You cannot change your Pokémon Trainer Club username after it is created

The Pokémon Company does not offer a way to modify your Trainer Club username once you have set it during account creation. This is a permanent part of your account and cannot be edited through settings, account management, or by contacting Pokémon support. If you need a different username, you will have to create a new Pokémon Trainer Club account with the name you want.

This limitation applies to all Pokémon Trainer Club accounts, whether you use the account for Pokémon games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, or other Pokémon services. The username is tied to your account identity across all these platforms, which is why the Pokémon Company treats it as unchangeable.

Key Takeaways

  • Pokémon Trainer Club usernames cannot be changed after account creation, even by contacting support.
  • If you want a different username, you must create a new Pokémon Trainer Club account with the name you prefer.
  • Your username is separate from your display name in some games — you may be able to change how your character appears in-game even if your account username stays the same.
  • Before creating a new account, transfer or back up any progress, Pokédex data, or purchases tied to your current account.

What happens to your progress if you create a new account

Creating a new Pokémon Trainer Club account means starting fresh on that account. Any games, progress, or purchases linked to your old account will remain on that account and will not transfer to the new one. If you have spent money on in-game items, battle passes, or cosmetics, those purchases stay with the original account.

Before you create a new account, check which games and services are linked to your current account. Log into your Pokémon Trainer Club account on the official Pokémon website, go to your account settings, and look at what is connected. If you have progress you want to keep, you may decide that keeping your current username is worth it, or you may want to document your progress before moving to a new account.

How to create a new Pokémon Trainer Club account with a different username

Go to the official Pokémon Trainer Club website at trainers.pokemon.com. Click the "Sign Up" button and fill in the registration form with a new email address, password, and the username you want. The username must be between 3 and 16 characters, can include letters and numbers, and cannot contain spaces or special characters. Choose carefully, because this username will be permanent on the new account.

After you complete the registration, verify your email address by clicking the link Pokémon sends you. Once verified, your new account is active and ready to use. You can then link this new account to Pokémon games or services instead of your old account. Keep your old account active if you want to preserve any progress or purchases on it.

Username rules and what characters are allowed

Pokémon Trainer Club usernames must follow specific rules. They can be 3 to 16 characters long and can include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers. Usernames cannot contain spaces, hyphens, underscores, or special characters like @, #, or &. The system will reject any username that breaks these rules when you try to create the account.

Usernames also cannot be offensive, impersonate another person, or violate Pokémon's code of conduct. If you try to create a username that Pokémon flags as inappropriate, the system will ask you to choose a different one. Test your username choice before you finalize it to make sure it meets all requirements.

Difference between your username and your in-game display name

Your Pokémon Trainer Club username is your account login name and is separate from your in-game character name or display name in some Pokémon games. In games like Pokémon Sword and Shield or Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you can create a character with any name you want, and that name appears in-game even though your account username is different. This means you may be able to change how you appear in the game without creating a new account.

Check the specific game you play to see whether you can edit your character name in the game's settings. If the game allows character name changes, you can use that feature instead of creating a new account. However, your underlying Trainer Club username will still be the original one you created.

What to do if your username is taken or unavailable

If the username you want is already taken by another Pokémon Trainer Club account, you cannot use it. Pokémon does not release usernames from inactive or deleted accounts, so if someone else created that username first, it is not available. You will need to choose a different username or add numbers to the end of your preferred name to make it unique.

When you are creating your new account, the registration form will tell you when ready if a username is taken. Try variations of your preferred name — for example, if "Trainer" is taken, you could try "Trainer123" or "TrainerBlue". Once you find an available username that you like, you can proceed with account creation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Pokémon support change my username for me?

No. Pokémon support cannot change usernames on existing accounts. If you contact them about this, they will direct you to create a new account if you want a different username. The only way to get a new username is to register a new Pokémon Trainer Club account.

Will I lose my Pokédex or game progress if I create a new account?

Yes. Progress, Pokédex entries, and in-game items are tied to the account they were earned on. Creating a new account means starting over in games linked to that new account. Your old account and its progress will remain separate unless you manually transfer data if the game supports it.

Can I delete my old account and reuse the email address?

You can delete your Pokémon Trainer Club account through your account settings, but you cannot reuse the same email address to create a new account when ready. There may be a waiting period before the email becomes available again. Use a different email address for your new account to avoid delays.

Is my username visible to other players?

Your Pokémon Trainer Club username is visible to other players in online games and features where you interact with them. This is another reason to choose a username you are comfortable with, since you cannot change it later. Your in-game character name may be different from your username depending on the game.