Eew, sex in a E-rated game? Let's call it "Breeding" instead.
First off, we must list the true basics of breeding.
THE BASICS:
Male Pokemon must breed with female Pokemon.
A male Pikachu will NOT produce eggs with another male Pikachu.
To make two Pokemon breed, simply put them in the Daycare.
THE BREEDING TYPES:
In addition, there are several different breeding classes each Pokemon is in. Two Pokemon, in order to breed, must be in the same breeding class, or they will not produce eggs.
The 13 breeding types are as follows:
Monster
Dragon
Ground
Bug
Plant
Water A
Water B
Water C
Indeterminate
Fairy
Humanshape
Mineral
No Egg
Monster:
Abomasnow, Aggron, Ampharos, Bastiodon, Blastoise, Charizard, Exploud, Feraligatr, Garchomp, Kangaskhan, Lapras, Lickylicky, Marowak, Meganium, Nidoking, Nidoran♀, Rampardos, Rhyperior, Sceptile, Slowbro, Slowking, Snorlax, Swampert, Torterra, Tropius, Tyranitar, Venusaur
Dragon:
Altaria, Arbok, Charizard, Dragonite, Garchomp, Gyarados, Kingdra, Milotic, Salamence, Sceptile, Seviper
Ground:
Absol, Ambipom, Ampharos, Arbok, Arcanine, Bibarel, Blaziken, Buizel, Camerupt, Delcatty, Delibird, Dewgong, Donphan, Dugtrio, Dunsparce, Empoleon, Espeon, Exploud, Farfetch'd, Flareon, Furret, Girafarig, Glaceon, Golduck, Granbull, Grumpig, Hippowdon, Houndoom, Infernape, Jolteon, Kecleon, Leafeon, Linoone, Lopunny, Lucario, Luxray, Mamoswine, Manectric, Mawile, Mightyena, Miltank, Nidoking, Nidoran♀, Ninetales, Pachirisu, Persian, Primeape, Purugly, Quagsire, Raichu, Rapidash, Raticate, Rhyperior, Sandslash, Seviper, Shiftry, Skuntank, Slaking, Smeargle, Spinda, Stantler, Tauros, Torkoal, Typhlosion, Umbreon, Ursaring, Vaporeon, Wailord, Walrein, Weavile, Zangoose
Water 1:
Azumarill, Bibarel, Blastoise, Buizel, Corsola, Crawdaunt, Delibird, Dewgong, Dragonite, Empoleon, Feraligatr, Gastrodon, Golduck, Gorebyss, Huntail, Kabutops, Kingdra, Lapras, Ludicolo, Mantine, Masquerain, Milotic, Octillery, Omastar, Pelipper, Politoed, Poliwrath, Quagsire, Relicanth, Slowbro, Slowking, Swampert, Walrein
Water 2:
Gyarados, Lanturn, Lumineon, Luvdisc, Octillery, Qwilfish, Relicanth, Seaking, Sharpedo, Wailord, Whiscash
Water 3:
Armaldo, Cloyster, Corsola, Cradily, Crawdaunt, Drapion, Kabutops, Kingler, Omastar, Tentacruel
Flying:
Aerodactyl, Altaria, Chatot, Crobat, Dodrio, Farfetch'd, Fearow, Honchkrow, Noctowl, Pelipper, Pidgeot, Skarmory, Staraptor, Swellow, Togekiss, Xatu
Bug:
Ariados, Beautifly, Beedrill, Butterfree, Drapion, Dustox, Flygon, Forretress, Gliscor, Heracross, Illumise, Kricketune, Ledian, Masquerain, Mothim, Ninjask, Parasect, Pinsir, Scizor, Scyther, Shuckle, Venomoth, Vespiquen, Volbeat, Wormadam, Yanmega
Plant:
Abomasnow, Bellossom, Breloom, Cacturne, Carnivine, Cherrim, Exeggutor, Jumpluff, Ludicolo, Meganium, Parasect, Roserade, Shiftry, Sunflora, Tangrowth, Torterra, Tropius, Venusaur, Victreebel, Vileplume
Fairy:
Azumarill, Blissey, Breloom, Castform, Cherrim, Clefable, Delcatty, Froslass, Glalie, Granbull, Jumpluff, Mawile, Minun, Pachirisu, Plusle, Raichu, Roserade, Togekiss, Wigglytuff
Humanshape:
Alakazam, Cacturne, Electivire, Hariyama, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Hypno, Illumise, Infernape, Jynx, Lopunny, Lucario, Machamp, Magmortar, Medicham, Mr. Mime, Sableye, Spinda, Toxicroak, Volbeat
Indeterminate:
Banette, Castform, Chimecho, Drifblim, Dusknoir, Gallade, Gardevoir, Gastrodon, Gengar, Magcargo, Mismagius, Muk, Spiritomb, Swalot, Weezing, Wobbuffet
Mineral:
Froslass, Glalie, Golem, Probopass, Steelix, Sudowoodo, Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Onix
Genderless (can only breed with Ditto):
Bronzong, Claydol, Electrode, Lunatone, Magnezone, Manaphy, Metagross, Porygon-Z, Rotom, Shedinja, Solrock, Starmie
No Egg:
Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Mew, Mewtwo, Togepi, Lugia, Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos, Latias, Latios, Regice, Regirock, Registeel, Regigigas, Heatran, Giratina, Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit, Arceus
To make it a bit clearer, a male Pikachu will not breed with a female Pidgey.
NOTE: Certain Pokemon cannot breed (they are all in the No Egg category). For example, all legendaries (save a few) and all baby-type Pokemon (Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Wynaut, etc.) will NEVER breed, no matter the mate.
Ditto will breed with ANY Pokemon but itself and legendaries. The offspring will always be the Pokemon other than Ditto.
The offspring will always be the species of the female.
For example, when a male Vulpix and a female Pikachu breed, the baby will be a Pichu.
Normally, when you breed, you want the best stats out of the baby. But first, you must know what you are breeding for.
NATURES:
First things first, the nature is usually the most important (after the species).
Natures boost one stat (by 10%) and lower another (also by 10%). Some natures don't do anything at all (Neutral).
The natures are as follows:
Natures that boost Attack
Lonely: Increases your Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Defense stat by 10%.
Adamant: Increases your Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Attack stat by 10%.
Naughty: Increases your Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Defense stat by 10%.
Brave: Increases your Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Speed stat by 10%.
Natures that boost Defense
Bold: Increases your Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Attack stat by 10%.
Impish: Increases your Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Attack stat by 10%.
Lax: Increases your Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Defense stat by 10%.
Relaxed: Increases your Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Speed stat by 10%.
Natures that boost Special Attack
Modest: Increases your Special Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Attack stat by 10%.
Mild: Increases your Special Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Defense stat by 10%.
Rash: Increases your Special Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Defense stat by 10%.
Quiet: Increases your Special Attack stat by 10%, and decreases your Speed stat by 10%.
Natures that boost Special Defense
Calm: Increases your Special Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Attack stat by 10%.
Gentle: Increases your Special Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Defense stat by 10%.
Careful: Increases your Special Defense Stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Attack stat by 10%.
Sassy: Increases your Special Defense stat by 10%, and decreases your Speed stat by 10%.
Natures that boost Speed
Timid: Increases your Speed stat by 10%, and decreases your Attack stat by 10%.
Hasty: Increases your Speed stat by 10%, and decreases your Defense stat by 10%.
Jolly: Increases your Speed stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Attack stat by 10%.
Naive: Increases your Speed stat by 10%, and decreases your Special Defense stat by 10%.
Neutral natures
Hardy: No effect.
Bashful: No effect.
Docile: No effect.
Quirky: No effect.
Serious: No effect.
THE EVERSTONE:
In Pokemon, there is an item called the Everstone. Making the female hold the Everstone will make the offspring have a 50% chance of having the same nature as the mother.
Ditto has Everstone priority when mating. Attaching the Everstone to a female Pikachu breeding with a Ditto will have the baby having a 50% chance of having the same nature as Ditto.
IVs
IVs (Inherent Values) are also important, but are usually difficult to get. IVs are randomly numbers that are between 0 and 31. For example, a Aerodactyl with a 31 Speed IV will have 31 extra Speed upon reaching level 100 than another Aerodactyl with a 0 Speed IV. IVs are what make two different Pokemon, different, due to their randomness.
The IVs for the baby are first created at random. Then, a random IV from either parent is inherited to the baby. Then, any random IV except an HP IV is selected from either parent and is passed to the baby. Finally, any random IV except an HP or Defense IV is selected from either parent and passed to the baby. These three random IVs may overlap, that is, the same random IV can be chosen to be inherited in the second, or third, IV transfer.
Let's give an example:
Parent A has the following IVs: 21, 7, 26, 15, 4, 10.
Parent B has the following IVs: 5, 3, 16, 30, 28, 20.
(These, and all IV sets that will be listed, are written in the following order: HP IV, Attack IV, Defense IV, Special Attack IV, Special Defense IV, and Speed IV.)
First, the baby's IVs are generated at random: 18, 0, 9, 14, 11, 27.
Then a parent's random IV is chosen, and passed to the baby. Suppose Parent A's Speed IV is chosen first. So now the baby's IVs are: 18, 0, 9, 14, 11, 10.
Then a parent's random IV (other than an HP IV) is chosen, and passed to the baby. Suppose Parent A's Defense IV is chosen.
So now the baby's IVs are: 18, 0, 26, 14, 11, 10.
Finally, a parent's random IV (other than an HP or a Defense IV) is chosen, and inherited to the baby. Suppose Parent B's Special Attack IV is chosen. And the baby's IVs thus become: 18, 0, 26, 30, 11, 10.
Note that the amount of IVs passed from the parents is not always 3, for the following two reasons. Firstly, the random baby IVs created at the start might match some of the IVs of the parents, which would seem as if the baby got passed more than 3 IVs. Secondly, two or three of the IVs passed to the baby might be in the same stat, which would seem as if the baby got passed less than 3 IVs.
This means that the baby will always inherit between 1 and 6 IVs from the parents. The chances are as follows:
1 IV: 2.44% chance
2 IVs: 34.41% chance
3 IVs: 53.01% chance
4 IVs: 9.55% chance
5 IVs: 0.58% chance
6 IVs: 0.01% chance
The majority of eggs (about 8 out of 9 eggs) will have 2 or 3 IVs transferred from the parents.
HP and Defense IVs are harder to inherit from the parents than the other IVs. This is different from the other games (see RSFRLG IV breeding), where each IV has the same percentage of being transferred to the baby (16.67%). The percentages for Emerald (and DP) are as follows (considering also the fact that the random IVs generated for the baby can end up to be the same as that of one of the parent's IVs):
HP: 8.02% chance of being inherited
Atk: 19.55% chance of being inherited
Def: 13.78% chance of being inherited
SpAtk: 19.55% chance of being inherited
SpDef: 19.55% chance of being inherited
Speed: 19.55% chance of being inherited
This means that in EDP, the Attack, Speed, Special Attack and Special Defense IVs have a better probability of being passed to the baby than in RSFRLG, while the HP and Defense IVs have a worse probability of being passed to the baby than in RSFRLG.
SUMMARY: Emerald, Diamond and Pearl
1. The baby’s IVs are created at random.
2. Then a random IV is passed from one of the parents to the baby. The previous IV is overwritten.
3. Another random IV from Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed is passed from one of the parents to the baby. The previous IV is overwritten.
4. Finally, another random IV from Attack, Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed is passed from one of the parents to the baby. The previous IV is overwritten.
BRED MOVES:
Please note that IVs are STILL very random, even when breeding, so I advise not worrying too much about them.
Next up, are bred moves. Bred moves are moves that the baby inherits from the parents. The types of bred moves are as follows:
1) Level Up Moves: If both parents know the same Level Up move and the baby can learn the same move by level up, the baby will be born with that move. For example, if a male Slowbro is breeding with a female Slowking and both know the Level up move Zen Headbutt, the baby Slowpoke will be born knowing Zen Headbutt.
2) TM or HM moves: If the male parent knows a TM or HM move and the baby can learn that same TM or HM, the baby will be born with that move. Also, if a genderless parent knows a TM or HM move when it breeds with Ditto, the baby will be born with that TM or HM move as well. For example, if you want a Swampert that knows the move Ice Beam, and you don't have Ice Beam as a TM, you can breed your Swampert with a male Dewgong that knows Ice Beam.
3) Egg moves: If the male parent knows a move which the baby can only learn as an Egg move, the baby will be born with that move. You can find a list of Egg moves that each Pokémon learns on most Pokédex (for example SmogonDex). For example, if you want a Sceptile that knows the move Leech Seed, you can breed a Sceptile with a male Venusaur knowing Leech Seed.
4) Move Tutor moves: These moves can only be passed to the baby if they are also among the Egg moves of the baby. See point 3) above. For example, if you want a Medicham with the move Ice Punch, which is an egg move, you can breed it with a male Alakazam that learned Ice Punch from the Emerald move tutor.
5) Volt Tackle move: When breeding for Pichu, if any of the parents is a Pikachu or a Raichu holding the item Light Ball, then the baby Pichu will be born knowing the move Volt Tackle. (Light Ball can be found only from Pokemon: Battle Revolution or a previous generation game)
FACILITATING HATCHING:
In Diamond and Pearl, there are two neat new abilities called Magma Armor and Flame Body. They halve the amount of steps normally required to hatch an egg. I strongly advise having one of these in your party when hatching eggs.
If I'm missing anything, please tell me. ^^
