How to iv breed pokemon

Overview

Breeding Pokémon to inherit desirable stats, known as Individual Values (IVs), is a core mechanic for competitive play and optimizing your team. This process allows you to influence the genetic potential of your Pokémon, ensuring they have the best possible base for their stats from birth. Understanding how IVs work and utilizing the breeding mechanics effectively can significantly enhance your Pokémon's performance in battles.

What are IVs?

Individual Values (IVs) are hidden stats that range from 0 to 31 for each of a Pokémon's six stats: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. A higher IV means a higher potential for that specific stat. A Pokémon with perfect IVs (31 in all stats) will have higher base stats than a Pokémon with lower IVs, assuming all other factors like Effort Values (EVs), Nature, and base stats are equal. These values are determined when a Pokémon is first generated and cannot be changed through leveling or battling alone. The concept of IVs was introduced to add a layer of depth and replayability to the game, encouraging players to seek out Pokémon with the best genetic potential.

The Breeding Process

The primary method for IV breeding is utilizing the Day Care or Nursery facilities found in most Pokémon games. You leave two compatible Pokémon there, and after some time and steps taken, they may produce an Egg. The compatibility rules are generally as follows:

• Both Pokémon must be of the same species.
• Both Pokémon must belong to the same Egg Group.
• A male Pokémon and a Ditto can breed with almost any Pokémon (except for Legendaries and certain other specific Pokémon).
• There are exceptions, such as genderless Pokémon which can only breed with Ditto.

The resulting Egg will hatch into a Pokémon that is the base form of the female parent's species (or the non-Ditto parent if breeding with Ditto). The hatched Pokémon will inherit a variety of traits from its parents, including its species, type, and potentially its IVs, Nature, and even certain moves.

Passing Down IVs

Directly influencing the IVs of the hatched Pokémon is the core of IV breeding. Without any special items, the hatched Pokémon will inherit 3 random IVs from its parents. However, this can be significantly improved with specific held items:

• Destiny Knot: This crucial item, when held by one of the parent Pokémon, ensures that 5 of the hatched Pokémon's IVs are passed down from the parents, rather than the usual 3. This dramatically increases the chances of getting high IVs. The 5 IVs are chosen randomly from the 12 IVs of both parents.
• Everstone: While not directly related to IVs, the Everstone is vital for passing down a specific Nature. If held by one of the parent Pokémon, the hatched Pokémon will inherit that parent's Nature with a 100% chance. Natures provide a 10% boost to one stat and a 10% decrease to another, which is essential for optimizing a Pokémon's role.

To maximize your chances of getting perfect IVs, you'll typically want to start with parent Pokémon that already have high IVs. Using a Pokémon with 6 perfect IVs (often referred to as a '6IV parent') and another with at least 5 perfect IVs, combined with the Destiny Knot, gives you the best odds of producing an offspring with 5 or even 6 perfect IVs.

Optimizing the Breeding Process

The breeding process can be lengthy, involving hatching numerous eggs to find the perfect one. Here are some tips to speed it up:

• Ditto: As mentioned, Ditto is an invaluable breeding partner. Having a Ditto with perfect IVs in all stats (a 6IV Ditto) from a different region can significantly speed up the process, as it can breed with almost any Pokémon and pass down stats effectively.
• Flame Body Ability: Pokémon with the Flame Body ability (like Volcarona or Coalossal) in your party will halve the number of steps required to hatch an egg. Keep one at the front of your party to accelerate hatching.
• Mach Bike/Acro Bike: Using faster bicycles can also reduce the time spent traversing the game world to accumulate steps.
• Judge Function: Most games offer a 'Judge' function (often available after reaching a certain point in the game or unlocking it via an NPC) that provides an appraisal of your Pokémon's IVs. This helps you quickly identify potentially good offspring without needing to manually check each stat.

Advanced Breeding Concepts

Beyond IVs and Natures, breeding can also be used to pass down specific moves that a Pokémon wouldn't normally learn through leveling up or TMs. These are called Egg Moves. A Pokémon can inherit an Egg Move if it is present in the move pool of the father (or Ditto) and the offspring can be of the mother's species. This adds another layer of customization to your Pokémon.

Conclusion

IV breeding is a systematic approach to raising Pokémon with superior potential. By understanding the mechanics of IVs, utilizing items like the Destiny Knot and Everstone, and employing efficient breeding strategies, you can cultivate a team of Pokémon perfectly tailored for any challenge the Pokémon world throws at you. It requires patience and a bit of luck, but the reward of a powerful, custom-bred Pokémon is well worth the effort.