Pokémon ROM hacks don’t usually have a system like Pokémon Home where you can store your Pokémon in a cloud save.
But Pokémon Unbound is one of the few exceptions, as it has Unbound Cloud.
Unbound Cloud is a website (https://unboundcloud.net/) that lets you store Pokémon from your Pokémon Unbound save file into a cloud save. It also makes the process easier to move Pokémon between boxes, with a few features related to transferring & trading Pokémon that makes things a lot more convenient.
Basics
Unbound Cloud is the equivalent of Pokemon Home created by the creator of Pokemon Unbound.
It serves as a free-to-use cloud storage for Pokemon that you can transfer directly from your Pokemon Unbound save file. Below is a list of every Pokemon ROM hack supported by Unbound Cloud:
- Pokemon Unbound (v.2.1.0 or above)
- Pokemon Unbound Battle Frontier Demo (v.2.0.0 or above)
- Pokemon Magical Altering Gym Menagerie (v.1.2 or above)
- Pokemon Inflamed Red (v.1.1.0pb.1.2 or above)
- Pokemon GS Chronicles (v.2.7.1 or above)
After connecting the game’s save file, you can freely move around your stored Pokemon in your boxes. This makes editing the many in-game PC boxes much easier, as the changes made in Unbound Cloud reflect in the game after saving.
In addition to acting as a cloud storage for Pokemon, Unbound Cloud has two other primary purposes.
- It makes trading with friends easier and faster
- And it allows you to Wonder Trade, which is when a player offers their Pokemon to trade with a stranger and gets a completely random Pokemon in return
Registering & Connecting Your Save
Before using Unbound Cloud’s features you must create an account on the official website.
You need a username, email, and password to create your account. Or if you already have an account made, click “I already have an account” to be redirected to the login page. You can use either your email or your username to log in.
Once you’re logged in for the first time, you’ll want to upload your Unbound Cloud save data to the website by pressing the “Choose File” option and locating your save file.
Your game’s save file will be in the same location as the game’s ROM file. It’ll be a 128 KB file with a file extension of .sav, .srm, .sa1, or .fla
The save file should also have the same name as the ROM file itself.
After linking your save data with your account once, the website will give you an additional option called “Last Used”. This will instantly use the last used save file as long as it hasn’t been edited or moved.
Storing Pokemon in Unbound Cloud
Uploading your save file will lead to a screen with two divided sections.
The section on the left is the cloud storage, while the right section is your game’s in-game storage box.
You can use the left and right arrows to navigate the boxes.
Clicking on a Pokemon shows its details, including its level, held item, type of Poke Ball, nature, ability, and stats.
Clicking the showdown icon below the box changes the details to look similar to the competitive game Pokemon Showdown. You can also click the trash icon to release a Pokemon from Unbound Cloud, which can be quicker than releasing in-game.
Moving a Pokemon is done by dragging and dropping it.
So to move from your game to the cloud, just drop any Pokemon to the cloud section to store it in the cloud. You can also move a Pokemon in your in-game storage to another box or location to reflect that in the game as well.
One cloud box stores 30 Pokemon total, and there are a hundred boxes. This means you can store a maximum total of 3,000 Pokemon in Unbound Cloud.
Just remember to press the save button after making any changes to ensure the changes are permanent on the website and in your game’s save file.
To make moving Pokemon around easier, you can press the three options on the top of the website to switch the two boxes on the screen between the following:
- Cloud box to cloud box
- Cloud box to game box
- Game box to game box
Trading in Unbound Cloud
There are two ways to trade in Unbound Cloud.
The first is trading with a specific person, while the second is a random Wonder Trade. We’ll explain both methods.
Trading with a Specific Player
Trading between friends is fairly straightforward.
First, click the friend trade option at the bottom of the screen.
Then one friend creates a code and sends it to the other friend, who will then enter the code by selecting the “Enter Code” option.
Eachcode creates a trading room, and the 2nd person has up to 10 minutes to join the room before it closes.
With both players in a room, each player must offer at least one Pokemon before finalizing and completing the trade. Things like stats, nicknames, and held items will be carried over. After the trade is complete, the two players can trade again or close the connection.
Wonder Trade
To Wonder Trade in Unbound Cloud, you’ll first want to transfer the Pokemon you want to give up in a cloud box.
With that done, interact with that Pokemon and press the “Wonder Trade” option between the box and the Pokémon’s stats.
Pressing the option will bring up a confirmation box asking if you want to give that Pokemon for Wonder Trade. Press “Let’s Trade!” to send the Pokemon for trading, and then wait to get matched with a random player.
During this time you can’t interact with the Pokemon sent for trading, though you can press the Wonder Trade option again to cancel it.
You’ll get a pop-up message on the screen after getting matched with another player, showcasing the Pokemon you received and the owner’s username.
The received Pokemon will be placed in your old Pokémon’s place, allowing you to check its stats and items.
Just keep in mind that Wonder Trades aren’t reversible so make sure you’re OK to lose whatever Pokemon you put up for trade.
