Can a Ditto Pass Down Hidden Abilities? The Ultimate Breeding Guide
The simple answer is: yes, a Ditto can play a crucial role in passing down Hidden Abilities, but it’s not as straightforward as you might think. The mechanics are nuanced and often misunderstood, leading to frustration for many Pokémon breeders. This article will delve deep into the intricacies of how Ditto interacts with Hidden Ability inheritance, clarifying all the confusion and arming you with the knowledge you need to breed successfully.
How Ditto Facilitates Hidden Ability Breeding
The key thing to understand is that Ditto’s role is primarily as a partner for non-female Pokémon. While it doesn’t pass down its own ability in the traditional sense, it creates the necessary conditions for other Pokémon to pass down their Hidden Abilities.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Hidden Ability Inheritance Rules: Typically, in Pokémon breeding, a female Pokémon has a 60% chance of passing down its Hidden Ability to its offspring if bred with a male of the same species or Egg Group.
- Ditto’s Unique Role: Ditto, however, is a game-changer. When breeding with a Pokémon, Ditto effectively takes the place of the opposite gender. Therefore:
- If a male or genderless Pokémon with a Hidden Ability is bred with a Ditto, there is a 60% chance that the offspring will inherit that Hidden Ability.
- It is important to note that a Ditto itself having a Hidden Ability doesn’t change these odds. An HA Ditto will not inherently pass on Hidden Abilities any better than a Ditto with a regular ability. The crucial factor is that the other parent have the Hidden Ability, and be breeding with a ditto if male or genderless.
- Female Pokemon: A female with a Hidden Ability will pass it down 60% of the time when bred with a male of the same species.
The Importance of Understanding These Mechanics
Understanding the rules of Hidden Ability inheritance with Ditto is essential for any serious Pokémon breeder. It allows you to:
- Breed for Specific Hidden Abilities: Targetting specific Hidden Abilities becomes possible, ensuring you have the desired abilities for competitive teams.
- Breed with Male and Genderless Pokémon: Pokémon that are male-only or genderless can now be used in Hidden Ability breeding chains using Ditto as a partner.
- Avoid Common Breeding Pitfalls: Many players get stuck breeding, assuming a Hidden Ability Ditto is the key. This article helps you avoid these mistakes.
Breeding With a Hidden Ability Ditto?
While an HA Ditto is not necessary to pass down abilities, they are still very helpful. The main reason is using them as an HA partner for many Pokémon that are male or genderless. An HA ditto will not improve the rate at which HA’s are passed on, but will ensure that if you are breeding with these pokemon, they have their Hidden Ability to pass on.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Everstone affect Hidden Ability inheritance?
No, an Everstone only passes down the nature of the Pokémon holding it. It has absolutely no impact on whether or not a Pokémon inherits a Hidden Ability. Hidden Abilities are passed down through different mechanics than natures.
2. Can you breed Hidden Abilities across different species?
No, you cannot. Hidden Abilities can only be passed down within the same evolutionary family. Meaning if you have a hidden ability Ivysaur, you cannot breed that HA into a Squirtle. Only a Bulbasaur will be able to inherit the Hidden Ability.
3. Can a Shiny Ditto improve my shiny odds when breeding?
No, Shiny status has no bearing on offspring. The only thing that affects the shiny chance is the language differences of the parents which is called the Masuda Method or the Shiny Charm.
4. What is the best Hidden Ability for Ditto?
Imposter is often considered the best Hidden Ability for Ditto. This ability transforms Ditto into the opponent at the start of a battle. However, when breeding, the actual ability of the Ditto does not change the rate in which HA’s are passed on. The key is that the non-Ditto Pokémon have the Hidden Ability.
5. Can all Pokémon breed with Ditto?
Almost all Pokémon can breed with Ditto, except for those in the No Eggs Discovered Group. This group includes most Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, as well as baby Pokémon. For example, you cannot breed a Riolu with anything, even Ditto.
6. Do Hyper Trained IVs pass down when breeding?
No, Hyper Trained IVs do not pass down through breeding. Only the base IVs of the parents are inherited. Therefore, hyper-training a Ditto will not influence the resulting offspring.
7. How does the Masuda Method work?
The Masuda Method is a technique that increases your chances of hatching a Shiny Pokémon. It involves breeding two Pokémon with different language origins. For example, a Japanese Pikachu with an English Ditto. This method increases the shiny chance from approximately 1/4000 to 1/682, or 1/512 with the Shiny Charm.
8. Can I breed a starter Pokémon with Ditto to get more starters?
Yes, you can. If you breed a male starter with a ditto, you will get another starter from its first evolution. However, you will need to breed this starter with a new ditto, or evolve it to breed the hidden ability.
9. Can you breed a Hidden Ability Ditto with another Ditto?
No, you cannot breed a Ditto with another Ditto. Dittos are a genderless species that can only breed with other species.
10. What about genderless pokemon and Hidden Abilities?
When a genderless pokemon with a hidden ability breeds with a ditto, there is a 60% chance the offspring will have the hidden ability.
11. Can I breed legendary pokemon with Ditto?
No, with the exception of Manaphy, Legendary Pokémon cannot breed, and this includes breeding with a Ditto. These species typically fall within the No Eggs Discovered Group.
12. Which Pokémon is the most breedable?
While it depends on what you mean by breedable, Vaporeon is often considered a very compatible pokemon. Vaporeon falls into the field egg group which is mostly mammals. It has a high degree of compatibility.
13. Does the parent’s gender matter when breeding with Ditto?
Yes, when breeding with Ditto, the parent that isn’t the Ditto is what matters when passing down a hidden ability. If this parent has a hidden ability, that hidden ability has a 60% chance of passing down. If the pokemon does not have the hidden ability, it cannot pass it down.
14. Is there any guaranteed way to get a Hidden Ability?
There is no guaranteed way to pass down the hidden ability, there will always be a small amount of luck involved. However, the best method is to simply increase your chances by ensuring one parent has the hidden ability you want.
15. What if I keep hatching non-HA Pokemon?
When breeding the most important thing to remember is that there will always be an element of chance. If you keep getting regular ability pokemon, try to collect a new batch of eggs. You will eventually get a pokemon with the hidden ability.
Conclusion
Breeding for Hidden Abilities with Ditto requires a solid understanding of the game’s mechanics. While a Hidden Ability Ditto does not directly improve the chances of HA inheritance, it is a useful breeding tool due to its capacity to breed with any pokemon (except those in the No Eggs Discovered group). By following the rules outlined in this guide and using Ditto strategically, you can breed for powerful and competitive Pokémon with the specific Hidden Abilities you desire. Good luck with your breeding endeavors!