Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version - Breeding

Tags: pokemon-black-and-white, in-depth-guides, breeding

These are notes related to discovering Pokémon Eggs, commonly known as "breeding", in Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version.

Egg Waiting Time

The waiting time depends on the species and 32-bit Trainer ID of the Pokémon (the OT names and OT genders of each Pokémon are not considered). The species and ID will set a value, called X, as follows:

• Same species, different ID: X=70% ("The two seem to get along very well!")
• Same species, same ID: X=50% ("The two seem to get along.")
• Different species, different ID: X=50% ("The two seem to get along.")
• Different species, same ID: X=20% ("The two don’t really seem to like each other much.")

However, if the Pokémon are incompatible, X will be 0% instead. This will happen if:

• Both Pokémon are male or both are female.
• Both Pokémon are Ditto.
• One or both of the Pokémon are gender-unknown, unless either Pokémon is a Ditto.
• The two Pokémon don’t have an Egg group in common, unless either Pokémon is a Ditto.
• One or both of the Pokémon are in the "undiscovered" Egg group, even if either Pokémon is a Ditto.

If the Pokémon are incompatible, the message shown is, "The two prefer to play with other Pokémon more than with each other."

If the Pokémon are compatible, then every 256 steps after the two Pokémon are placed in the Day-Care, an Egg will be ready at the percent chance given by X. The Pokémon hatched from the Egg, as well as its personality ID, will be calculated as soon as the Egg is received.

After an Egg is received, an "Egg counter" for that Egg is set to the " steps to hatch Egg " divided by 256. Every [255] steps after an Egg is taken or rejected from the Day-Care Man, the game reduces the "Egg counter" of each Egg in the player’s party by 1, or if a Pokémon with Magma Armor or Flame Body is in the player’s party, by 2. If an Egg’s "Egg counter" reaches 0 or less, it hatches[, and the "Egg counters" of Eggs that follow it in order in the player’s party are not reduced]. When an Egg hatches, its 32-bit Trainer ID, OT name, and OT gender change to those of the player, and the player will be allowed to nickname the newly hatched Pokémon.

The Trainer Memo gives an estimate of how long before a given Egg hatches:

• Egg counter is 41 or greater: "'The Egg Watch' It looks like this Egg will take a long time to hatch."
• Egg counter is 11-40: "'The Egg Watch' What will hatch from this? It doesn’t seem close to hatching."
• Egg counter is 6-10: "'The Egg Watch' It appears to move occasionally. It may be close to hatching."
• Egg counter is 5 or less: "'The Egg Watch' Sounds can be heard coming from inside! It will hatch soon!"

Species

1. One of the Pokémon can be a Ditto, but not both. In that case, the Egg will be the species that isn’t the Ditto, in the lowest evolutionary stage.
2. If the Egg’s species would be Nidoran female, instead it’s either Nidoran male or Nidoran female.
3. If the Egg’s species would be Illumise, instead it’s either Illumise or Volbeat.
4. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Lax Incense and the Egg’s species would be Wynaut, the Egg’s species is Wobbuffet instead.
5. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Sea Incense and the Egg’s species would be Azurill, the Egg’s species is Marill instead.
6. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Rose Incense and the Egg’s species would be Budew, the Egg’s species is Roselia instead.
7. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Pure Incense and the Egg’s species would be Chingling, the Egg’s species is Chimecho instead.
8. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Rock Incense and the Egg’s species would be Bonsly, the Egg’s species is Sudowoodo instead.
9. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding an Odd Incense and the Egg’s species would be Mime Jr., the Egg’s species is Mr. Mime instead.
10. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Luck Incense and the Egg’s species would be Happiny, the Egg’s species is Chansey instead.
11. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Wave Incense and the Egg’s species would be Mantyke, the Egg’s species is Mantine instead.
12. If neither Pokémon in the pair is holding a Full Incense and the Egg’s species would be Munchlax, the Egg’s species is Snorlax instead.
13. If the Egg’s species would be Manaphy, the Egg’s species is Phione instead.

If the Egg’s species is [Basculin,] Burmy or Shellos, the Egg inherits its alternate form from the female Pokémon in the pair, if one exists, or Ditto otherwise. (For Ditto, the Egg will be [Basculin Red-Striped Form,] Burmy Plant Cloak or west sea (pink) Shellos, respectively, since Ditto doesn’t come in different forms.)

Moves

The Egg begins at level 1 (with 0 Exp. Points) and initially has all moves it would have at level 1. The Egg can inherit other moves from the Pokémon left in the Day-Care, in this order:

1. The Egg will inherit all moves that the male Pokémon* knows and that are Egg moves for the Egg’s species.
2. The Egg will inherit all moves that the male Pokémon* knows and that can be taught to the Egg’s species through a TM or HM.
3. The Egg will inherit all moves that both Pokémon left in the Day-Care know and that the Egg’s species could learn by leveling up.
4. If either Pokémon in the pair is a Pikachu or Raichu and holds a Light Ball and the Egg is a Pichu, the Egg will learn Volt Tackle.

If the Egg would have more than four moves this way, moves from the top of the list are deleted and all duplicates except the last are removed until four moves remain.

*In these two cases, if one of the Pokémon in the pair is a Ditto, moves will be inherited by the Pokémon that isn’t Ditto, but only if it’s male or gender-unknown.

Personality ID

A Pokémon’s personality ID, is generated when the Egg is received, as part of generating the Pokémon that will hatch from the Egg. If both Pokémon in the pair originate from different language versions and a Shiny Egg would not be created, the game tries four additional times to generate a new personality ID at random until a Shiny Egg would be created. This is known as the "Masuda method."

[As a Manaphy Egg hatches, if it would be a Shiny Pokémon, the game generates a new personality ID at random until it would not be a Shiny Pokémon. This occurs before its Trainer ID changes to the Trainer ID of the player who caused the Egg to hatch.]

Ability

Normally, the Ability is randomly generated, indirectly by generating a personality ID. However, if neither Pokémon in the pair is a Ditto and the female has the Hidden Ability flag, there is a [40%] chance that the Egg will have the Hidden Ability flag.

Individual Values

The Egg receives random individual values (IVs), then it inherits a random IV for a random stat and from a random Pokémon in the pair. If either or both Pokémon in the pair each hold a Power Weight, Power Bracer, Power Belt, Power Lens, Power Band, or Power Anklet, the game chooses one of those Pokémon at random, and the Egg inherits the IV for HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, or Speed, respectively, from that Pokémon instead. Then the Egg inherits a random IV from a random Pokémon in the pair, but the stat can’t be the same as that of the first IV inherited. Then the Egg inherits another random IV from a random Pokémon in the pair, but the stat can’t be the same as that of the first or second IV inherited.

Nature

A random nature is chosen for the Egg. However, there is a (32767/65536) chance that the Egg will gain the nature of one of the holders of Everstone.