A Pokemon Scarlet Player Losing Over 1,000 Hours of Gameplay: A Warning for Future Switch 2 Users

Oh man, where do I even start with this one? Picture this: You’re a die-hard Pokémon fan — I’m talking decades deep, from when you had that original Game Boy in your hands. You’ve captured ’em all, trained them, and they’re practically part of the family now, right? Fast forward to today, and you’ve got this fancy new Nintendo Switch 2. Sounds cool, yeah? Not for everyone, apparently.

So, there’s this one fan, clearly living the Pokémon dream for like 20 years, who decided to make the leap to the Switch 2. But not without drama. We’re talking data transfer meltdown. They were trying to move their beloved creatures from the old Switch to the new one, and BAM — over a thousand hours of gaming history vanished. Poof. Gone. Some of these Pokémon have been with them since the Diamond and LeafGreen days. Can you imagine? It’s like losing a digital pet (or twenty).

The crazy part? This isn’t happening to everyone. It’s just a random bug or something, but who’s taking chances? The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t all bad, though. Launched June 5th, it’s flying off shelves — over 3.5 million sold in just a blink. Gamers are hyped for what’s next. No Pokémon games specifically for Switch 2 on launch, but “Legends: Z-A” is coming in October, and it promises to be epic. Thank goodness for backward compatibility; at least you can keep playing the old stuff without giant headaches — allegedly.

Anyway, back to our friend. They fired up Pokémon Scarlet, ready to meet their team again, but instead—surprise!—they stared at the stupid language selection screen. You know that sinking feeling? Yep, that’s what hit. After frantic button mashing and exploring every file nook and cranny, reality sets in: everything’s gone. Just an empty save slot where their digital treasures used to be.

And here’s the kicker. Other fans chimed in online, sharing their own close calls. There might be hope — like this mysterious combo: holding up, B, and X to dig up a hidden backup. Sounds like a secret spell from a wizard or something, right? Unfortunately, it didn’t work for everyone, including our troubled fan. Some suggest getting in touch with Nintendo support; I mean, maybe they can wave a magic wand?

And don’t even get me started on community support. Other players are lined up to trade and replace the lost Pokémon, but, ugh, it’s not quite the same. You can’t replace memories, y’know? The silver lining here is Pokémon Home still has some backups, but after this disaster, the fan isn’t sure they want to continue the journey. It’s like owning a pet hotel and one day you find it… empty. Weird analogy? Maybe.

I feel for the fan. It’s a tough spot — all those years, lost. But life’s unpredictable, especially when it comes to tech glitches, and we roll with it. Or we try to. Man, who knew playing Pokémon could turn into such a saga? Here’s hoping the next chapter’s a happier one.