Coins. Beyond spinning Photo Discs, these can be earned by assigning Gimmighoul as your Buddy and going for a walk.

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, connecting your accounts will allow you to find unique patterns of Vivillon depending on the location of your Postcard.