Can You Influence Gender When Breeding Pokémon? A Deep Dive

The short answer is generally no, you can’t directly influence the gender of a Pokémon egg. The gender is determined randomly when the egg is generated by the game, meaning once you receive the egg, its gender is already set in stone. There are, however, a few indirect mechanics and factors that can slightly improve your chances of getting the desired gender, which we’ll explore in detail.

Understanding Pokémon Breeding Mechanics

Breeding in Pokémon is a core mechanic that allows trainers to obtain new Pokémon, inherit powerful moves, and even breed for specific IVs (Individual Values) and natures. However, the process of influencing gender is tricky and reliant on understanding a few fundamental rules.

• Egg Groups: Pokémon can only breed if they share at least one Egg Group. These groups are categories that determine breeding compatibility.
• Opposite Genders (Usually): Traditionally, breeding requires one male and one female Pokémon. The offspring will always be the same species as the female Pokémon (or the non-Ditto Pokémon).
• Ditto: The Great Equalizer: Ditto is unique in that it can breed with almost any Pokémon, regardless of gender. When breeding with Ditto, the offspring will always be the non-Ditto Pokémon’s species.
• Gender Ratios: Each Pokémon species has a specific gender ratio, determining the likelihood of encountering a male or female. Some Pokémon are heavily skewed towards one gender, while others are genderless or gender-locked.
• Everstone for Nature: The Everstone, when held by a Pokémon in the Daycare, has a 50% chance (increased to 100% in some games) of passing down its Nature to the offspring.
• Destiny Knot for IVs: The Destiny Knot guarantees that the offspring will inherit 5 IVs from its parents.

The Role of Chance and Gender Ratios

The most significant obstacle to influencing gender is the inherent randomness. When you acquire an egg, the game has already determined its gender, nature, and IVs. Soft-resetting or any other method won’t change these characteristics.

Pokémon with Skewed Gender Ratios: Pokémon like starters and Eevee have a gender ratio of 87.5% male and 12.5% female. This means you’re much more likely to hatch a male than a female. Species like Tauros or Petilil are gender-locked to either male or female, making the process significantly different.

Strategies for Dealing with Bad Luck: The primary strategy is simple persistence. If you’re aiming for a specific gender with a skewed ratio, you’ll need to hatch many eggs. Saving before receiving the egg does not affect the outcome, as the game determines the Pokémon’s characteristics at the moment of egg creation.

Mechanics That Slightly Improve Your Odds

While you can’t directly manipulate the gender, a couple of mechanics in certain games can influence it, albeit indirectly:

• Cute Charm Ability: In some generations, the Cute Charm ability (possessed by Pokémon like Clefairy) increases the likelihood of encountering Pokémon of the opposite gender in the wild. While this doesn’t affect breeding directly, it can help you more easily find a compatible parent.
• Gender-Specific Incense: Certain incense items, when held by a parent in the Daycare, can influence the species of the egg. This isn’t a direct gender influence, but relevant if you’re after a specific Pokémon evolution that is gender specific.
• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Meal Powers: In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, meal powers like Egg Power increase the rate at which eggs appear in the picnic basket. This doesn’t influence gender, but you’ll get more eggs faster, meaning more chances for the desired gender.

The Dittos Impact

Ditto offers more flexibility in breeding due to its universal compatibility. Because Ditto can breed with any Pokémon that can breed, it does not affect the gender ratios.

The importance of understanding these mechanics cannot be overstated. You can always further your knowledge by checking out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

FAQs: All Your Pokémon Breeding Gender Questions Answered

Here are some frequently asked questions about influencing gender in Pokémon breeding:

1. Can I change a Pokémon’s gender after it’s hatched?

No, a Pokémon’s gender is fixed and cannot be changed through any in-game mechanics.

2. Does saving before receiving an egg allow me to change the hatched Pokémon’s gender?

No, the Pokémon’s characteristics are determined when the egg is generated, not when you receive it. Saving and reloading will not change the outcome.

3. Does the gender of the Ditto affect the gender of the offspring?

No, when breeding with Ditto, the offspring will always be the non-Ditto Pokémon’s species. The gender of the Ditto has no bearing on the offspring’s gender.

4. Why do I keep getting male Pokémon when breeding?

This is likely due to the Pokémon’s gender ratio being heavily skewed towards males. Some species are naturally much more likely to be male than female.

5. Can male Pokémon breed with male Pokémon?

No, Pokémon traditionally need to be of opposite genders to breed. Ditto is the only exception, as it can breed with almost any Pokémon.

6. What happens if I breed a male Pokémon with a Ditto?

The egg will contain a Pokémon of the male Pokémon’s species. The gender of the Ditto is irrelevant.

7. What Pokémon can’t breed at all?

Pokémon in the “No Eggs Discovered” Egg Group, such as Legendaries, Mythicals, Nidorina, Nidoqueen, and certain baby Pokémon (like Pichu), cannot breed.

8. Is it better to breed with Ditto or the same species?

Breeding with the same species (ideally from different trainers for increased egg appearance rate) is generally faster than breeding with Ditto, but Ditto offers more flexibility if you’re working with genderless or single-gender Pokémon.

9. Why won’t my Pokémon breed with Ditto?

The most common reasons are that the Pokémon is a baby Pokémon (like Pichu), or it belongs to the “No Eggs Discovered” Egg Group.

10. Can I breed two Dittos together?

No, Ditto cannot breed with other Ditto. The members of the Ditto Egg Group cannot breed with each other.

11. What determines the Pokémon egg’s gender?

The gender is randomly generated by the game’s algorithm when the egg is created. It’s influenced by the Pokémon species’ inherent gender ratio.

12. Will bred Pokémon always be the same as the mother?

Yes, hatched Pokémon will always be of the mother’s species, except when breeding with a Ditto. In that case, the egg will hatch into the non-Ditto Pokémon’s species.

13. What is the best way to breed genderless Pokémon?

Genderless Pokémon can only breed with Ditto.

14. Are there any Pokémon that can only be one gender?

Yes, several Pokémon are gender-locked. For example, Tauros can only be male, while Petilil can only be female.

15. Does breeding with a foreign Ditto increase the chances of getting a shiny Pokémon?

Yes, breeding with a foreign Ditto (a Ditto from a game in a different language) increases the chance of hatching a shiny Pokémon. This is known as the Masuda method.

Conclusion: Patience and Persistence

While you can’t directly influence the gender of a Pokémon when breeding, understanding the breeding mechanics, gender ratios, and the slight influences provided by certain abilities or items can help you optimize your breeding process. Ultimately, getting the desired gender often comes down to patience and persistence. Happy breeding, trainers!