How to Hatch Eggs in Pokémon Diamond?
Hatching eggs in Pokémon Diamond involves obtaining an egg from the Day-Care Center and then walking a certain number of steps with the egg in your party until it hatches; the key is to optimize your walking route and know your Pokémon’s Egg Groups for breeding.
Understanding Egg Hatching in Pokémon Diamond
Egg hatching is a fundamental aspect of Pokémon breeding, allowing players to obtain new Pokémon with specific characteristics, such as inheriting moves or having better stats. In Pokémon Diamond, hatching eggs is a relatively straightforward process, but optimizing your approach can significantly reduce the time required.
The Benefits of Egg Hatching
Breeding and hatching eggs offer several advantages for Pokémon trainers:
- Obtaining specific Pokémon: You can target Pokémon with specific natures, abilities, or moves inherited from their parents.
- Competitive advantage: Breeding for optimal Individual Values (IVs) is crucial for competitive battling.
- Completing the Pokédex: Some Pokémon can only be obtained through breeding.
- Shiny Pokémon hunting: Breeding increases your chances of encountering rare Shiny Pokémon.
The Egg Hatching Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to hatch eggs in Pokémon Diamond:
- Obtain an Egg:
- Leave two compatible Pokémon (male and female from the same Egg Group, or one Pokémon and a Ditto) at the Day-Care Center in Solaceon Town.
- Periodically check with the Day-Care Man outside the building. If he’s standing outside looking at the Pokémon, they’ve made an egg!
- Talk to him, and he’ll offer you the egg. You must have an empty slot in your party to receive it.
- Place the Egg in Your Party:
- Ensure that the egg is in your active party.
- Walk!:
- Walk or bike around the Sinnoh region. The number of steps required to hatch an egg varies depending on the Pokémon inside.
- Hatching Time:
- Once you’ve walked enough steps, the egg will hatch, revealing the Pokémon inside!
Optimizing Your Hatching Route
- Cycling Road: The Cycling Road is an excellent location for hatching eggs due to its long, straight paths.
- Solaceon Town Route: The area around Solaceon Town provides a decent loop.
- The Underground: While a bit trickier to navigate, the Underground can provide a change of scenery and can be useful if you need to avoid weather effects.
Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor
Having a Pokémon with the abilities Flame Body or Magma Armor in your party reduces the number of steps required to hatch an egg by 50%. Some notable Pokémon with these abilities include:
- Magby/Magmar/Magmortar (Flame Body)
- Slugma/Magcargo (Magma Armor/Flame Body)
Tracking Hatching Progress
There’s no in-game meter to show egg hatching progress. However, you can generally tell if an egg is close to hatching based on the following indicators:
- The egg’s description will change from “It needs more time” to “It’s making sounds” or “It’s going to hatch soon!”.
- Pay attention to how long you’ve been walking with the egg. Knowing the Pokémon’s base step count will help you estimate its hatching time.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
- Insufficient Steps: Ensure you are walking enough steps. Different Pokémon require different amounts of steps.
- Full Party: Make sure you have an empty slot in your party before the egg hatches. If your party is full, the egg will not hatch.
- Incorrect Pokémon Compatibility: Double-check that the Pokémon you are breeding are compatible (same Egg Group or one is Ditto).
Egg Groups Explained
| Egg Group | Description | Example Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Monster | Pokémon with reptilian or dinosaur-like features. | Charizard, Aggron, Tyranitar |
| Water 1 | Pokémon that are primarily aquatic or amphibious. | Blastoise, Gyarados, Lapras |
| Bug | Pokémon resembling insects or other arthropods. | Butterfree, Heracross, Scizor |
| Flying | Pokémon with wings and flight capabilities. | Pidgeot, Skarmory, Togekiss |
| Field (Ground) | Pokémon that are primarily mammalian and terrestrial. | Arcanine, Pikachu, Eevee |
| Fairy | Pokémon with magical or mystical qualities. | Clefable, Togepi, Gardevoir |
| Grass | Pokémon resembling plants or using plant-based attacks. | Venusaur, Sceptile, Roserade |
| Human-Like | Pokémon with human-like features and bipedal locomotion. | Machamp, Mr. Mime, Medicham |
| Water 3 | Pokémon that inhabit the deep sea. | Tentacruel, Wailord |
| Mineral | Pokémon composed of rocks or minerals. | Geodude, Steelix, Carbink |
| Amorphous | Pokémon with amorphous bodies and undefined shapes. | Gastly, Muk, Misdreavus |
| Water 2 | Pokémon that primarily live in water but may have distinct features. | Goldeen, Kingdra, Sharpedo |
| Ditto | Exists only as Ditto. | Ditto |
| Dragon | Pokémon with draconic features and powerful attacks. | Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp |
| Undiscovered | Pokémon that cannot breed (Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, and some baby forms). | Mewtwo, Celebi, Pichu |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I know which Pokémon are compatible for breeding?
Pokémon are compatible for breeding if they belong to the same Egg Group or if one of them is Ditto. Check online resources like Bulbapedia or Serebii.net to find out which Egg Group a specific Pokémon belongs to. Pokémon in the Undiscovered Egg Group cannot breed.
Does the gender of the Pokémon matter for breeding?
Yes, gender matters. Generally, you need a male and a female Pokémon from the same Egg Group. However, Ditto can breed with almost any breedable Pokémon, regardless of gender. The baby Pokémon will always be the same species as the female Pokémon (or the non-Ditto parent).
What happens if I have two Pokémon from different Egg Groups at the Day-Care Center?
If you leave two Pokémon from different Egg Groups (and neither is Ditto) at the Day-Care Center, they will not produce an egg. It’s essential to ensure compatibility for breeding to work.
How long does it usually take to get an egg at the Day-Care Center?
The time it takes to get an egg depends on the compatibility between the two Pokémon. Pokémon of the same species and with matching Original Trainers (OTs) will produce eggs more quickly. If the species and OT are different, the chances decrease. Just keep checking back with the Day-Care Man.
Can I influence the nature of the Pokémon that hatches?
Yes! If one of the parent Pokémon holds an Everstone, the hatched Pokémon will have a 50% chance of inheriting that parent’s nature. This is a valuable technique for breeding Pokémon with desirable natures for competitive battling.
What are Individual Values (IVs), and do they affect the Pokémon that hatches?
Individual Values (IVs) are hidden stats that influence a Pokémon’s potential. When breeding, Pokémon can inherit IVs from their parents. Using Destiny Knot allows a Pokémon to pass down 5 IVs to the baby Pokemon.
What do I do if my party is full when an egg is about to hatch?
If your party is full, the egg will not hatch. You must have an open slot in your party. If you anticipate an egg hatching soon, go to a Pokémon Center and deposit one of your Pokémon in the PC before it hatches.
Can Legendary Pokémon be bred in Pokémon Diamond?
Most Legendary Pokémon (excluding Manaphy) are in the Undiscovered Egg Group and therefore cannot be bred. Mythical Pokémon also cannot be bred.
Does the location where I hatch the egg affect the Pokémon I get?
No, the location where you hatch the egg does not affect the Pokémon you receive. The species of Pokémon is determined by the parents used for breeding.
What’s the point of hatching eggs if I can just catch Pokémon in the wild?
Hatching eggs allows you to obtain Pokémon with specific natures, abilities, and potentially better stats (IVs). It’s also the only way to obtain certain Pokémon and is essential for competitive battling and Shiny hunting.
How do I tell if the Pokémon that hatched is a Shiny?
A Shiny Pokémon will have a different color palette than its regular counterpart. It will also have a sparkle animation when it enters battle. Shiny Pokémon are rare, but breeding increases your chances of finding one.
Is there any way to speed up the process of getting an egg?
Aside from having compatible Pokemon, you can ride back and forth in front of the Day-Care Center to advance the game’s internal step counter. This will trigger the Day-Care Man to check for eggs more frequently.