Is Pokémon Daycare Worth It? A Trainer’s Comprehensive Guide

The burning question: Is it worth putting your Pokémon in daycare? The short answer: It depends. For the right Pokémon, at the right time, and with the right strategy, the daycare can be an invaluable tool. However, blindly leaving your team there without understanding the mechanics can lead to frustration and even hinder your progress. Think of the daycare as a specialized tool in your Pokémon training arsenal, not a one-size-fits-all solution. Let’s dive deeper into the pros and cons to help you make the best decision for your team.

The Dual Purpose of Pokémon Daycare

The Pokémon Daycare, present in almost every core series game, serves two primary functions: leveling up Pokémon passively and breeding Pokémon. While the breeding aspect is straightforward (place two compatible Pokémon together and, after some time, you might find an egg), the leveling aspect is more nuanced. The core mechanic is that Pokémon left at the daycare gain experience based on the number of steps you take in the game world.

Passive Leveling: A Double-Edged Sword

The appeal of the daycare lies in its passive leveling ability. You can explore routes, battle trainers, and complete objectives while your daycare Pokémon steadily gain experience. This is particularly useful for:

• Training low-level Pokémon: Bringing up a newly hatched Pokémon or a Pokémon caught late in the game can be tedious. The daycare provides a head start.
• Filling out the Pokédex: Some Pokémon only evolve after reaching a certain level. The daycare can help you meet those requirements without constant grinding.
• Pokémon with low battle viability: Pokémon like Magikarp benefit greatly from daycare leveling, allowing them to reach their evolution point (Gyarados) more quickly.

However, there are significant downsides to consider:

• Move Learning: The daycare automatically teaches your Pokémon new moves as they level up. This often comes at the cost of older, potentially more valuable moves. You have no control over which moves are forgotten, leading to a suboptimal move set.
• EV Training: Experience gained in the daycare does not contribute to Effort Values (EVs). EVs are crucial for competitive battling, as they directly influence your Pokémon’s stats. Daycare training essentially bypasses this important process, resulting in a weaker Pokémon in the long run.
• Leveling Speed: The experience gained per step is relatively slow, especially at higher levels. The daycare is most effective for early- to mid-game leveling.
• Cost: Each step you take while a Pokemon is in the DayCare cost 100 poke dollars in the game.

Breeding: A Reliable Source of Strong Pokémon

The second, and arguably more significant, function of the Daycare is breeding. By leaving two compatible Pokémon, you have a chance to receive an Egg. Breeding allows you to:

• Obtain Pokémon with specific natures: Using an Everstone on a parent Pokémon guarantees that the offspring will inherit that nature. This is crucial for competitive team building.
• Breed Pokémon with Hidden Abilities: With the right parent, you can obtain Pokémon with rare and powerful Hidden Abilities.
• Acquire Egg Moves: Some Pokémon can only learn certain moves by inheriting them from their parents through breeding. These “Egg Moves” can give your Pokémon a competitive edge.
• Duplicate rare Pokémon: Breeding allows you to create multiple copies of Pokémon that are hard to find in the wild.

Making the Most of the Daycare

To effectively utilize the daycare, consider these strategies:

• Early Game Advantage: Use the daycare in the early game to quickly level up a newly caught Pokémon or a Pokémon with a weak early-game move set.
• Strategic Move Management: Regularly check on your daycare Pokémon and manually teach them the moves you want. This requires more frequent visits but ensures your Pokémon’s move set remains optimal.
• EV Training First: Before placing a Pokémon in the daycare, consider EV training it first to maximize its stat potential.
• Breeding for Perfection: Focus on breeding Pokémon with desired natures, abilities, and Egg Moves. This is where the daycare truly shines.
• Ditto the MVP: Ditto can breed with almost any Pokémon, making it an invaluable asset for breeding purposes.
• Understanding Breeding Groups: Familiarize yourself with Pokémon breeding groups to understand which Pokémon can breed with each other.

GamesLearningSociety.org: Learning Through Play

The Pokémon series, including the daycare mechanic, offers subtle lessons in resource management, strategy, and planning. Learning through games like Pokémon can enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Organizations like the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ study the educational potential of games and how they can be used to foster learning and development.

Conclusion

The Pokémon Daycare is a powerful tool that can be used effectively for both leveling and breeding. However, it’s essential to understand the mechanics and potential drawbacks before leaving your precious Pokémon there. By strategically utilizing the daycare, you can gain a significant advantage on your journey to becoming a Pokémon Master!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What Happens If You Put Your Starter Pokémon In The Daycare?

Putting your starter Pokémon in the Daycare will allow it to level up passively, but you run the risk of losing control over its move set. Starters are often crucial members of your team, so careful move management is essential.

2. What Pokémon Should You Leave At The Daycare?

Ideal candidates for daycare training are Pokémon that need a level boost early on, Pokémon you’re breeding, or Pokémon you’re training for specific competitive purposes (after EV training).

3. Why Don’t Pokémon Evolve In Daycare?

Pokémon are programmed not to evolve in the Daycare to give you, the trainer, the choice of when and how they evolve. This ensures you don’t miss out on learning specific moves available only at certain evolution stages.

4. Does Putting Pokémon In Daycare Affect Happiness (Friendship)?

No, putting Pokémon in the Daycare does not directly affect their happiness or friendship level. Friendship increases primarily through battling, using items, and other interactions within your party.

5. Will Pokémon Evolve After Daycare?

Yes, if a Pokémon levels up to an evolution level in the Daycare, it will attempt to evolve the next time it levels up in your party (e.g., through battle or using a Rare Candy).

6. How Fast Do Your Pokémon Level Up In The Daycare?

The leveling speed in the Daycare is determined by the number of steps you take in the game. Each step corresponds to a small amount of experience gained. The rate varies slightly between different Pokémon generations.

7. Should I Let My Child Play Pokémon?

Pokémon games can be a fun and engaging experience for children, teaching them about strategy, teamwork, and responsibility. However, it’s important for parents to monitor their child’s gameplay and set appropriate boundaries.

8. Do Pokémon Gain EVs From Daycare?

No, Pokémon do not gain Effort Values (EVs) from leveling up in the Daycare. EVs are earned through battling specific Pokémon or using vitamins.

9. How Do You Not Lose Moves In Pokémon Daycare?

You can’t completely prevent moves from being deleted in the Daycare. The game automatically replaces older moves with new ones as the Pokémon levels up. The best strategy is to regularly check on your Pokémon and manually re-teach the moves you want.

10. Is There Any Benefit To Baby Pokémon?

Baby Pokémon often have access to moves that their evolved forms cannot learn directly. These moves are usually obtained through breeding.

11. What Happens If A Pokémon Evolves In Daycare?

Pokémon cannot evolve in the Daycare. They will reach the level required to evolve, but the evolution will only trigger when the Pokémon levels up under your direct control.

12. Is There A Downside To Not Evolving Pokémon?

Unevolved Pokémon generally have lower stats than their evolved counterparts, making them weaker in battle. Evolving your Pokémon is typically beneficial for increasing their overall power.

13. Is It Better To Evolve Pokémon Early Or Later?

The optimal time to evolve a Pokémon depends on its move set. Some Pokémon learn powerful moves at lower levels that they won’t learn after evolving. Research your Pokémon’s movepool to determine the best evolution timing.

14. Can You Leave Two Pokémon At The Daycare?

Yes, in most Pokémon games, you can leave two Pokémon at the Daycare to breed them or level them up simultaneously.

15. Does DayCare Lower Friendship (Happiness) Pokemon?

Pokémon that are busy, such as Pokémon in the DayCare, will not gain or lose happiness from fields.