Introduced in Gold & Silver, breeding gives you access to transfer attacks, natures and so forth onto the Pokémon and train them from a low level. For further details on the intricacies of Breeding click here.

However, Diamond & Pearl have brought many new things into the Breeding fold. The most notable of which is the fact that now Eggs do not hatch at Level 5 but rather Level 1, which truely does make more sense in the game standards with there being Wild Pokémon at a level lower than Level 5.

They have also keept all the new breeding additions that were brought in via Pokémon Emerald;

  • Highly increased chance of passing on Natures by having the Everstone attached to the Female Pokémon
  • The abilities Magma Armor & Flame Body cutting the amount of Steps required to hatch the egg
This allows for you to be able to pin down specific natures that you wish your Pokémon to have.

Baby Pokémon

Introduced in Gold/Silver, Pre-Evolutions of Pokémon exist in the games, however since the Pokémon existed in Gold & Silver where you could breed, Incenses were added to the fold in Ruby & Sapphire to allow for more pre-evolutions and this game is no different. With seven pre-evolutions appearing in Diamond & Pearl, there are seven new Incenses that allow for Pokémon to breed. However it is note worthy that in Diamond & Pearl, you can find most of these Pre-Evolutions in the wild. Below are the Pokémon and the item that is required to trade:

Base No. Pic Base Name Method No. Pic Pkmn to Breeed
#406 Budew
Rose Incense 		#315 Roselia
#407 Roserade
#433 Chingling
Pure Incense 		#358 Chimecho
#438 Bonsly
Rock Incense 		#185 Sudowoodo
#439 Mime Jr.
Odd Incense 		#122 Mr. Mime
#440 Happiny
Luck Incense 		#113 Chansey
#242 Blissey
#446 Munchlax
Full Incense 		#143 Snorlax
#458 Mantyke
Wave Incense 		#226 Mantine

The Manaphy Factor

Manaphy adds another thing to the breeding area. First and foremost, it is the only legendary Pokémon that is capable of Breeding. However since it is Genderless like other legendaries, it can only breed with Ditto.

When you first get Manaphy, it will be in its own different kind of Egg which requires the standard amount of time to hatch. Like other eggs, it also hatches at Level 1. However, Manaphy is not along in the evolution chain. It has a pre-evolved form that it cannot evolve from.

Put Manaphy into the Breeding Centre with a Ditto and you shall get a standard Egg. When this egg hatches, it contains the Ocean Pokémon, Phione. Phione is a Pokémon similar to Manaphy in every way except for having lower stats and a reduced movepool.

Phione can also breed but it will only produce other Phione's and not Manaphy. This makes manaphy the only Pokémon that spawns a pre-evolved form which does not have the ability to evolve back into it.

Phione Manaphy