Pokémon Sun and Moon Guides, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Guides

[Updated] Breeding Guide for Generation 7

Learn the basics as well as some tips and tricks for hatching that perfect Pokémon in Pokémon Sun and Moon!

Welcome, future breeders! This is a guide designed to teach trainers who are looking to become a professional breeder! All of the bases will will be covered, so that once you’ve read this guide you’re fighting fit to go hatch some Eggs of your own and breed the most awesome Pokémon yet! Please note: this is a guide for Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon only.

Nursery and Breeding

The Day-Care, which previously used for breeding since Pokémon Gold and Silver, has been replaced by the Pokémon Nursery in Alola. Just like the Day-Care, you place compatible Pokémon together and eventually an Egg will pop up. However, Pokémon no longer level up when staying. It also now costs 500 Pokédollars (₽) to take a Pokémon back instead of 100₽ + 100₽ for each level up. This makes life easier on a breeder’s wallet, as well as helping greatly with passing down Egg Moves, now that the Pokémon no longer levels up and learns random moves!

To successfully breed two Pokémon, they need to be compatible. Compatibility depends on Egg Groups and Genders. Each Gendered Pokémon is in one or more Egg Group, and can be bred with other members of the group.

When breeding two gendered Pokémon together, the offspring will always be of the female’s species. When a Male Pokémon is bred with a Ditto however, the offspring will be the Male’s species. Genderless Pokémon such as Bronzong can only be bred with Ditto.

Eevee and Vulpix, for example, are both the Field Egg Group. They can be bred together, and the offspring will be an Eevee if the Eevee parent was Female and Vulpix if it was the female.

Keep in mind some baby Pokémon cannot breed before evolving. These are: Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Smoochum, Wynaut, Riolu, Mantyke, Bonsly, Budew, Happiny, Chingling and Mime Jr.

Gender

Most Pokémon have a gender ratio of 50/50, meaning there’s as much chance you’ll hatch a Female as a Male. However, there’s quite a few exceptions you need to watch when breeding. For example, Tauros is a Male-only Pokémon, while Bounsweet is Female-only. Eevee has a ratio of approximatively 7 Males for 1 Female, while Oricorio has a ratio of 3 Females for 1 Male.

Nature

The Nature of a bred Pokémon is decided randomly, unless one of the parents are holding an Everstone. This item guarantees the offspring will have the same Nature as the parent holding it. If both parents hold an Everstone, the offspring will have 50% chance of having either parents’ Nature.

For example, a Modest Ditto holding an Everstone with an Adamant Eevee will result in a baby Eevee with a Modest Nature, because the parent Ditto is holding an Everstone. If the Eevee also holds an Everstone, the baby will either be Modest or Adamant, because both parents are holding an Everstone.

Ability

Most Pokémon will have 2 or 3 Abilities, sometimes including a rare “Hidden Ability” (HA), introduced in Pokémon Black & White. There are a few things to remember when trying to breed for a specific Ability:

  • If neither parents have their HA, the offspring will never have it.
  • If a Female Pokémon is bred with a Male or Ditto, she will have 80% chance of passing her Ability down.
  • If a Female Pokémon is bred with a Male or Ditto with his/its HA, the offspring will never have its HA.
  • If a Male Pokémon with his HA is bred with a Ditto, he will have 60% chance of passing his Ability down.

Egg Moves

Egg Moves (EM) are passed onto the offspring when breeding a Female Pokémon with a compatible male that has those specific moves. The baby will hatch with the move, and it can, in turn, pass it down to others.
For example: if you breed a Female Eevee with a Male Munna that knows Stored Power. Stored Power is on Eevee’s EM list, hence the baby will have Stored Power, along with its other moves, such as Tail Whip and Tackle. You then take a Female baby Eevee and breed it with a Purrloin, that has the move Captivate. The resulting baby will now have both Stored Power and Captivate. You can have up to 4 EMs on a Pokémon. If both parents however know more than 4 EMs and breed together, the offspring’s Egg Moves will be chosen randomly.

Tutor Moves

Not to be confused with Egg Moves, these are moves that can be tutored onto some Pokémon they normally can’t learn. As these are not like Egg Moves, they cannot be passed down onto their offspring; you will have to visit the correct Move Tutor to teach your Pokémon a Tutor Move, such as Aqua Tail for Scolipede. Keep in mind Move Tutors are not in Sun & Moon, but do appear in Ultra Sun & Moon.

Poké Ball

When catching Pokémon, they will be in the specific Poké Ball you used, and it will be passed down onto their offspring when bred. There are however a few quirks to Poké Ball inheritance, these are:

  • A Female Pokémon bred with a compatible Male that isn’t the same species will always pass down her Poké Ball
  • A Female and Male Pokémon of the same species will each have 50% chance of passing down their respective Poké Ball
  • A Female or Male Pokémon bred with a Ditto will always pass down the non-Ditto’s Poké Ball

This means that to have a Pokémon in a specific Poké Ball, you need to catch one in it. For example, breeding a Female Rowlet in a normal Poké Ball with a Male Oricorio in a Beast Ball will always result in a normal Poké Ball Rowlet.

Breeding a Female Eevee in an Ultra Ball and a Male Eevee in a Luxury Ball will result in the offspring either being in an Ultra Ball or Luxury Ball.

Formes and Regional Variants

Different Pokémon formes can be passed down by the Female Pokémon, or if the Pokémon is bred with a Ditto. For exemple, if you breed a Female Eastern Shellos with a Male Western Shellos, the babies will all be Eastern Shellos. Breeding the Male with a Ditto will give Western babies, and breeding the Female with Ditto will give Eastern Shellos.
Regional Variants pass down differently. In Alola, all Kanto Variants will give an Alolan variant offspring, unless it holds an Everstone. For exemple, you want a Kanto Vulpix baby, and have a Alolan Vuplix, and a Kantoan Vulpix of different Gender. Have the Kantoan Vulpix hold the Everstone, no matter the Gender, and all the offsprings will be Kanto Vulpix!

Individual Values

Individual Values, or IVs, are a number assigned to every stat of a Pokémon, determining how much potential that Pokémon has. IVs can be assigned a value from 0 to 31, from weakest to strongest. Each Pokémon has 6 stats: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. All stats possess an Individual Value. They also determine the Hidden Power of a Pokémon, and how strong that attack will be.

When breeding Pokémon, the 6 IVs from each parent will form a pool of 12 IVs, from which the offspring will randomly inherit 3, and randomly generate the other 3.

Read stats associated to values like this: HP/ATK/DEF/SP.ATK/SP.DEF/SPD

Example:
Female IVs: 31/0/15/28/31/30
Male IVs: 7/31/19/30/20/5
The offspring randomly chooses 3
IVs, and generates 3: 7/0/5/18/20/16

A few items will help manipulate inherited IVs: Power Items, also called EV Enhancing items, and the Destiny Knot. Power Items consist of the Power Weight (HP), Power Bracer (ATK), Power Belt (DEF), Power Lens (SP. ATK), Power Band (SP. DEF), and Power Anklet (SPD).

When a parent is holding one of the Power Items, the IV associated with the stat will always pass down to the baby.

Example:
Female IVs: 31/0/15/28/31/30 – Holding a Power Weight
Male IVs: 7/31/19/30/20/5 – Holding a Power Bracer
The offspring randomly chooses 1IV, inherits Female HP and Male ATK, generates 3 IVs: 31/31/5/18/20/16

When one of the two Pokémon is holding a Destiny Knot, the baby will inherit 5 IVs and generate only 1.

Example:
Female IVs: 31/0/15/28/31/30
Male IVs: 7/31/19/30/20/5
The offspring randomly chooses 5 IVs because one parent is holding a Destiny Knot: 7/0/15/18/20/30

Other tips

Poké Pelago

When upgrading your Poké Pelago, you can buy and upgrade Isle Avue (the hot spring island.) Putting Eggs in Isle Avue can make them hatch! You can put your Eggs the hot spring and they’ll hatch at a quicker rate when you take them out. If you leave your eggs for long enough, eventually an exclamation mark will appear above them, and clicking it will then make the Pokémon hatch immediately. Be sure to put in some Beans too, to make them hatch twice as fast!

Tauros Trick

You see that small enclosure below the Nursery? Go in the small space and call for Tauros. You can then press B and run around in circles to make your Eggs hatch quicker (and more brainlessly!)

Useful Items Locations in Sun & Moon

Everstone:

  • Hau’oli City: Defeat Ilmia at his house
  • Royal Avenue: Shopping, 16 BP
  • Poké Pelago: Isle Aphun, Path for Brillant-Stone Hunting
  • Wild Pokémon: Geodude, Graveler with 5%, Roggenrola, Boldore with 50%

Power Items:

  • Battle Royal Dome: Shopping, 16 BP each (Middle shop)

Destiny Knot:

  • Battle Royal Dome: Shopping, 48 BP (Right shop)
  • Pokémon with Pickup Ability: 1% chance

Pokédollars (₽) or Items to sell:

  • Isle Aphun: Path for Rare-Treasure Hunting
  • Battle Buffet: Battling with trainers
  • Festival Plaza: Lottery Shops, Refusing Sophocles offers on new stands

Useful Items Locations in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon

Everstone:

  • Battle Royal Dome: Shopping, 16 BP each
  • Poké Pelago: Isle Aphun, Path for Brillant-Stone Hunting
  • Wild Pokémon: Geodude, Graveler with 5%, Roggenrola, Boldore with 50%

Destiny Knot:

  • Route 14: Save the Swimmer
  • Pokémon with Pickup Ability: 1% chance
  • Battle Royal Dome: Shopping, 48 BP

Power Items:

  • Battle Royal Dome: Shopping, 16 BP each

Pokédollars (₽) or Items to sell:

  • Isle Aphun: Path for Rare-Treasure Hunting
  • Battle Buffet: Battling with trainers
  • Festival Plaza: Lottery Shops, Refusing Sophocles offers on new stands

 

Now you’ve had a read through our extensive breeding guide, we want to see your amazing new additions to your Pokémon family! Make sure to stop by and show us everything! Any breeding projects you have in place? Let us know!

Thank you Incineroar for the screenshots!

Edited by bobandbill, Radiating, SirBoglor, and Volpe Artica.