Pokémon breeding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pokémon breeding refers to the breeding of fictional creatures called Pokémon to create Pokémon eggs which hatch into new Pokémon, usually inheriting some traits from each parent.
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[edit] Mechanics of breeding
Pokémon can be bred in-game by leaving two compatible Pokémon of different genders at a “Daycare Center” together. Within the games, Daycare Centers are businesses, generally run by an elderly person or couple (NPCs), which raise trainers’ Pokémon for a fee. Despite the name, Daycare Centers do not mind raising Pokémon overnight or for long periods while the trainer is away. The fee is paid upon retrieval, and usually amounts to a base fee of 
100, plus an additional 100 for each increase in the Pokémon’s level.
Pokémon species are assigned to Egg Groups, which determines their breeding compatibility with other species. Pokémon may belong to up two Egg Groups; in order to breed, they must belong to at least one Egg Group in common. If compatible Pokémon are left at the Daycare and like each other (a hidden calculation based on various factors), they will eventually produce an egg, which the trainer is given for free. After being carried by the trainer for some distance, the egg will hatch into a young Pokémon, of the earliest species in its mother’s evolutionary line.
Not all Pokémon can be bred, but some that can have a slight difficulty – the species is all-male, or entirely genderless. The solution, in this case, is Ditto, the Transform Pokémon. This unique creature can use its only move, Transform, to rearrange its cellular structure and become a physical duplicate of anything else (including its opponent in battle). It can also breed with any other Pokémon (except for a select group of “unbreedable” species). The egg produced will yield a hatchling from the father’s evolutionary line.
[edit] List of Egg Groups
- No Egg
- A classification for Pokémon that are completely “unbreedable” even when using Ditto. This group contains baby Pokémon, legendary Pokémon, Unown, Nidorina, and Nidoqueen.
- Amorphous
- This group contains Pokémon that are formless in appearance or are supernatural in nature, e.g. ghost Pokémon.
- Bug
- As its name implies, this group contains many bug- and insect-like Pokémon.
- Ditto
- This is a special Egg Group containing only Ditto which can be used to breed with all other breedable Pokémon, including male-only species and the Gender Unknown group.
- Dragon
- This group contains many dragon-like Pokémon including Latios or Latias.
- Fairy
- Many cute and friendly (or shy) Pokémon belong to this group.
- Field
- The largest Egg Group. Many different species of Pokémon are part of this group, including Pikachu. This Egg Group was called “Ground” in Pokémon Gold and Silver.
- Flying
- As its name implies, this group contains many flying or bird-like Pokémon.
- Gender Unknown
- This group contains Pokémon which have no gender. They can only be bred with the Pokémon Ditto. (The only Egg Group whose member Pokémon cannot breed with each other.)
- Grass
- As its name implies, this group contains many plant-like Pokémon.
- Human-shape
- This group contains Pokémon that have a humanoid appearance.
- Mineral
- This group contains many Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon, as well as the man-made Porygon and its evolutions.
- Monster
- The second largest Egg Group. It has a diversity of Pokémon species. Many starter Pokémon are a part of this group, including Bulbasaur, Charmander, & Squirtle.
- Water 1
- The largest of the three Water Pokémon Egg Groups.
- Water 2
- Contains mostly Pokémon that are fish-like.
- Water 3
- Contains many shellfish-like and invertebrate Pokémon.
[edit] Benefits of breeding
[edit] Baby Pokémon
Some Pokémon, such as Togepi, Pichu, Smoochum, Tyrogue, and Azurill can normally be obtained only by hatching them from eggs. These eggs are normally obtained by breeding Pokémon caught in the wild, but sometimes are given as gifts to the player character by NPCs. Known as “Baby Pokémon”, these Pokémon each have most or all the following traits:
- They are, without exception, unable to breed (but have evolutions that can)
- They are not found in the wild prior to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Wynaut is a minor exception here: Wynaut are found on Mirage Island, a mysterious island in Hoenn that only a few players ever get the opportunity to visit)
- They are obtained by breeding Pokémon introduced in an earlier generation, and can evolve into those Pokémon under the right circumstances (Togepi and Rioru alone were introduced in the same games as their evolutions, Togetic and Lucario - Togepi and Lucario each having been featured in the anime prior to the respective games’ release)
- Certain moves are commonly found in the move sets of baby Pokémon, e.g. Sweet Kiss, Charm, Metronome.
Sometimes, the parents must be bred under special conditions, or the egg will yield not the baby Pokémon, but its next stage of evolution. For instance, Wynaut will appear only when the parent Wobbuffet holds a Lax Incense while breeding.
More than half the known species of baby Pokémon from the first 4 generations have an unusual evolution. 9 evolve only when they level up while their happiness (a “hidden” statistic which measures a Pokémon’s contentment and affection for its trainer) is at its maximum (three of those only at specific times of day), Tyrogue evolves at level 20 into one of 3 different forms depending on the ratio of its attack and defense stats; Tamanta evolves at level-up only if the party contains a Remoraid, and 3 others must hold a particular item or know a certain move when they gain a level. Only 5 evolve with no extra conditions.
For a complete list of these species, see the List of Pokémon by stage.
[edit] Egg Moves
Pokémon which hatch from eggs are the same species as their mothers, but they may inherit moves from their fathers, allowing them to use advanced attacks from birth. Some of these are moves which a Pokémon could normally only learn at a later level, or from a Technical Machine – or not at all. Egg Moves are moves that a Pokémon cannot learn naturally, but can inherit from its father. These are often powerful techniques which are of types the Pokémon does not usually use, and may be effective against opponents that would normally have a type advantage. Egg Moves generally include any moves a Pokémon could learn from a TM, allowing smart breeders to get more mileage out of TMs that are rare.
Sometimes a Pokémon species has the capacity to learn an Egg Move, but none of the Pokémon which learn the move naturally are in the appropriate Egg Group to father one. In this case a breeder must make use of “breeding chains”, by breeding a male Pokémon which knows the move with a female in both Egg Groups. The resulting offspring, if male, can be bred with a Pokémon of the desired species, passing on the move on. Some breeding chains are even more complicated, requiring several intermediate steps.
One particular Egg Move is especially elusive and unusual. No species learns Volt Tackle naturally, but Pichu may potentially know it as an Egg Move when they hatch. To obtain a Pichu that knows Volt Tackle, a player of Pokémon Emerald Version must breed a female Pikachu holding a Light Ball item.
[edit] Specialization
Many Pokémon used in competitive play (PvP Pokémon battles) are specially bred for their moves and stats. This is time consuming process, because of the patience required to execute breeding chains, and because of the variations in stats. Pokémon stats are partially determined by species, and partly by Individual Values, or IVs, which are randomly assigned to each Pokémon. This is part of several complicated calculations within the game program which ensure that Pokémon of the same species can be very different. Pokémon hatched from eggs tend to have higher IVs than those caught in the wild, but there is still a large element of randomness. The maximum value of each stat is also influenced by its nature (one of 25 randomly-assigned personalities). Pokémon Emerald players have an advantage, as a Pokémon bred in that and subsequent games will inherit its mother’s nature if she holds an Everstone while breeding. Hatching a Pokémon with good stats, the desired nature, and all the desired Egg Moves takes time, hard work, and a little luck, but for serious competitors, it pays off in the end.
[edit] Rare Pokémon
While “legendary” Pokémon cannot be bred, some other rare Pokémon, such as starters (species which beginning trainers can choose as their first Pokémon, forfeiting the other available starters) and other Pokémon received through one-time events (Eevee, Lapras, Snorlax) can be. These Pokémon may be bred by a player who wishes to complete his/her Pokédex (by evolving Eevee and Tyrogue in different ways), or by one who will trade to players unable to obtain the rare Pokémon by themselves.
[edit] In the Pokémon anime
In the Pokémon anime, Pokémon breeders study the best ways to raise Pokémon for ideal appearance, ideal power, and ideal happiness. As such, they can be an invaluable resource for trainers, coordinators, and researchers alike. Brock’s dream is to become a great Pokémon breeder, and one of his best-known traits is his ability to create specialty Pokémon food, customized for each species. Breeders may also work as Pokémon groomers, helping other trainers increase the beauty and happiness of their Pokémon. Suzie, who loaned Brock her Vulpix for a while, is a breeder who takes part in Pokémon beauty contests, which are similar to the Pokémon contests seen later in Hoenn, but without the battle element.
There are several baby Pokémon and Pokémon seen hatching from eggs in the anime, including Misty’s Togepi and Azurill, Ash Ketchum’s Phanpy and his friend Larvitar, and May’s Eevee.
[edit] References
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed Version & Pokémon LeafGreen Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 193020650X
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1930206585
