Does Everstone Affect Ability in Pokémon? The Truth Revealed!
No, the Everstone does NOT affect a Pokémon’s ability. Its sole, proven function in the world of Pokémon breeding is to influence the nature of the offspring. Specifically, when held by a parent Pokémon during breeding, the Everstone grants a 50% chance (100% starting in Generation 9) that the baby Pokémon will inherit the same nature as the parent holding the item. That’s it. No hidden powers, no secret stat boosts linked to abilities. Just nature. Now, let’s dive deeper into the nuances of Everstone’s role and tackle some of the most common questions surrounding this essential breeding tool!
Everstone: Nature’s Best Friend, Not Ability’s Influencer
The Everstone’s impact is confined to nature inheritance. Natures, which subtly influence stat growth (boosting one stat by 10% and decreasing another by 10%), are crucial for competitive Pokémon battling. Securing the desired nature is often the first step in creating a powerful team. Think of a speedy Jolteon needing a Timid nature (+Speed, -Attack) or a wall-like Blissey benefiting from a Calm nature (+Special Defense, -Attack). The Everstone is the key to achieving these results consistently.
What it doesn’t do is mess with abilities. Abilities are innate traits that grant Pokémon special effects in battle or on the field. There are standard abilities, and then there are Hidden Abilities (HA), which are rarer and often more powerful. The Everstone has absolutely no bearing on which ability a Pokémon inherits.
Hidden Abilities are passed down through breeding, but the chances depend on the parent’s gender and whether a Ditto is involved. A female Pokémon with its HA has a 60% chance of passing it down. A male Pokémon with its HA, bred with a Ditto, has a 20% chance of passing it down. So, if you’re after a specific ability, your focus should be on the parents and not on the Everstone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Everstone and Breeding
Here are 15 of the most frequently asked questions to provide even more clarity:
1. Does Everstone increase stats?
No, the Everstone does not directly increase stats. Its sole function is to influence the nature passed down during breeding. Natures, in turn, affect how a Pokémon’s stats grow as it levels up. The Everstone itself has no effect on Individual Values (IVs) or Effort Values (EVs), which also contribute to a Pokémon’s overall stats.
2. Do Pokémon abilities get passed down?
Yes, abilities can be passed down during breeding. However, the process is distinct from nature inheritance and not affected by the Everstone. If the mother Pokémon possesses a Hidden Ability, there is a 60% chance that the offspring will inherit it. When breeding with a Ditto, the Ditto acts as a surrogate female, so the non-Ditto parent’s ability inheritance chances follow the same rules.
3. Do abilities change when breeding?
The ability passed down isn’t a simple direct copy; it can be randomized, especially when dealing with Pokémon that have multiple standard abilities. For Hidden Abilities, the parent needs to possess the desired Hidden Ability to potentially pass it down. However, in cases where a species has more than one standard ability, which one the offspring receives is random. You can, however, use an Ability Capsule (purchased in the Battle Tower) to switch between a Pokémon’s standard abilities, though it won’t grant or remove a Hidden Ability.
4. How do you keep Hidden Abilities while breeding?
To maximize your chances of breeding a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability, ensure that the female parent (or the non-Ditto parent) possesses the desired Hidden Ability. This gives a 60% chance of the offspring inheriting it. Breeding with a Ditto allows any gendered Pokémon with a Hidden Ability to pass it down.
5. Does Everstone prevent shiny?
Absolutely not. The Everstone has no influence on whether a Pokémon will be shiny or not. Shininess is determined by a completely separate random number generation process within the game’s code.
6. Does Everstone pass IVs?
No, the Everstone does not affect the passing down of Individual Values (IVs). IVs are inherited through a different item, the Destiny Knot. The Destiny Knot ensures that 5 out of the 12 total IVs (6 from each parent) are passed down to the offspring. The remaining IV is then randomly generated. Use a Destiny Knot! Not an Everstone.
7. Why does Everstone not work on Kadabra?
This is a specific game quirk. In certain generations (starting with Diamond and Pearl), trading a Kadabra holding an Everstone will not prevent its evolution into Alakazam. This is likely an intentional exception coded into the game. Essentially, the game prioritizes the evolution trigger over the Everstone effect in this specific instance.
8. What happens if both parents hold an Everstone?
If both parents hold an Everstone, each parent has a 50% chance of passing down its nature to the offspring. It’s a coin flip between the two natures.
9. Does an Everstone effect breeding?
Yes, the Everstone has a significant effect on breeding, but it’s strictly limited to nature inheritance. By holding an Everstone, a parent has a 50% (100% starting in Generation 9) chance of passing down its nature to the offspring.
10. Can you only break the Everstone once?
This refers to a specific event within the Magikarp Jump mobile game. In that game, the Everstone can indeed be “broken” once to allow Magikarp to evolve, triggering a specific event. However, this mechanic is exclusive to Magikarp Jump and doesn’t apply to the main series Pokémon games.
11. Do Hidden Abilities stay when evolving?
Yes, Hidden Abilities are retained upon evolution. A Pokémon will not “lose” its Hidden Ability when it evolves. There may be a chance of a hidden ability changing after moving a pokemon from gen 3 to gen 4, as the coding changes.
12. Do abilities change when evolving?
Generally, no, a Pokémon’s ability will not change upon evolution unless the species specifically gains a new ability in a later generation. In such cases, when transferred from an earlier generation, the ability slot might be recalculated upon evolution, potentially leading to a different ability if the Pokémon now has multiple options.
13. Can I use a Fire Stone if my Pokémon is holding an Everstone?
No. The Everstone will prevent the Pokémon from evolving even if you use an evolution-inducing item like a Fire Stone. The Everstone’s primary function is to prevent evolution, and it will override other methods of triggering it.
14. Can a Ditto pass down hidden abilities?
Yes, a Ditto can pass down Hidden Abilities. When breeding with a Ditto, the Ditto effectively takes the role of the female parent. Therefore, if the non-Ditto Pokémon possesses a Hidden Ability, it has a chance of passing it down.
15. What does Destiny Knot do for breeding?
The Destiny Knot is another crucial breeding item. When held by a parent, the Destiny Knot ensures that 5 IVs (Individual Values) are inherited by the offspring from the pool of 12 IVs (6 from each parent). This significantly increases your chances of breeding Pokémon with high or perfect IVs, which are essential for competitive battling. Understanding these FAQs will ensure you’re on the right track to becoming a Pokémon breeding master!
In conclusion, while the Everstone is indispensable for nature control in breeding, it plays absolutely no role in influencing or determining a Pokémon’s ability. Focus on the parent’s abilities and use the right techniques to maximize your chances of inheriting that elusive Hidden Ability. Happy breeding, Trainers!
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