Breeding has almost always been a staple in the Pokemon franchise, and in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, this is no different. However, the game does not explain the intricate breeding mechanics well enough for the average player to fully grasp how IVs, Natures, and other factors are passed down from parent Pokemon to eggs. With the franchise selling an outrageous number of Sword and Shield copies, it's worth breaking down the complex breeding mechanics for both newcomers and for those who are looking to make best team for competitive Pokemon battling.
Breeding Basics
Breeding Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield works similarly to how games have handled breeding in the past. When a player leaves two Pokemon at the Pokemon Nursery (either on Route 5 or Bridge Field in the Wild Area), the two Pokemon will have an egg (assuming they are compatible). The rate that an egg is produced is determined by a number of factors, including if the Pokemon were originally caught by the trainer, if they are the same species, and if the trainer has the Oval Charm.
The Oval Charm is earned by beating the game's director, Shigeki Morimoto, in battle after beating the main game. Morimoto can be found in Hotel Ionia in Circhester and battles with some pretty tough Pokemon, so it's worth bringing the best to defeat him. Once obtained, the Oval Charm will increase the chance of an Egg being produced at the Nursery.
A number of things can be passed down from the Parents to the Egg, including Natures, Moves, IVs, Species, and Poke Balls. To build the best Pokemon for competitive battling, players will want to find the best match of Parent Pokemon to breed to make sure that the Egg produced is as powerful as possible. Players may also be breeding to find Shiny Pokemon, as breeding is one of the easiest and most passive way to farm for Shiny Pokemon. Regardless of the reason, breeding Pokemon is an invaluable skill that every player should take advantage of.
Pokemon Sword and Shield IVs and Natures
Arguably the most important part of breeding Pokemon for most competitive players is passing down IVs to the Egg. IVs, or Individual Values, are "hidden" stat values that help determine a Pokemon's base stats. This, combined with the Pokemon's nature, help shape the Pokemon's strengths and weaknesses in terms of Attack power, damage resistance, and other factors. These stats are hidden initially, but players can unlock the ability to check IVs after completing the game.
Once the Judge Function is unlocked, players will be able to see the IV rating for each stat on a Pokemon. They are ranked from No Good all the way to Best. When two Pokemon produce an Egg, by default three of the six IVs will come from the parent Pokemon, chosen at random. However, players can manipulate this and get specific stats, or even more stats passed down, thanks to specific items. Natures can also be passed down from parent to child, but only if the desired parent is holding an Everstone.
Mandatory Items and Pokemon
As mentioned in the previous section, there are several items that can manipulate the IVs that are passed down from Parent to Egg. To start, the absolute most important item every trainer should have is the Destiny Knot. While the item's active ability is fairly useless, when it's held by a Pokemon at the Nursery, the Egg produced will have 5 of the Parents' IVs as opposed to the standard three.
If both parents have high IVs, this will make the offspring have a higher chance at fantastic stats. If players are lucky and have found a player to trade them a powerful Ditto then odds are players are already on their way to getting an Egg with great stats. The Destiny Knot can be purchased at the BP shop in Hammerlocke.
With the Destiny Knot being held by one of the parents, the Pokemon is guaranteed to be given 5 of the parents' IVs, but the last will always be up to chance. However, if both parents are not 6IV (Best IVs in all stats), then players may want to help guide the process a little. There are six items, one corresponding to each IV, that will guarantee that the Pokemon holding it will pass down that specific IV to its Egg.
The Power Bracer is for Attack, the Power Belt for Defense, the Power Lens for Special Attack, the Power Band for Special Defense, Power Anklet for Speed, and Power Weight for HP. If a Pokemon holds one of these items, then the corresponding IV will be one of the five that are passed down (assuming the other Pokemon is holding the Destiny Knot).
Even if both Pokemon have perfect IVs, these items are good to have as they guarantee that a desired stat will be perfect if the parent has the perfect IV already. All of the Power items can be purchased at the BP shop in Hammerlocke, quite easily if players use the Mystery Gift codes for free BP. And as mentioned before, if Nature is a priority, then the parent Pokemon with the desired nature should be holding an Everstone.
In terms of necessary Pokemon, there are no real requirements other than at least one of the Pokemon of the desired species. If lucky enough to have one, a 6 IV Ditto is a great breeding partner, but getting a 6 IV Ditto can be a bit tricky. Another great Pokemon to have is a Coalossal with the Flame Body ability, which halves the steps needed to hatch an egg. Since a lot of breeding is required (unless players are extremely lucky), the Flame Body ability is invaluable.
Shiny Pokemon
If players are trying to farm for Shiny Pokemon in Sword and Shield in addition to getting solid IVs, then players will want to do their best to get a perfect IV Ditto in a different language. If the Ditto is non-English (assuming the player is playing on an English file) then the shiny chance in greatly increased. Getting a foreign 6 IV Ditto is incredibly hard to do, but if players can snag one, they will be set for any and all breeding they would need to do in their game.
Breeding is a bit complicated with all of the items that players may need, and it can be a bit frustrating since there will always be an element of RNG involved. But if players want to be the best like no one ever was, they may need to put the time and effort into breeding Pokemon to make their team as good as it can be. If players don't want to wait to transfer over powerful Pokemon from previous games, then these breeding tips will help maximize efficiency in Sword and Shield.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.