How to Breed Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet
The trailer that dropped on October 2022 for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was packed full of information during its 14-minute run—most of it being brand new to the franchise. Granted, several aspects of it covered familiar ground, like the rehashing of the three story paths available to you. But you can’t deny how exciting it was when the trailer revealed Farigiraf, Giragfarig’s new evolution. There’s also the TM crafting mechanics, where you could collect materials from the open-world map and mix them to create all sorts of TMs.
On a more important note, trainers saw how they’d be able to get Pokemon eggs—a crucial piece of info for any on the hunt for Shiny Pokemon. However, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s approach to yielding eggs can be a tad unwieldy for some since it’s now only a secondary feature linked to picnics.
Table of Contents
Eggs Have Always Been Made the Same Way…Until Now
From a historical standpoint, eggs have always been a relatively simple mechanic in Pokemon. You leave your Pokemon at a Pokemon Day Care or Nursery (make sure there’s a male and female or at least one Ditto), wait for a while, and come back to pick up an egg. You’ll then carry that egg around as you walk around until it hatches. The loop seems pretty easy to comprehend, no? It’s a no-fuss, no-frills way to get specific Pokemon that have specific moves catered to your needs. However, in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the developers decided to do away from this approach. It’s currently unclear whether you’ll have a much harder time getting the eggs you want. Who knows? Maybe this mechanic will only stick to the ninth generation of Pokemon.
Go On A Picnic, Get An Egg
Based on the trailer shown in October 2022, you can set up picnics in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as a social activity. Picnics are basically like mini gatherings where you can eat alongside your teammates. Unlike the process of Pokemon Sword and Shield, where you’ll set up a camp and cook curry alongside other trainers, picnics are more than just for sitting down and making sandwiches.
During the player’s picnic on the trailer, you’ll see that they can check a basket from time to time; this is where you can find an egg. Unfortunately, the 14-minute-long video doesn’t show the details we want. How do these eggs spawn? Do we have to pair a female and male Pokemon for it to work? What are the prerequisites? There’s also the matter of whether Egg Groups still play a crucial part in the game or if this new egg-making method alters what traits are passed down from its Pokemon parents.
I would have liked to see more, but instead, the spotlight went to the sandwich-making minigame and the playtime aspects of picnics. And based on what I’ve seen, picnics focus heavily on immersion rather than the egg mechanic; it seems awkward to put such an impactful feature in the middle of another mechanic that otherwise has little to do with breeding.
Why Pokemon Day Care Centers/Nurseries Still Reign Supreme
I know it’s too early to say this, but Pokemon Day Cares/Nurseries will probably still be the preferred method of many players when breeding eggs. Getting eggs through these Nurseries helps players plan out the traits of the Pokemon they want and multitask. In comparison, picnics could force you to use a specific pair of Pokemon to get an egg instead of using that time to train your other Pokemon while waiting for one to pop up when stopping by a nearby Day Care. But I’m not losing hope on picnics just yet—we still know very little of what to expect in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
It’s plausible for the games to have their own Nurseries where you can get eggs; picnics would be a bonus for surprise eggs through unplanned breeding combinations. But if it’s the only way to get the goods, breeders can expect a cumbersome time to get perfect IV Pokemon.
Handle With Care
I admit that the playtime elements of picnics in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are charming, but I’m not 100% in on the idea that it’ll handle the egg situation skillfully. If done wrong, many trainers could see breeding as more of an inconvenience than a novelty. But hey, if Game Freak achieves the perfect combination, picnics could be seen as the best of both worlds—a place of interaction and mechanically rewarding.
