How does the everstone work in breeding 2024?

Hi there! I'm a Pokémon breeder with years of experience in raising Pokémon and studying their genetics. I've been asked about Everstones a lot, so allow me to share my expertise on how this fascinating stone interacts with Pokémon breeding.

## Demystifying the Everstone's Role in Breeding

The Everstone is a fascinating evolutionary item in the Pokémon world, shrouded in a bit of misconception when it comes to breeding. To understand its effect, we need to first clarify what it doesn't do:

* **The Everstone does not influence which egg moves, IVs, or Abilities are passed down.** Contrary to what some trainers believe, the Everstone plays absolutely no role in determining these crucial aspects of breeding.

Now, let's delve into what the Everstone actually does during breeding:

* **The Everstone guarantees the inheritance of the holder's Nature.** This is its sole function in breeding. Pokémon Natures are crucial, as they influence the growth rate of specific stats, impacting a Pokémon's battle prowess. Each Pokémon has a Nature randomly assigned when encountered or hatched. By holding an Everstone, a parent Pokémon guarantees its offspring will inherit that specific Nature.

Let me illustrate with an example. Imagine you have a powerful Adamant-natured Charizard, known for its increased Attack stat, a desirable trait for offensive Pokémon. By giving your Charizard an Everstone to hold while breeding, you ensure that every Charmander egg it produces will also have an Adamant Nature, promoting the inheritance of that beneficial Attack boost.

## Common Misconceptions and Clarifications

The Everstone's effect is often misunderstood, leading to misconceptions about its use in breeding. Let's debunk some common myths:

Myth: The Everstone increases the chance of inheriting specific IVs, egg moves, or Abilities.
Reality: This is false. The Everstone's influence is strictly limited to Nature inheritance. IV inheritance relies on other items like the Power Weight or Destiny Knot, egg moves on breeding with Pokémon from specific evolutionary lines or learning them beforehand, and Abilities on hidden ability chance or specific breeding patterns (like passing down a hidden ability).

Myth: Both parents need to hold an Everstone to guarantee the offspring's Nature.
Reality: Only one parent needs to hold the Everstone to dictate the offspring's Nature. This makes breeding for specific Natures significantly easier.

## Strategic Uses of the Everstone in Breeding

While the Everstone's effect is straightforward, understanding its strategic application can greatly benefit your breeding program:

* Efficient Nature Control: The Everstone streamlines the process of acquiring Pokémon with desired Natures. Instead of relying on chance, you can guarantee a specific Nature, saving time and resources in the long run.
* Competitive Breeding: In competitive battling, Natures are crucial for optimizing a Pokémon's stat growth. The Everstone allows breeders to consistently produce competitively viable Pokémon with beneficial Natures.
* Preserving Desired Natures: If you encounter a wild Pokémon or hatch an egg with a perfect or highly desirable Nature, giving it an Everstone ensures you can replicate that Nature in future offspring.

## In Conclusion

The Everstone is an invaluable tool for breeders seeking to control the Natures of their Pokémon. By guaranteeing Nature inheritance, it streamlines the breeding process, allowing for efficient acquisition of desired Natures and the creation of competitively viable teams. Remember, however, that its effect is limited to Nature and does not influence other inherited traits.

Inheriting Natures. In Pok��mon Emerald, if the mother (in a male-female pair) or Ditto (in a pair that includes Ditto) is holding an Everstone, the baby has a 50% chance of inheriting that Pok��mon's Nature.