Bag

The Bag (Japanese: バッグ bag), referred to on the menu as Item (Japanese: どうぐ tool) in Generation I and Pack (Japanese: リュック ruck) in Generation II, is a vital tool in all core series Pokémon games. It holds all of the player's items, storing them for later use. By opening the Bag, players can use, arrange, and toss most items, and register Key Items for easy access.

The players' default bags in Pokémon X and Y

The players' Bags in Pokémon Platinum

Professor Birch's bag from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

Professor Rowan's briefcase from Diamond and Pearl

In the Help System of the Generation V games, it is called the Bag function (Japanese: バッグの機能(きのう) bag function).

Use

Outside of battle

The Bag in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

The Bag appears as part of the start menu in all core series games, as well as in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. In Generation I as well as in Colosseum and XD, it is accessed with the "ITEMS" command, while in Generation II, it is accessed with the "PACK" command.

All items that the player has on hand will be located in the Bag and, after Generation I, being placed in the appropriate pocket automatically. Prior to Generation IV, the items pocket had only 20 (42 in FireRed and LeafGreen, 30 in Emerald) spaces for items, while the other pockets had space for any and all items that would go there. If an item to be picked up would be placed into the items pocket, however, and the pocket was full, it could not be picked up until the player had deposited some items into the PC. This problem no longer exists in Generation IV and beyond, where all pockets have enough space for every item.

Inside of the Bag menu, the player will find a list of all their items, ordered by default from the first kind obtained to the most recently obtained. Players may rearrange these items with the select button, except in the Berries and TMs and HMs pockets, which are automatically ordered. Depending on the type of item, and sometimes on the item itself, options exist when it is selected that allow players to use the item, throw the item away, register it to the Select/Y button for use on the field, or have a Pokémon hold it.

In battle

Bag menu during a Pokémon battle in Generation VI.

The Bag is also one of the four menu selections during a Pokémon battle, and allows the player to use items that can be used in battle, such as Poké Balls, Potions, and items like X Attack. Prior to Generation IV, the Bag menu during battle was the same as that outside of battle, allowing inventory checking of items that are unrelated to battle during it. In Generation IV, however, it became a completely different menu on the touch screen, split into four categories of use.

Using an item while in battle uses up a turn. This only occurs if the item that is used, of course, does anything during the battle (for example, in Generation II, attempting to use a NeverMeltIce will lead only to the player being scolded by Professor Oak). Items cannot be used in linked battles or in facilities such as the Battle Tower.

The item that was last used during battle, if there were multiple copies of it in the Bag, can be easily used again. The selection cursor will remain on it in Generation I-III games, while a shortcut menu will exist at the lower left corner of the screen to the last used item in Generation IV and beyond.

Differences between generations

While the Bag has remained a consistent part of the menu screen for all generations, significant changes have been made to its structure in each later generation, with most welcomed as improvements.

Generation I

In Generation I, the Bag began as a simple list of items, with only 20 different kinds ever allowed to be held on-hand at one time. Additional items that the player owned would need to be stored in the player's PC (accessible from any Pokémon Center and holding up to 50 different kinds of item), but would need to be put there manually, as picked up items that did not fit in the Bag would simply be left where they were, but could be picked up at a later time, when there was space for them. Up to 99 of any one item could normally be held in the Bag, with additional amounts of an item taking up a second slot (for example, in order to have 103 Great Balls on hand, one would need to have one slot of them ×99, and another with them ×4); this was not totally concrete, however, and the item duplication glitch involving MissingNo. could be performed in Pokémon Red and Blue, allowing for 255 of the same item to be held in the same Bag slot.

Generation II

The Bag received its first major overhaul in Generation II, where items were now separated into four pockets. While the items pocket held most of the different types of item still, the other three pockets were more specialized, and could contain all items of their specific type, allowing for better access to these items. Each item also received an in-Bag description.

Items どうぐ	Balls ボール	File:GSC Key items pocket.png Key Items たいせつ	TM/HM わざマシン
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all 11 varieties of Poké Ball available in Generation II.	Contains all Key Items.	Contains all TMs and HMs.

Generation III

Another overhaul for the Bag came in Generation III, adding one further pocket that did not exist in Generation II. This pocket, much like the Poké Balls pocket, was created in response to the large overhaul to the Berry system from Generation II, allowing all 43 Berries to be kept in the Bag at once, organized by their Berry number.

A visual of the Bag itself was added to the screen, replacing the blueprint-like structure present in Generation II, and for the first time, male and female player characters had a different Bag design. In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the Bags are yellow, but in Emerald, they are green.

Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Poké Balls モンスターボール	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all 11 varieties of Poké Ball available in Generation III.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Key Items.

Emerald

Additionally, Emerald uses the Battle Bag in the Battle Pyramid. The color of the icon is purple for the Level 50 challenge, and red for the Open Level challenge.

Battle Bag バトルバッグ
Contains items acquired in the Battle Pyramid.

Colosseum and XD

In Colosseum and XD, the bag is divided as it is in Ruby and Sapphire. The only noticeable differences in function are that in the event of a full bag, any new items are automatically sent to the PC, rather than left alone, and that Key Items cannot be registered (as none that can be used on the field are present).

FireRed and LeafGreen

In FireRed and LeafGreen, the Bag's five pockets were condensed into three, with two Key Items, the Berry Pouch and TM Case, serving the role that the Berries and TMs and HMs pockets do in Hoenn-based games. A small icon was also given to each item, displaying it in the Bag alongside the description, which was lengthened. These Bag icons were also used in Emerald.

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ File:FRLG Key items pocket M.png File:FRLG Key items pocket F.png Key Items たいせつなもの	♂ ♀ Poké Balls モンスターボール
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all Key Items.	Contains all 11 varieties of Poké Ball available in Generation III.

Generation IV

The Bag was revamped once again in Generation IV, not only allowing for infinite space (and making the PC storage system for items obsolete) but also splitting the pockets up further than in Generation III. Three new pockets were split off from the Items pocket, making for a total of eight pockets. The Bags are yellow in Diamond and Pearl, but gray/silver in Platinum.

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the Bag retained the list-like format from Generation III, with pocket-changing controls as well as a Poké Ball-shaped scrollwheel being present on the bottom screen. Due to the large quantity of items obtainable in the game (well over 100) that are stored in the Items pocket, many complaints about this system led to a complete revamp in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which make further use of the touch screen compared to their predecessors, and group the items into six-cell pages. Additionally these games have Ethan/Lyra holding the bag with pocket being highlighted, while other games just show pockets.

Diamond and Pearl

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Medicine かいふく	♂ ♀ Poké Balls モンスターボール	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Mail メール	♂ File:DP Battle items pocket M.png ♀ File:DP Battle items pocket F.png Battle items せんとうよう	♂ File:DP Key items pocket M.png ♀ File:DP Key items pocket F.png Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all available varieties of Poké Ball.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Mail.	Contains all items which only have effect in battle.	Contains all Key Items.

Platinum

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Medicine かいふく	♂ ♀ Poké Balls モンスターボール	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Mail メール	♂ File:Pt Battle items pocket M.png ♀ File:Pt Battle items pocket F.png Battle items せんとうよう	♂ File:Pt Key items pocket M.png ♀ File:Pt Key items pocket F.png Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all available varieties of Poké Ball.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Mail.	Contains all items which only have effect in battle.	Contains all Key Items.

HeartGold and SoulSilver

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Medicine かいふく	♂ ♀ Poké Balls モンスターボール	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Mail メール	♂ File:HGSS Battle items pocket M.png ♀ File:HGSS Battle items pocket F.png Battle items せんとうよう	♂ File:HGSS Key items pocket M.png ♀ File:HGSS Key items pocket F.png Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other pockets.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all available varieties of Poké Ball.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Mail.	Contains all items which only have effect in battle.	Contains all Key Items.

Generation V

In Black and White, the Bag was overhauled again, with eight pockets being condensed into five, much like in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. The pockets are called Cases in these games, and are labeled Items, Medicine, TMs & HMs, Berries and Key Items, with Poké Balls, Mail, held items and other items all being placed in the Items pocket. Held items, Mail and Poké Balls are indicated as such by an icon displayed to the immediate left of the item that corresponds to what type of item it is.

In these games, recently acquired items (other than TMs) are added at the top of their respective item list (rather than the bottom, as in previous generations), and players can sort a pocket automatically by pressing Start, in addition to manual sorting with Select.

In Black 2 and White 2, a Free Space section was added to the Bag, and the icon takes on the appearance of a smaller Bag. Players can select items they use most and add them to Free Space for easy access. Manual sorting cannot be performed in this section, and items are always placed in alphabetical order. However, the player can filter the kind of items they want to see with the sorting button.

Unlike in the first pairs, new items go at the bottom of the item list like in previous generations rather than the top, including TMs and HMs. More sorting options were also added.

Black and White

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Medicine かいふく	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other cases.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Key Items.

Black 2 and White 2

♂ ♀ Items どうぐ	♂ ♀ Medicine かいふく	♂ ♀ TMs & HMs わざマシン	♂ ♀ Berries きのみ	♂ ♀ Key Items たいせつなもの	♂ ♀ Free Space フリースペース
Contains all items not in other cases.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Key Items.	Contains items put there by the player.

Generation VI

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Changes in ORAS, if any (other than removing customization)

Generation VI saw the least amount of changes to the Bag. Items may be picked up by pressing and holding with the stylus, which allows for manual sorting; Start and Select both open the automatic sorting menu. In addition, the Items slot no longer has icons indicating items' types, though they are still grouped together when automatically sorted. The Free Space slot from Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 was removed, once again giving the Bag five slots, and each slot can be dragged to rearrange the order. A clock icon was also added at the bottom of the screen, which will show a list of the last twelve items used. Newly received items once again appear at the bottom of that pocket.

While the physical shape of the Bag did not change, it is now possible to customize the color and patterning of the bag due to it being an article of clothing as a part of Trainer customization.

Items どうぐ	Medicine かいふく	TMs & HMs わざマシン	Berries きのみ	Key Items たいせつなもの
Contains all items not in other cases.	Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all TMs and HMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Key Items.
File:Bag Items VI pocket icon.png				File:Bag Key items XY pocket icon.pngFile:Bag Key items ORAS pocket icon.png

Generation VII

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: More info after the games' launch

The Bag received an upgrade once again in Generation VII. While the five sections from Generation VI remain, two new sections were added.

The Free Space section, previously seen in Black 2 and White 2, makes a return and allows the player to store any items they want from other pockets for convenience. A new section called Z-Crystals is also added, which stores all Z-Crystals found during the game. The TMs & HMs section has been renamed to TMs only.

Medicine かいふく	Items どうぐ	TMs わざマシン	Berries きのみ	Key Items たいせつなもの	Free Space フリースペース	Z-Crystals Ｚクリスタル
Contains all healing and permanent stat-enhancing medicines.	Contains all items not in other cases.	Contains all TMs.	Contains all Berries.	Contains all Key Items.	Contains items put there by the player.	Contains all Z-Crystals.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, items are stored in the Toolbox. It has a capacity of 16.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, items are stored in the Treasure Bag. It initially has a capacity of 16, being expanded incrementally throughout the story, up to a capacity of 48.

Pokémon GO

The Bag in Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, the player's Bag initially has a capacity of 350. Bag Upgrades can be purchased, which expand the maximum number of items that can be carried by 50 each.

In the anime

Johanna giving Dawn a small backpack

All of the main characters in the Pokémon anime own a Bag in which they keep their supplies and Poké Balls. While both of May's bags were designed based on the ones worn by her game counterpart in Generation III, and Ash's Bag in the Diamond & Pearl series is based on Lucas's, but colored green, the other main characters' Bags have little to do with their game counterparts, with Dawn and Serena taking a backpack rather than the Bags used by their game counterparts, and Brock, Misty, Iris, and Cilan having no Bags in the games.

By far, Brock's Bag has been shown to be the most spacious, having a full tea set and table inside in The School of Hard Knocks, as well as containing, presumably, everything he needs to cook meals on the road for his friends.

It was shown in Following A Maiden's Voyage! that Dawn had planned to take a large suitcase full of clothing and accessories with her. However, Johanna made her leave it at home and gave her a small backpack instead, containing only the items she would need on her journey.

• 

  Ash's Bag in the original series

• 

  Ash's Bag in the Advanced Generation series

• 

  Ash's Bag in the Diamond and Pearl series

• 

  Ash's Bag in the Best Wishes series

• 

  Ash's Bag in the XY series

Gallery

Generation I	Generation II	RS	E
			File:HGSSbag.png
FRLG	DP	Pt	HGSS
BW	B2W2	XY	ORAS

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 包包 Bāobāo Dutch Tas French Sac German Beutel Italian Borsa Korean 가방 Gabang Portuguese Brazil Bolsa Portugal Saco Russian Сумка Sumka Spanish Bolsa

Menu Pokémon List • Pokédex • Bag/Satchel • Trainer Card/League Card • Save • Options Apps: Town Map • Rotom Pokédex • Rotom Phone Pokégear • PokéNav • PokéNav Plus • Pokétch C-Gear • Player Search System • Festival Plaza • Communicate • Y-Comm • Poké Portal Pokémon-Amie • Pokémon Refresh • Partner Play • Pokémon Camp • Picnic Mystery Gift • Super Training • QR Scanner • Poké Pelago • VS • P★DA

This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.