Does Hyper Training Work for Breeding IVs? The Definitive Guide
The short answer is a resounding NO. Hyper Training does NOT work for breeding IVs. While it’s a fantastic tool for competitively viable Pokémon, it’s essentially a cosmetic fix when it comes to genetics. Hyper Training boosts a Pokémon’s stats as if they had perfect IVs (Individual Values) of 31, but it doesn’t actually change the underlying IVs themselves. This is a crucial distinction that has significant implications for breeding. Let’s dive deeper into why this is the case, and explore the nuances of IVs, Hyper Training, and breeding mechanics in the Pokémon world.
Understanding IVs: The Genetic Code of Pokémon
Individual Values, or IVs, are essentially a Pokémon’s genetic potential. Each Pokémon has six IVs, one for each stat: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. These values range from 0 to 31, with 31 being considered “perfect.” IVs are determined randomly when a Pokémon is generated – whether that’s through encountering it in the wild, receiving it as a gift, or hatching it from an egg.
These IVs are permanent and unchangeable, unless you use Hyper Training. However, it’s important to remember that Hyper Training provides a cosmetic or artificial boost, not a fundamental change to the DNA. Think of it as putting stickers that says 31 on your stat sheet.
Hyper Training: Making Pokémon Battle-Ready
Hyper Training was introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon and has since become a staple feature. It allows you to maximize a Pokémon’s stats by using Bottle Caps. To Hyper Train a Pokémon, it must be level 100. Visit the relevant NPC, hand over the necessary Bottle Caps, and select which stat(s) you want to maximize.
The beauty of Hyper Training is that it makes Pokémon that weren’t initially born with perfect IVs competitively viable. A Pokémon with less-than-ideal IVs can still perform at its peak in battles, thanks to Hyper Training. Functionally, Hyper Training gives the game the impression that a stat has 31 IVs for battle calculations.
The Nuances of Pokémon Breeding
Breeding is a core mechanic for building powerful Pokémon teams. The process involves placing two compatible Pokémon in a Day Care or similar location to produce an egg. Once hatched, the offspring inherits characteristics from its parents, including:
- Nature: A Pokémon’s Nature influences which stats grow faster.
- Ability: Some Pokémon have multiple Abilities, and the offspring may inherit one from its parents.
- IVs: This is where things get interesting!
IV Inheritance Explained
When breeding, a crucial item is the Destiny Knot. When held by either parent, the Destiny Knot guarantees that the offspring will inherit 5 IVs from either parent. This leaves one IV to be determined randomly. So, the more perfect IVs (31) the parents have, the greater the chance of producing an offspring with high IVs.
Here’s the catch: the IVs being passed down are the original, un-Hyper Trained IVs. The game does not treat Hyper Trained IVs as the true IVs for inheritance purposes. The Destiny Knot will pull the original IVs from the parents to pass down.
Why Hyper Training Fails at Breeding
Since Hyper Training doesn’t permanently alter a Pokémon’s IVs, it doesn’t affect what gets passed down during breeding. A Pokémon might appear to have perfect stats thanks to Hyper Training, but its offspring will inherit the original, unaltered IVs. This makes Hyper Trained Dittos no more valuable for breeding than Dittos with naturally good IVs. Focus your search on catching or breeding Dittos with naturally high IVs (30-31).
The distinction lies in the fact that Hyper Training is a temporary override, not a permanent change to the Pokémon’s genetic makeup.
Maximizing Breeding Efficiency
To breed Pokémon with perfect or near-perfect IVs, follow these tips:
- Catch or Breed High-IV Dittos: Dittos are invaluable due to their ability to breed with nearly any Pokémon. Find Dittos with several perfect IVs. Tera Raid battles are an excellent source.
- Use a Destiny Knot: Equip one parent with a Destiny Knot to ensure five IVs are passed down.
- Consider Natures: Use an Everstone on the parent with the desired Nature to pass it down.
- Breed Selectively: Continuously replace parent Pokémon with offspring that have better IVs, gradually improving the overall quality of your breeding stock.
- Tera Raid Battles: Participate in high-level Tera Raid battles to catch Pokémon with guaranteed high IVs. Six-star raids often yield Pokémon with five perfect IVs.
Hidden Power Considerations
Hidden Power’s type is determined by a Pokémon’s IVs. Because Hyper Training does not alter the original IVs, it will not affect the type of Hidden Power of that specific Pokemon.
Conclusion: Hyper Training is for Battling, Not Breeding
Hyper Training is an incredible tool for preparing Pokémon for competitive battles, giving them the stats they need to succeed. However, it’s crucial to understand that Hyper Training is not a substitute for proper breeding. If you’re aiming to create a Pokémon team with optimized stats and inheritance, focus on acquiring parents with naturally high IVs, utilizing the Destiny Knot, and selectively breeding for desired traits.
Remember, Hyper Training is an artificial boost, a way to bridge the gap for Pokémon that weren’t born with perfect genetics. It doesn’t rewrite the genetic code, so it has no impact on breeding. Understanding this fundamental difference is essential for mastering Pokémon breeding and building powerful, competitive teams.
If you’re interested in learning more about the mechanics of games, educational approaches, and the intersection of games and learning, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Hyper Training and Breeding
Here are 15 FAQs to further clarify the relationship between Hyper Training and breeding:
1. Can Hyper Trained IVs be passed down through breeding?
No, Hyper Trained stats will not pass down through breeding. Only the original IVs are considered for inheritance.
2. Does Hyper Training make a Pokémon’s IVs “Best” for breeding purposes?
No, Hyper Training does not make a Pokémon’s IVs “Best” in terms of breeding. “Best” refers to the Pokémon’s original IVs.
3. Does Hyper Training affect breeding in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
Hyper Training’s stat increases do NOT pass down during breeding in Scarlet and Violet. Only the original IVs matter.
4. Will Hyper Trained IVs be inherited by eggs?
No, Hyper Trained IVs are NEVER inherited. Eggs will only inherit the true IVs of the parents.
5. If I Hyper Train a Ditto to have perfect IVs, will its offspring inherit those stats?
No. While the Hyper Trained Ditto will perform as if it has perfect IVs in battle, it will not pass down any artificial IVs through breeding.
6. What’s the best way to breed for high IVs?
The best approach is to use a Destiny Knot on one of the parent Pokémon. This ensures that five IVs from either parent are passed down, with the sixth being randomized. Start with parents that have naturally high IVs, and selectively breed until you get the desired combination.
7. What happens if I breed a Hyper Trained Ditto with another Pokémon?
The offspring will inherit IVs based on the Ditto’s original IVs, not the Hyper Trained ones. The Hidden Power will remain as what it always was, and the Pokémon will not pass any maximum IVs as the Pokémon’s IVs are still how they were originally.
8. How can I get Pokémon with perfect IVs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
The best method is to participate in Tera Raid battles, especially five-star raids and higher. Six-star Tera Raid battles have a high chance of yielding Pokémon with five perfect IVs.
9. How many IVs can I Hyper Train on a single Pokémon?
You can Hyper Train all six IVs (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed) on a Pokémon, as long as it’s at Level 100.
10. Do Bottle Caps permanently change IVs?
No, Bottle Caps don’t permanently change IVs. They only affect the IVs for battling purposes, creating the illusion that they are maxed out.
11. Can you breed a Pokémon with 6 perfect IVs?
Breeding does NOT directly pass down 6 IVs. With the Destiny Knot, 5 IVs are inherited from the parents, and one is randomly generated. Getting a Pokémon with all six IVs perfect through breeding is extremely rare (1/32 chance when using parents with 5 perfect IVs already).
12. Does the Ditto’s IVs matter for breeding?
Yes, the Ditto’s IVs matter significantly. Dittos with high or perfect IVs greatly increase the chances of breeding offspring with desirable IVs. The more perfect IVs the Ditto has, the better the chance of a successful breeding.
13. Is a Pokémon with “Best” IVs stronger than a Hyper Trained Pokémon?
Not really. There is no difference. Functionally, they perform the same. A Pokemon born with perfect IVs is no stronger than one that had them maxed by Hyper Training.
14. Is there a difference between Hyper Trained and “Best” IVs?
Yes, there is. Hyper Training is when Pokemon had low stats and then the trainer hyper trained it by Bottle Caps and “best” is when it was born with the stats maxed out. They both have the same outcome in terms of performance in battles.
15. Why should I breed with high IV Dittos?
Non-English Dittos are used for the Masuda method for obtaining shinies, which raises the chance of finding shinies from 1/4000 to 1/680++, or 1/500 with a shiny charm. Also, Dittos with perfect IVs can be used to ease the pain of breeding pokes with 5 IVs for Competitive usage.