To breed Pokémon, leave two compatible Pokémon together and collect the Egg they produce. They are compatible if they share at least one Egg Group and are of opposite genders, or if one of them is Ditto. Where you do it depends on the game: the Day Care in Generations 2 to 6, the Pokémon Nursery in Generations 7 and 8, and a picnic in Scarlet and Violet. Carry the Egg around and it hatches into the first stage of the mother's evolution line.
The useful part is what the baby inherits from its parents. These are the general rules from Bulbapedia. Exact details shift a little between games.
Which games have breeding
Breeding started in Gold and Silver and is in most main games since. It is missing from four:
- Generation 1 (Red, Green, Blue and Yellow).
- Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
| Generations | Where to breed |
|---|---|
| 2 to 6 | Pokémon Day Care |
| 7 and 8 | Pokémon Nursery |
| 9 (Scarlet and Violet) | A picnic with two compatible Pokémon in your party |
Step by step
- Pick two Pokémon that share an Egg Group and are of opposite genders. If you're not sure, check each one's page in the Pokédex, or use a Ditto.
- Leave them together. At the Day Care or Nursery, walk around until the attendant says they found an Egg. At a picnic in Scarlet and Violet, wait and check the basket.
- Take the Egg and keep it in your party.
- Walk, ride or cycle. The Egg hatches after a set number of steps.
Two Pokémon of different species produce Eggs more slowly than two of the same species. The fastest pair is two of the same species from different original trainers.
What hatches
The baby is the first stage of the mother's line. If one parent is Ditto, it is the first stage of the other parent's line. A female Blastoise gives a Squirtle Egg, whoever the father is.
Babies hatch at level 1 from Generation 4 on. In Generations 2 and 3 they hatched at level 5.
Some families have a baby stage, like Pichu before Pikachu. A few of those babies only hatch if a parent holds the right incense in older games. Baby Pokémon lists every one and its incense.
For Pokémon with regional forms, the baby hatches as the form native to the game's region. A parent of a different form can pass its form on if it holds an Everstone.
How long Eggs take
Each species needs a set number of Egg cycles. More cycles mean more steps. In Scarlet and Violet each Egg cycle is 128 steps, so these are the egg cycles in our data with the step counts for those games. Older games used different step counts.
| Pokémon | Egg cycles | Steps to hatch (Scarlet and Violet) |
|---|---|---|
| Magikarp | 5 | 640 |
| Pichu | 10 | 1,280 |
| Togepi | 10 | 1,280 |
| Charmander | 20 | 2,560 |
| Riolu | 25 | 3,200 |
| Eevee | 35 | 4,480 |
| Dratini | 40 | 5,120 |
| Larvitar | 40 | 5,120 |
| Beldum | 40 | 5,120 |
| Frigibax | 40 | 5,120 |
Twenty cycles is by far the most common value: 540 species use it. Magikarp's family hatches fastest. At the slow end, 51 species need 40 cycles, including Snorlax, Lapras, Blissey and many pseudo-legendary lines (a fan term).
A Pokémon with Flame Body, Magma Armor or Steam Engine in your party halves the time. Talonflame, Volcarona, Coalossal and Magcargo can all have one of these Abilities.
Egg Moves
A baby starts with the moves its species knows at level 1, and it can inherit more. Egg Moves are moves a species can only learn through breeding. They pass from the father, and from Generation 6 on from the mother too. If both parents know a move that the baby learns by levelling up, the baby can start with that as well. In older games, TM moves known by the father could also pass down.
There is one famous special case. From Emerald on, if either parent holds a Light Ball, a bred Pichu knows Volt Tackle.
In Scarlet and Violet, a Pokémon with an empty move slot that holds a Mirror Herb can copy compatible Egg Moves from another Pokémon at a picnic, so you don't always need a new Egg.
IVs, Natures and Abilities
This is why serious players breed. The details are in our guides to base stats and Natures, but this is the short version:
| What | Normal rule | Item that helps |
|---|---|---|
| IVs | 3 of the baby's six IVs come from the parents | A Destiny Knot (Gen 6 on) makes it 5; a Power item guarantees one chosen stat |
| Nature | Random | A parent holding an Everstone always passes its Nature (since Black 2 and White 2) |
| Ability | 80% chance to get the mother's normal Ability, 60% for a Hidden Ability | None; a Pokémon that misses gets a random normal Ability |
| Poké Ball | Can come from a parent; the rules differ by game | None |
IVs are hidden values from 0 to 31 for each stat. A Pokémon with high IVs ends up with higher stats at the same level. A Destiny Knot plus parents with good IVs is how players build strong teams over a few rounds of Eggs.
Shiny Eggs
Shininess is not inherited. Two shiny parents are no more likely to hatch a shiny baby. Two things do raise the odds: parents from games of different languages (the Masuda method, which is a fan name) and the Shiny Charm. Our shiny Pokémon guide has the numbers.
Who can't breed
Pokémon in the No Eggs Discovered group can't breed at all. That covers baby Pokémon, nearly all Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, Ultra Beasts, Paradox Pokémon, Unown, Nidorina and Nidoqueen. Genderless Pokémon outside that group can breed, but only with Ditto. Pokémon Egg Groups lists every group with counts from our data.
Two Ditto can't breed with each other, so you can't hatch Ditto.
The breeding guide has a shorter version of these rules.