Why Legends: Arceus Is Missing Pokémon Breeding

Pokémon Legends: Arceus has removed the breeding mechanic from most main Pokémon games, but the overworld spawn mechanics and Grit items replace it.

Despite its popularity, breeding mechanics aren't included in Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the exclusion could be frustrating to many fans of the series. Pokémon Legends: Arceus replaced numerous past mechanics from previous Pokémon games with concepts that better fit the open-world-inspired map locations that make up the Hisui region. While hatching eggs can be a fun way to breed for a Shiny Pokémon or obtain companions with excellent stats, the function is obsolete with new items and methods tested in the updated gameplay.

Breeding in the Pokémon series has been a fun side task since Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal in Gen 2. Players can place two Pokémon of opposite genders - that are part of the same Egg Group - together in a daycare found within a game's region for a chance to obtain eggs. If one of the Pokémon is from a different country, the odds of obtaining a Shiny Pokémon egg goes up substantially, even before players achieve the Shiny Charm. Breeding also provides an opportunity to get Pokémon with high base IVs, which is especially important for competitive players, as raising these stats can be difficult and costly.

However, in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, IVs have been replaced with Effort Levels. Each Pokémon has different base sets of ELs when caught, with lower-level Pokémon starting out with only a few levels in each area and Alpha Pokémon possessing higher initial levels. Effort Levels are surprisingly easy to improve, requiring Grit Items of different types to give a total level of 10 in each stat. This means players can raise the Effort Levels of any Pokémon they like, including wild-caught Shiny Pokémon, to have competitive and powerful stat values. This change eliminates one of the primary purposes of breeding - to obtain rare, high-level companions as an asset in battles.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Narrative Makes Daycare Facilities Unlikely

However, the narrative likely has a strong part to play in why Pokémon daycares aren't included in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It is quickly established that in the Hisui region, the people of Jubilife Village, and many outside it, are nervous around Pokémon. The player spends a large amount of time during side quests convincing others that Pokémon are safe and effective companions. Because the daycares require hands-on care, unlike the storage pen seen in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it is likely no one has considered opening a business that would willingly watch over potentially dangerous and destructive creatures.

Despite this, it might be interesting to see a daycare-inspired system added to Pokémon Legends: Arceus in future updates for the game. The Diamond and Pearl clan locations could be potential areas to see rudimentary daycare services, as the clans are less nervous around Pokémon. It could also be added to Jubilife Village as a reward for completing a certain number of side quests in Legends: Arceus, alongside an egg case. The Pokémon hatched in Pokémon Legends: Arceus could introduce new perks for breeding, like an additional move slot or new animations, that make breeding just as rewarding as past titles in the series.

Next: Pokémon Legends: Arceus Deserves DLC Before Gen 9 Arrives