Pokemon fans are facing a serious dilemma following the end of Nintendo 3DS online features

Pokemon fans are facing a bit of a dilemma right now. With the end of Nintendo 3DS online features and Nintendo's urging of players to transfer their catches off the platform, a very specific and special kind of pokemon are set to lose their quirks when they make the jump over to Pokemon Home.

These pokemon are totem variants! These Sun and Moon exclusive creatures are notable for two main reasons: they're larger than usual and come with enhanced stats. These were a key feature in the Sun and Moon generation of Pokemon and made sense as part of its stories. There were twelve in total that you could grab, and they made for interesting, cool collectables for Pokemon players.

However, when you try to transfer these totem pokemon off the 3DS via the Pokemon Bank, and onto Pokemon Home (a modern and current pokemon storage app that's being pushed by Nintendo right now), these totem pokemon lose their increased size and stats, leaving them as regular versions rather than special variants.

So, players are left with a choice. With Nintendo 3DS online features having ended, and the Pokemon Company urging fans to transfer their collection off the 3DS-bound Pokemon Bank, players can go ahead and follow these instructions, giving up these totem Pokemon. Or, they can leave them on their Sun and Moon saves, trapping them in that game as the rest of their collection moves on.

Either way, totem Pokemon appear doomed in the long run. For what it's worth there's an argument for phasing it out - these totem Pokemon are straight up just better than regular versions and it would be a bit of a bummer for newer players and collectors to have to venture back to the 3DS to grab 'em. But then again, shouldn't you reward those who went through and beat those games back in the day? A tricky one.

It begs the question of whether The Pokemon Company should respect the weird and wonderful versions of pokemon they introduce in games, and take measures to better future-proof them. Even a small symbol, a way of identifying these totem Pokemon, would let players know where they came from. But alas, it doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps it's best to stay on Aloha after all.

Let us know what you think below? Is this a big deal for you, or could you care less about older special Pokemon getting phased out and morphed into regular alternatives?

Thanks to Gao Matthis for the tip! If you've got something you think we should take a look at, email contact@vg247.com