Secrets of the Pokemasters

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Raising Pokemon can be hard work, but we've got some advice to help you conquer Sinnoh in no time

Several pokemon don't have genders at all, so the only way to get them to produce offspring is by using a Ditto as a mate. Dittos don't start appearing until you've completed the main game - you'll need to get the Pokeradar and use it to search for them on Route 218. Once you have one, you can breed it with almost anything, regardless of type or gender. The resulting egg will always be of the same species as the not-Ditto poke in the pair (unless you're breeding two Dittos for whatever reason). There's still a handful of pokemon that are totally unbreedable, including the Legendaries, so don't go into this expecting to amass a Dialga army.

Pokemon hatched from eggs will have a mix of skills derived from its parents. The egg's hatchling will always be of the same species as the female, but it will likely have inherited traits from its father. What makes breeding particularly lucrative is that you can potentially pass along moves and natures from parents to a pokemon baby, including some that their wild counterparts don't have. This is what makes breeding so lucrative - you can potentially pass along rare skills and desirable natures to offspring, but it's going to take time, luck, and lots of trial and error.

Be aware that raising a Pokemon from infancy also takes a lot of time and effort. You'll first have to hatch the egg, which will require you to walk several thousand steps while having the egg in your active party. Your newborn pokemon also starts at Level 1, so they're going to take a good deal of training before they're on the same plateau as the rest of your main team. When they're young and weak, don't leave them in battle for long!

Above: Awww, how cute. Your baby has stats

Be aware that raising a Pokemon from infancy also takes a lot of time and effort. You'll first have to hatch the egg, which will require you to walk several thousand steps while having the egg in your active party. Your newborn pokemon also starts at Level 1, so they're going to take a good deal of training before they're on the same plateau as the rest of your main team. When they're young and weak, don't leave them in battle for long!