Pokemon Scarlet & Violet players divided over “weird” new breeding mechanic

Niladri Sarkar
pokemon scarlet and violet dlc breeding system

The breeding mechanism in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is getting a mixed response from players as some love it, while others miss the daycare system in previous games.

Pokemon trainers, both new and veteran, have mostly loved the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet mainline game and DLCs, as Gen 9 brought Paradox species, powerful Legendaries, intriguing lore, and more challenges than ever before.

While the community has warmed up to most additions, one popular feature has been a mixed bag and that’s breeding. This mechanic helps trainers get an Egg and hatch Pokemon with higher shiny odds and Friendship, and they can be tuned to have desired stats.

Previous Gens had daycare and nurseries to get the job done, but Gen 9 introduced picnics. When a trainer with the username ‘katzceratops’ on Reddit shared a post titled: “I miss the daycare couple” and elaborated why they “miss the ignorance of the process the daycare lent,” fellow players chimed in with their preferences.

Trainers who have no qualms with the breeding scenario in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet wrote: “The picnic mechanic works well for me when I’m making dinner during a play session” and “I prefer this new way. I think it’s so cool that we can breed on the go, and we can also random breed.”

A few chipped in that the current one is the “most efficient it’s ever been” and that it requires lesser effort than the daycare mechanic.” They further added: “It’s so much easier to hatch eggs when collecting them isn’t in your mind.”

But others weren’t as enthusiastic about the Gen 9 breeding method as the trainers above, as they highlighted why the daycare couple is their favorite. “I would really like the daycare mechanic back!” a player said, as more declared that it’s “weird” not having them.

“This is the first game where I don’t breed that much. Bottle caps are so easy to farm for competitive mons, with pretty much unlimited money source. Shinies are easier to find with sandwiches… Only mons I breed for is starters,” one trainer explained.

Even a player who was on the fence with the breeding mechanic said, “I wish we had both options. I just miss the daycare in general.”

You may or may not like breeding in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but you can do some exciting things in the Indigo Disk DLC such as the Synchro Machine and explore the secret room in Area Zero.

About The Author

Niladri is a Writer who specializes in Pokemon Go, Scarlet and Violet, and competitive VGC battles. With more than seven years of experience in copywriting and SEO content writing, Niladri has previously written for Pokémon GO Hub and Smogon. He has been covering Pokemon for CharlieIntel since June 2023. Niladri can be contacted at [email protected].