How To Find Pokémon with Hidden Abilities: A Comprehensive Guide
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Finding Pokémon with Hidden Abilities can significantly enhance your battles and strategies in the Pokémon world. These special abilities offer unique advantages, often setting apart the most formidable trainers. This article provides a detailed exploration of how to obtain these coveted Pokémon, along with answers to frequently asked questions to guide you on your journey.
Unveiling the Secrets: How to Find Pokémon with Hidden Abilities
The primary method for acquiring Pokémon with Hidden Abilities is through Tera Raid battles, particularly six-star Tera Raids. Unlike standard wild encounters, where hidden abilities are exceptionally rare, Tera Raids provide a much higher probability of encountering Pokémon with these special traits.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
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Engage in Tera Raid Battles: Focus on participating in six-star Tera Raid battles. These raids offer the highest chance of encountering Pokémon with their Hidden Abilities. Keep an eye out for the Tera Raid crystals that appear on your map.
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Defeat and Capture: Successfully defeat the Tera Raid Pokémon. Upon victory, you’ll have the opportunity to catch the Pokémon. Note that, even in six-star raids, there is no guarantee that the Pokémon will have a hidden ability. It’s still reliant on RNG (random number generation), so persistence is key.
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Check the Ability: After capturing the Pokémon, check its summary to see if it possesses its Hidden Ability. If it does not, continue participating in raids until you find one that does.
While Tera Raids are the most efficient method, they are not the only way to acquire Hidden Ability Pokémon. Breeding and special gift events also offer avenues to add these powerful Pokémon to your roster.
Breeding for Hidden Abilities
Breeding offers an alternative route to acquiring Hidden Ability Pokémon, especially after obtaining one from a raid. Here’s how it works:
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Female Parent with Hidden Ability: If a female Pokémon (or a Pokémon bred with Ditto) possesses a Hidden Ability, there’s a 60% chance that its offspring will inherit that Hidden Ability.
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Ditto Breeding: When breeding with a Ditto, any Pokémon can pass down its Hidden Ability, regardless of gender. However, the chances for males to pass on their HA are lower (see FAQ section below).
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Non-Hidden Ability Inheritance: If an egg does not inherit a Hidden Ability from a parent, it can only be born with a non-Hidden Ability.
Key Point: Breeding two Pokémon with normal abilities will never result in a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability. You must start with a parent that already possesses a Hidden Ability.
Special Gift Pokémon
Occasionally, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company will offer special gift Pokémon that come with Hidden Abilities. These distributions usually occur through the Pokémon HOME mobile app. To obtain them:
- Open the Pokémon HOME app.
- Navigate to the menu and select Mystery Gifts.
- Choose the Gift Box option.
- Select the desired gift, and transfer it to your Pokémon HOME boxes.
These events can provide easy access to Hidden Ability Pokémon that are otherwise difficult to obtain, so staying updated on Pokémon news is crucial.
The Role of the Ability Patch
The Ability Patch is a rare item that can change a Pokémon’s current ability into its Hidden Ability. The item is mainly obtained via 6 Star Tera Raids, although it is extremely rare. If you struggle to get a specific Hidden Ability Pokémon through breeding and raids, an Ability Patch can provide another route for obtaining a Hidden Ability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 Frequently Asked Questions to deepen your understanding of finding Pokémon with Hidden Abilities:
1. Can you find Hidden Abilities in the Wild?
No, you cannot find Pokémon with Hidden Abilities in standard wild encounters, regardless of your luck. These abilities are primarily obtained through Tera Raids, breeding, or special events. The standard wild encounter rate is roughly 1 in 250 without considering badge progression bonuses.
2. How rare is it to catch a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability from Tera Raids?
The exact odds are not specified but it is known that it is RNG-based. While six-star Tera Raids significantly increase your chances, there’s no guarantee every Pokémon caught will have its Hidden Ability. It may take multiple attempts.
3. How do you get a Starter Pokémon with Hidden Abilities?
Starter Pokémon with Hidden Abilities are typically obtained through special gift events via Pokémon HOME. Regularly check for news regarding distributions.
4. What is the breeding rate for Hidden Abilities?
If a female Pokémon, or a Pokémon bred with Ditto, has a Hidden Ability, there’s a 60% chance that its offspring will have that Hidden Ability. If an egg doesn’t inherit a Hidden Ability from a parent, it can only have a normal ability.
5. Can you guarantee Hidden Ability breeding?
No, you cannot guarantee it. There’s a 60% chance of the relevant ability being passed down by a female parent or when using Ditto.
6. Can you randomly breed a Hidden Ability?
No, you cannot randomly breed a hidden ability. To breed a Pokemon with a Hidden Ability, the female Pokemon (or a male/genderless Pokemon being bred with a Ditto) must have its Hidden Ability. There is then a 60% chance of passing it on.
7. Can a Ditto pass down Hidden Abilities?
Yes, Ditto can pass down Hidden Abilities, making it an invaluable tool for breeding. However, if the other parent is male, its Hidden Ability will have a 20% chance of passing it down. If the other parent is female, she will pass down her hidden ability with 60% probability.
8. What is a good example of a Hidden Ability?
An excellent example is Squirtle’s Hidden Ability, Rain Dish, which restores a small amount of health at the end of each turn in the rain.
9. What is a powerful Hidden Ability?
Multiscale, available on Pokémon like Dragonite and Lugia, is considered powerful. It halves damage taken when the Pokémon is at full HP.
10. How do I increase the odds of finding a Hidden Ability Pokemon in the wild?
The article has already stated that it is not possible to find Hidden Ability Pokemon in the wild through standard encounters. The odds can only be increased through badges. There is a popular method of using a pokemon with the ability entrainment to identify the ability of wild Pokemon, but this method is not useful since hidden ability Pokemon are not found in the wild.
11. What is an Ability Patch?
The Ability Patch is an item used to change a Pokémon’s ability into its Hidden Ability. It’s primarily obtained through 6-Star Tera Raids, but it has an extremely low drop rate.
12. Are Hidden Abilities always better?
No, not always. While many Hidden Abilities are excellent, some Pokémon might benefit more from their regular abilities. It’s essential to consider each Pokémon’s individual case.
13. What are some of the strongest Abilities, Hidden or otherwise?
Some of the strongest abilities in the game include: Prankster, Beast Boost, Moxie, the Ruinous Abilities, Speed Boost, Wonder Guard, Libero, Protean, Huge Power, and Intimidate.
14. How does gender affect Hidden Ability breeding?
If the female Pokemon has a hidden ability it will pass it on 60% of the time, regardless of the other parent’s ability. If the male pokemon has a hidden ability it will only pass it on if it is bred with a Ditto and only with a 20% chance.
15. Can a Pokémon inherit a Hidden Ability from a male parent?
Yes, but only if the male is bred with a Ditto. The chance is 20% in this case. Females pass their Hidden Abilities down with a 60% chance, regardless of the other parent.
Conclusion
Acquiring Pokémon with Hidden Abilities is a rewarding endeavor that can give you a significant edge in battles. Whether you’re tackling Tera Raids, meticulously breeding, or waiting for special gift events, understanding the mechanics behind these abilities is essential. Use this guide to navigate the world of Hidden Abilities and become a more formidable Pokémon trainer!