How Many Steps To Hatch An Egg Sun And Moon

Breeding Pokémon in Pokémon Sun and Moon, and hatching those eggs, is a core mechanic for competitive players and collectors alike. You aim to obtain Pokémon with perfect stats (IVs) and desirable natures. Understanding how many steps are required to hatch an egg is vital for efficient breeding and hatching processes.

Understanding Hatching Cycles

Pokémon eggs don't hatch based on real-world steps but rather on in-game cycles. These cycles are directly tied to the number of steps your character takes. Each Pokémon species has a specific "hatch cycle" number assigned to it. Each cycle consists of 256 steps, and the number of cycles determines the total steps needed to hatch. To determine the total number of steps needed to hatch a Pokémon egg, you multiply the number of cycles required by 256.

For instance, if a Pokémon requires 20 cycles to hatch, the total number of steps needed would be 20 * 256 = 5120 steps.

Determining Hatch Cycles for Each Pokémon

The required hatch cycles differ from Pokémon to Pokémon. Pokémon like Magikarp have very few cycles, making them hatch relatively quickly. Legendaries and rarer Pokémon species generally require significantly more cycles, and therefore more steps, to hatch.

How do you find this information? The easiest way is to consult online resources dedicated to Pokémon breeding and hatching. Websites like Serebii.net and Bulbapedia provide comprehensive lists of each Pokémon's hatch cycles.

For example, if you're looking to hatch a Beldum, you would search for Beldum on one of these sites. It will then tell you that Beldum requires 40 cycles. This means 40 * 256 = 10240 steps are needed.

Speeding Up the Hatching Process: Flame Body and Magma Armor

There is a crucial ability that can significantly reduce the time it takes to hatch eggs: Flame Body or Magma Armor. Pokémon with these abilities, when placed in your party, halve the number of cycles required for hatching. This means fewer steps and a faster hatching process.

Some accessible Pokémon with these abilities include:

• Flame Body: Talonflame, Magmar, Fletchinder.
• Magma Armor: Slugma, Magcargo.

To use this effectively, simply place a Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor in your party along with the egg you want to hatch. The ability works passively, reducing the number of cycles required by half. Let’s go back to the Beldum example that needs 10240 steps. With Flame Body or Magma Armor, it only needs 5120 steps.

Practical Hatching Strategies

Now that you understand the mechanics, let's look at applying them practically in Pokémon Sun and Moon:

1. The Tauros Charge and Long Straightaways

The most efficient way to accumulate steps is to use Tauros' Charge ability. You obtain Tauros as a Ride Pokémon early in the game. Ride on Tauros and find a long, straight area, such as the long stretches of Route 1 or Route 8. Hold down the direction and B button to continuously charge, maximizing your step count quickly. Avoid areas with many obstacles, as this slows down the process.

2. Combining Abilities with Tauros

Have a Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor in your party while Tauros charging. The egg hatching cycle will halve allowing you to hatch eggs significantly faster.

3. Monitoring Progress and Party Management

There's no in-game step counter to track your progress. You'll need to rely on experience and consistency. Switch to a new egg after roughly the estimated number of steps. If you’re hatching multiple eggs, keep track of which egg has been in your party the longest to ensure even hatching progress.

4. Hatching Multiple Eggs Simultaneously

To maximize efficiency, fill your party with up to five eggs alongside your Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor. This allows you to work on multiple hatches simultaneously. Replace hatched Pokémon immediately with new eggs from the Day Care.

5. Prioritize Accessibility and Speed

When choosing a location, consider the accessibility of the Day Care and a suitable charging area. Route 1 offers a long stretch very close to the initial town and PokéCenter, providing convenient access for healing and acquiring new eggs.

Applying Hatching Knowledge to Daily In-Game Activities

Even if you aren’t breeding competitively, understanding these hatching mechanics can improve your overall gameplay experience. You can use hatching as a means of training Pokémon, especially during the early and mid-game phases. For example, if you receive an egg as a gift or as part of a quest, knowing how to quickly hatch it can get you a valuable Pokémon without extensive grinding.

Furthermore, efficient hatching contributes to completing your Pokédex faster. Several Pokémon are only available through breeding, and hatching them quickly saves time and effort.

The knowledge can also save you time if you are aiming for a specific nature. If you want a Timid nature, use an Everstone on a Timid nature Ditto in the daycare. Hatch eggs until you find your desired Pokémon with the correct nature. Do this efficiently by understanding hatching cycles and using abilities such as Flame Body.

Troubleshooting Common Hatching Issues

Sometimes, eggs may take longer than expected to hatch. Here are a few potential reasons and solutions:

• Incorrect Hatch Cycle Count: Double-check the correct number of cycles for the Pokémon on Serebii or Bulbapedia.
• Forgetting Flame Body/Magma Armor: The most common mistake is not having a Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor in your party. Ensure this ability is active.
• Interruptions: Stopping frequently or switching party members resets the cycle count, so maintain a steady movement pattern.
• Game Glitches: Although rare, game glitches can occasionally affect hatching. Save and restart the game to resolve potential issues.

Checklist and Guidelines

Here's a simple checklist to ensure efficient hatching:

1. Identify the Pokémon's hatch cycle count (use online resources).
2. Have a Pokémon with Flame Body or Magma Armor in your party.
3. Fill your party with up to five eggs.
4. Use Tauros Charge in a long, straight area (Route 1 or Route 8).
5. Maintain a steady and continuous movement pattern.
6. Monitor progress and swap out hatched Pokémon promptly.
7. Troubleshoot if eggs take longer than expected to hatch.

By using the knowledge of hatching cycles and abilities like Flame Body or Magma Armor, you can optimize the egg hatching process in Pokémon Sun and Moon. This will not only save time but also improve your gameplay, whether you're breeding competitively, completing your Pokédex, or simply aiming to enhance your team.