Everything about Egg Moves -- how they pass down, chain breeding strategies, and the best competitive moves to breed.
Last updated: 2026-06-03
Egg Moves are moves that a Pokemon can learn only through breeding. They are moves that the species does not learn by leveling up, TM, TR, or tutor. The father in a breeding pair passes down Egg Moves to the offspring. If the father knows a move that is in the offspring's Egg Move list, the offspring will hatch knowing that move. A single Pokemon can inherit up to four Egg Moves at once, provided the father knows all four and they are all valid Egg Moves for the offspring species.
Egg Moves are historically important for competitive Pokemon because many essential moves are only available through this method. For example, Dragon Dance on Charizard, Spikes on Ferrothorn, and Knock Off on Weavile are all Egg Moves. Modern games (Generation 8 onward) have added alternatives like Move Tutors and TRs, but Egg Moves remain the only way to obtain certain move combinations legally. Generation 9 (Scarlet and Violet) introduced the Mirror Herb method, which allows a Pokemon to learn Egg Moves without breeding at all.
Chain breeding is the process of passing an Egg Move through multiple species across different Egg Groups to reach the target Pokemon. Some moves are available only on species that share no Egg Group with the target, requiring an intermediary species that bridges the two groups. For example, to get a specific move on a Pokemon in the Field group that originates from a Dragon-group Pokemon, you first breed the Dragon-group Pokemon with a compatible intermediary that overlaps both Dragon and Field groups.
A classic example is getting Extreme Speed on Lucario. Lucario is in the Field and Human-Like groups. Extreme Speed is normally learned by Arcanine (Field group). Since both are in the Field group, you breed a male Arcanine that knows Extreme Speed with a female Lucario (or female Riolu). The resulting Riolu will hatch knowing Extreme Speed as an Egg Move. This is a simple chain. More complex chains might involve three or four generations of breeding across different Egg Groups before reaching the target species.
Since Generation 6, the breeding mechanics allow Egg Moves to be passed down even if the father is the same species as the offspring. Additionally, if both parents know the same Egg Move, it is guaranteed to pass down. This simplifies chain breeding significantly because once you have a Pokemon with the desired Egg Move, you can breed it with a Ditto to create more copies, or breed two same-species parents to guarantee the move passes. The Everstone and Destiny Knot work normally alongside Egg Move inheritance, allowing you to combine nature, IV, and Egg Move breeding in a single project.
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Game Freak introduced a major quality-of-life improvement: any Pokemon can pass Egg Moves to another Pokemon of the same species if they share a picnic together, as long as the move-teaching Pokemon knows the desired Egg Move and the recipient has an empty moveslot. This completely eliminates chain breeding for within-species transfers. The Mirror Herb method also allows a Pokemon to learn an Egg Move from any other Pokemon holding a Mirror Herb during a picnic, provided the source Pokemon knows the move. This bypasses species and Egg Group restrictions entirely for one-way learning.
Some of the most impactful competitive Egg Moves include: Dragon Dance on Charizard (bred from a Dragon-type father via the Dragon or Monster Egg Group), Spikes on Ferrothorn, Stealth Rock on many Rock and Ground types, and Knock Off on Weavile. Eevee has an extensive Egg Move pool including Yawn, Wish, and Curse, each useful for different Eeveelutions. Wish passing from an Eevee-bred Pokemon to support Pokemon in the Field group is a common chain.
Notable multi-move combos include: Belly Drum + Aqua Jet on Azumarill (Belly Drum from a male Poliwhirl via Human-Like, Aqua Jet from a male Golduck via Water 1), and Quiver Dance on certain Bug-types (Butterfree line passes to other Bug Egg Group Pokemon). In VGC formats, Egg Move support moves like Follow Me (on Togekiss), Rage Powder (on Amoonguss), and Fake Out (on Incineroar) are essential team-building tools. Follow Me is an Egg Move for Togepi, obtainable from a male Clefairy (Fairy group).
Generation 9 (Scarlet and Violet) introduced a revolutionary change to Egg Move acquisition: the Mirror Herb method. To use it, have a Pokemon that already knows the desired Egg Move in your party alongside the Pokemon you want to teach. Give the receiving Pokemon a Mirror Herb (purchased from the Delibird Presents shop in Mesagoza for 30,000 Pokedollars). Start a picnic and immediately end it. The recipient will learn the Egg Move from the source Pokemon. This method does not require breeding, Egg Groups, or gender matching.
The Mirror Herb method has several critical advantages. It works for transferring Egg Moves between any two Pokemon, regardless of species or Egg Group relationship, as long as the move is a valid Egg Move for the recipient. It does not consume the Mirror Herb on use, so one herb can be reused indefinitely. It requires the recipient to have an empty moveslot. This method dramatically simplifies competitive team building in the current generation, effectively rendering most chain breeding obsolete for Pokemon available in Scarlet and Violet. However, for older generation games or Pokemon not available in Generation 9, traditional chain breeding remains necessary.