How Do You Change the Gender of an Egg in Pokémon?
The short and direct answer is: you cannot change the gender of a Pokémon egg once it has been generated. The gender, along with its Nature and Individual Values (IVs), is determined the moment the egg is created and becomes available to the player, not when it hatches. This means that soft resetting or any other method after obtaining the egg will not alter its gender. The gender is fixed and immutable for each individual egg. This fact often frustrates players aiming for specific genders for evolution, breeding, or competitive reasons. Understanding the mechanics behind gender determination, breeding, and egg generation can help players make informed decisions and optimize their Pokémon teams.
Understanding Pokémon Gender Mechanics
Pokémon gender is determined by a complex combination of species-specific ratios and Individual Values (IVs). Each species of Pokémon has a defined gender ratio, which dictates the likelihood of the Pokémon being male or female. This ratio is not affected by the parents’ genders or any other factors during breeding. For example, some species might have an equal 50/50 split, while others might be overwhelmingly male or female.
The actual determination of gender for each individual Pokémon happens using a specific calculation based on the Pokémon’s Physical Attack IV and the species’ gender ratio. A Pokémon is female if its Physical Attack IV is less than or equal to its species’ gender ratio value, and otherwise is male. In some cases, like Genderless or Gender-Locked Pokémon, this IV check is ignored as they will always have a predetermined gender or lack thereof.
Factors That Do NOT Influence Egg Gender
It is crucial to understand what does not affect the gender of a Pokémon egg. The following factors have absolutely no impact:
- Soft Resetting: Resetting your game after obtaining an egg will not change its gender.
- Parents’ Genders: While the mother Pokémon usually determines the species of the offspring (except when breeding with Ditto), it does not influence the offspring’s gender.
- Held Items: Items held by parent Pokémon do not alter gender ratios. The held item such as an Everstone will influence the nature of the hatched Pokemon, but not its gender.
- Location of Breeding: The location where you breed your Pokémon does not change the chances of getting a specific gender.
- Day/Night Cycle: Time of day or night has no bearing on egg gender.
- Pokémon Abilities: Abilities that might influence other aspects of breeding like flame body and egg hatching time do not impact the offspring’s gender.
- Friendship: The friendship level of parent Pokémon does not change the offspring’s gender.
Breeding and Gender Strategies
While you cannot directly manipulate the gender of a specific egg, you can strategize and breed with patience to increase your odds of getting a desired gender. The following strategies can help:
- Breeding with Ditto: If you want to breed a specific Pokémon of the opposite gender than what you have, breeding with Ditto is an excellent option. Ditto can breed with almost any Pokémon regardless of gender (or the lack thereof), and the hatched Pokémon will always belong to the species of the non-Ditto parent. If the non-Ditto parent is male, the egg will still have a chance to be female based on its gender ratio and assigned IVs.
- Breeding Multiple Eggs: Because gender is ultimately determined by random chance based on the ratio, breeding many eggs is a fundamental strategy. The more eggs you hatch, the higher your likelihood is of eventually getting the gender you need.
- Understanding Gender Ratios: Researching the specific gender ratio of the Pokémon you are breeding for will help manage your expectations and inform your strategy. For example, you will need to be prepared to hatch many more eggs if you are looking for a female Pokémon with a low female ratio.
- Trading with other players: If you are having difficulty breeding a specific gender, you can also try trading with other players. This can be faster, especially if you are struggling with a Pokémon with a lopsided gender ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pokémon Egg Gender
1. Are Pokémon Eggs always the mother’s Pokémon type?
Yes, the hatched Pokémon will always be of the mother’s Pokémon type except when breeding with a Ditto. When breeding with Ditto, the egg will hatch into the non-Ditto’s species.
2. Can you change a Pokémon’s gender?
No, you cannot change a Pokémon’s gender once it has been created. If you want a Pokémon of a different gender, you will need to breed or catch one.
3. Are Pokémon eggs gender-locked?
The egg itself is not gender-locked, but the gender of the Pokémon inside is determined when the egg is generated and cannot be changed.
4. Do Pokémon eggs ever change?
No, once an egg is generated, its gender, nature, and IVs are fixed and cannot change, even with soft resetting. Some games, like Pokémon GO, have events that can change the contents of eggs before they are received. But for the traditional series, the contents are set upon generation.
5. How is Pokémon gender determined?
A Pokémon is female if its physical Attack IV is less than or equal to its species’ gender ratio; otherwise, it is male. Genderless and Gender-locked Pokémon’s genders are set and the IV check is not applied.
6. Do only female Pokémon lay eggs?
Female Pokémon will lay eggs of their own species. When breeding with Ditto, the Ditto will produce the egg, even if the other parent is male.
7. Can you reset for shiny eggs?
Yes, you can reset to try for a shiny egg, but this must be done before you receive the egg. Once an egg has been generated, its shiny status is locked.
8. Why are all my Pokémon eggs male?
If you are consistently getting male eggs, it is either because you are breeding male-only Pokémon, or you are simply experiencing a run of bad luck. Some species have overwhelmingly higher male to female ratios, so your experience may be normal for that particular species.
9. Can two male Pokémon breed?
No, two male Pokémon cannot breed with each other. Neither can two female Pokémon, and neither can any two Genderless Pokémon.
10. Are male Pokémon breedable?
Yes, male Pokémon can breed with a female of the same Egg Group. Additionally, any male or female Pokémon can breed with a Ditto.
11. Does gender matter in Pokémon?
Yes, gender matters in Pokémon because some Pokémon can only evolve if they are a specific gender, and some split evolutions are dependent on gender.
12. Can Ditto breed with Ditto?
No, Ditto cannot breed with other Ditto. Ditto can only breed with Pokémon from other species.
13. Can male Pokémon breed with Ditto?
Yes, any Pokémon (male or female) can breed with Ditto. The resulting egg will always belong to the non-Ditto parent’s species.
14. What is the rarest Pokémon in eggs?
Tier five Pokémon are the rarest when it comes to hatching from eggs. They often have only a 2% chance of appearing.
15. Can Ralts change gender?
Ralts has a 50/50 gender ratio, however, its evolution Gallade is only obtainable by exposing a male Kirlia to a Dawn Stone. Therefore, if a player desires a Gallade they will need to obtain a male Ralts and evolve it into a Kirlia before using a Dawn Stone.
In conclusion, while you cannot directly change the gender of a Pokémon egg, understanding the mechanics of gender determination and breeding can allow you to make informed decisions and strategically breed for your preferred Pokémon. Patience and perseverance will be your greatest assets when seeking specific genders in Pokémon breeding.