Emerald Breeding Guide: Day Care, Eggs, Ditto & Everstone
Which pairs make Eggs in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, what babies inherit, hatch steps, Ditto and the Everstone trick.
Every 256 steps, two Pokémon in the Route 117 Day Care have this chance to make an Egg:
Published
| Male + female pair | Trainer IDs | Egg chance |
|---|---|---|
| Same species | Different | 70% |
| Same | 50% | |
| Shared Egg Group | Different | 50% |
| Same | 20% | |
| Ditto + any gender | Different | 50% |
| Same | 20% | |
| No shared Egg Group, or a legendary or baby | Never |
Two Pokémon of the same gender, two genderless Pokémon and two Ditto never breed. Your own Pokémon all share your Trainer ID; a Pokémon you traded for has another one. The Day-Care man tells you which row you are in: "get along very well" is 70%, "get along" 50%, "don't seem to like each other much" 20%, and "prefer to play with other Pokémon" means no Eggs at all.
Your exact pair, with hatch steps, Nature, IVs and egg moves: the breeding calculator.
How to breed in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald
1. Leave two Pokémon with the Day Care lady
Talk to the lady inside the Day Care and hand over two Pokémon. She will not take your last Pokémon that can still fight. Held items stay on them, which matters for Everstone and incense breeding below.
Warning — Day Care Pokémon learn moves on their own: Each Pokémon gains 1 Exp. Point per step you take. When it levels up there, a new move replaces its first move without asking. Taking it back costs 100 plus 100 per level it gained.
2. Walk, and ask the Day-Care man how they get along
The old man waits in the fenced yard beside the building on Route 117. Talk to him across the fence to hear the compatibility message from the table above. Now walk or ride: every step counts, inside buildings too.
3. Collect the Egg when he stands on the path
When an Egg is ready, the man moves out of the yard onto the path (you see it the next time you enter Route 117). Talk to him and answer YES; you need a free party slot. If you say NO twice, the Egg is gone. The next Egg can only start after you take this one.
4. Carry the Egg until it hatches
Keep the Egg in your party and keep moving. Riding a bike counts the same steps but covers them faster; a long open path with no tall grass is best. The baby hatches at level 5, in a Poké Ball, with you as its Trainer.
How many steps to hatch an Egg, and faster hatching with Flame Body
In Emerald only, a Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor anywhere in your party halves the steps. Catch a Slugma on Route 113 or the Fiery Path for it.
| Egg | Steps | With Flame Body (Emerald) |
|---|---|---|
| Magikarp | 1,535 | 1,023 |
| Pichu | 2,815 | 1,535 |
| Zigzagoon | 4,095 | 2,303 |
| Mudkip | 5,375 | 2,815 |
| Absol | 6,655 | 3,583 |
| Aron | 9,215 | 4,863 |
| Beldum | 10,495 | 5,375 |
What the baby inherits
| Trait | What the Egg gets |
|---|---|
| Species | The first evolution stage of the mother, or of the partner of Ditto |
| Nidoran♀ or Illumise mother | About half the Eggs are Nidoran♂ or Volbeat instead |
| IVs | Three picks copied from a random parent each; the rest are random |
| Moves | Egg moves and TM moves from the father, level-up moves both parents know |
| Nature | Random |
| Ability | Random of the species’ abilities |
| Gender | Random, by the species’ ratio |
| Trick | What it does |
|---|---|
| Everstone | Held by the mother or Ditto: 50% chance the Egg gets the same Nature |
| Light Ball | Held by either parent of a Pichu Egg: the Pichu knows Volt Tackle |
| IV picks | Can repeat a stat: only about 53% of Eggs get three different stats |
| Flame Body or Magma Armor | Halves the steps to hatch |
Two Everstones are hidden in Granite Cave B2F, and wild Geodude sometimes hold one. Natures only change stats; which ones to pick is in the EV training guide.
Where to find Ditto
In Emerald, wild Ditto (level 38–45) live in the Desert Underpass, reached through the Fossil Maniac’s house on Route 114 after you enter the Hall of Fame. Ruby and Sapphire have no Ditto; trade one in. Ditto is the only way to breed genderless Pokémon such as Beldum, and the easiest way to breed the starters, which are female only about one time in eight.
Egg moves worth breeding for
The father must know the move when you collect the Egg, and the mother decides the species. Each father, or the Pokémon it evolves from, is wild in all three games:
| Baby | Egg move | Father | Learns it at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mudkip | Ice Ball | Spheal | Level 13 |
| Treecko | Dragon Breath | Altaria | Level 35 |
| Torchic | Counter | Vigoroth | Level 37 |
| Bagon | Dragon Dance | Altaria | Level 40 |
A starter mother is rare (about one in eight is female). With a female Mudkip, Treecko or Torchic you also keep breeding new starters for trades, which helps the Pokédex completion.
Azurill and Wynaut: breed with incense
A Marill or Azumarill mother lays Azurill Eggs only if a parent holds Sea Incense; a Wobbuffet mother lays Wynaut Eggs only with Lax Incense. Without it you get Marill or Wobbuffet. Both incenses lie on Mt. Pyre (4F and 5F). The old lady in Lavaridge Town also gives you one Wynaut Egg for free.
Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald breeding FAQ
- Where is the Day Care in Pokémon Emerald?
- On Route 117, between Mauville City and Verdanturf Town. The lady inside takes your Pokémon; the man outside gives you the Eggs.
- Where do you find Ditto in Pokémon Emerald?
- In the Desert Underpass, through the Fossil Maniac’s house on Route 114, after the Hall of Fame. Ruby and Sapphire have no wild Ditto.
- Does the Everstone pass down Natures in Ruby and Sapphire?
- No. Only Emerald uses it: held by the mother or by Ditto, it gives a 50% chance of the same Nature.
- How many steps does it take to hatch an Egg in Emerald?
- Between about 1,500 and 10,500 steps, depending on the species. A Flame Body or Magma Armor Pokémon in the party roughly halves that in Emerald.
- Why won’t my Pokémon make an Egg?
- They need opposite genders and a shared Egg Group, or one of them must be Ditto. Legendaries, baby Pokémon and two genderless Pokémon never breed.
- Can you get a shiny Pokémon from breeding in Emerald?
- Yes, at the usual 1 in 8,192 per Egg. Gen 3 has no breeding method that raises the odds.
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