Egg Move
An Egg Move[1] (Japanese: タマゴわざ Egg Move) is a special move that a Pokémon is able to inherit through breeding from only one parent. Egg Moves often (but not always) cannot be learned through other ways.
Egg Moves are one of several ways of inheriting moves from parents. Prior to Generation VI, a bred Pokémon will inherit any TM/HM moves which its father knows, if it is compatible with that TM/HM. In Pokémon Crystal, a bred Pokémon will inherit any compatible Move Tutor moves which its father knows. Additionally, if both parents know a move that the bred Pokémon can learn via level-up, it will inherit that move. From Pokémon Emerald onward, a bred Pichu will know Volt Tackle if either of its parents are holding a Light Ball. However, inheriting moves in these ways is distinct from inheriting moves as Egg Moves.
Mechanics
Breeding
If either parent (the male parent only prior to Generation VI) knows a move that is an Egg Move for the child's species, that child will be born knowing the move.
For example, if a male Dragonite that knows Outrage is bred with a female Charizard that knows Flare Blitz, the resulting Charmander will know Outrage and Flare Blitz (or only Outrage, prior to Generation VI).
| Parents |  Dragonite ♂ |
 Charizard ♀ |
|---|---|---|
| Moves | Outrage | Flare Blitz |
| Thunder Wave | Shadow Claw | |
| Surf | Dragon Claw | |
| Ice Beam | Fly | |
| Offspring |  Charmander | |
| Moves | Scratch | |
| Growl | ||
| Outrage | ||
| Flare Blitz* | ||
Obtaining Pokémon with Egg Moves
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, it is also possible to encounter Hidden Pokémon that already know a random Egg Move as their first move. A few special Hidden Pokémon even appear on Route 102 in fixed areas, and these particular Pokémon always have a particular Egg Move for their first move.
In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, Pokémon obtained via Island Scan will know a certain move they would normally only know as an Egg Move. The exceptions, Klink and Eelektross, do not have any Egg Moves. Pokémon found in both Sun and Moon and its counterparts, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will know a different Egg Move in each pair.
Relearning Egg Moves
From Generation VI onward, any move that a Pokémon knew when it hatched can be taught to it again by the Move Reminder if it ever forgets it. Forgotten hatched moves will be listed at the top of the list of moves that can be relearned, above the Pokémon's forgotten level-up moves.
Quirks
Mutually-exclusive Egg Moves
Prior to Generation VI, Egg Moves can only be inherited from the father Pokémon during breeding, making certain combinations of moves impossible to possess. Starting in Generation VI, this is no longer an issue, due to both parents being able to pass down Egg Moves at the same time.
For example, Tentacool can learn both Rapid Spin and Mirror Coat as Egg Moves, but no Pokémon in the Water 3 Egg Group can possess both moves at the same time in any game prior to Generation VI, so it is impossible for Tentacool to inherit both moves together. However, starting in Generation VI, both parents are able to pass down Egg Moves at the same time, making it possible for a Tentacool to inherit these moves if each of its parents knows one of the moves.
Chain breeding
- Main article: Chain breeding
In some cases, a Pokémon species has an Egg Move, but other Pokémon in its Egg Group can also only learn that move as an Egg Move. In such cases, the move must be bred through a series of intermediate Pokémon that are in multiple Egg Groups. This process is referred to by fans as chain breeding.
For example, Spinda can learn Wish as an Egg Move and is in the Field and Human-Like Egg Groups, but the other Pokémon in those Egg Groups can only learn Wish as an Egg Move. To solve this, a Pokémon like Skitty could learn the move as an Egg Move from Togetic, then breed it onto a Spinda.
Smeargle
Because Smeargle can learn almost any move by using Sketch, a male Smeargle can pass down any Egg Move to its offspring. This makes passing down Egg Moves to Pokémon in the Field Egg Group (Smeargle's Egg Group) simpler.
Some Egg Moves require a Smeargle to be initially passed down, due to no other male parents existing in that Egg Group. For example, in Generation VII, Lillipup can learn Psychic Fangs as an Egg Move, but no Pokémon other than Smeargle in the Field Egg Group can learn Psychic Fangs other than as an Egg Move, and no chain breeding pathway exists, so Smeargle is required to initially pass down Psychic Fangs to Lillipup.
Since Smeargle can have any combination of possible Egg Moves to pass down to its offspring, there are no mutually-exclusive Egg Moves for any Pokémon in the Field Egg Group in any generation.
Previous generation Egg Moves
Some Pokémon have Egg Moves that no other Pokémon in their Egg Group can learn in that generation, but that an appropriate parent Pokémon in an earlier generation was able to learn.
For example, from Generation V onward Bagon can learn Defense Curl as an Egg Move, but other families in the Dragon Egg Group can learn Defense Curl in these generations. However, Defense Curl is a Move Tutor move in Pokémon Emerald and a TM move in Generation II, where it can be taught to some Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group, so a Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group that learned Defense Curl in one of these games is required to initially pass down Defense Curl to Bagon.
Event-exclusive Egg Moves
Some Pokémon have Egg Moves that no Pokémon in their Egg Group can learn except as an Egg Move, but a Pokémon in their Egg Group that knows the move was once available .
For example, from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver onward, Dratini can learn Extreme Speed as an Egg Move, but no Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group can learn Extreme Speed other than as an Egg Move. However, in Pokémon Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver, a gift Dratini received in the Dragon's Den can know Extreme Speed; additionally, in Generation V and VI there have been event distributions of a Dragonite that knows Extreme Speed. One of these gift or event distribution Pokémon is required to initially pass down Extreme Speed to Dratini.
Unobtainable Egg Moves
Sometimes a move is programed as an Egg Move for a certain Pokémon, but there is no way of legitimately obtaining it. This happens when a Pokémon in an Egg Group other than the Field Egg Group (due to Smeargle) has an Egg Move that no other Pokémon in their Egg Group can learn, or when the only Pokémon in their Egg Group that learn the move cannot pass it to the offspring.
A Bulbasaur in Generation II, for example, has Charm programed as an Egg Move, and the only other Pokémon in the Monster or Grass Egg Groups that can learn the move are Nidoran♀, Snorlax and Oddish (and their evolutions). Of those, Nidoran♀ is a female only species, and so cannot have a Bulbasaur as an offspring. Snorlax and Oddish can both breed to produce a Bulbasaur egg, but those two Pokémon can also only learn Charm as an Egg Move, and have no other Pokémon in their Egg Groups (Monster and Grass, respectively) to pass down the move. As a result, Bulbasaur, Snorlax and Oddish can never learn Charm legitimately in Generation II, despite it being programed as an Egg Move for them.
In other games
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, Pokémon hatched from Eggs will know Egg Moves.
In other languages
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See also
References
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This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
