The weather outside is colder, the music around town is cheerier, and another Pokemon game is complete. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. During this season I like to reflect. I even carry around Light Clay to enhance my introspection. And after beating Ultra Sun and Moon, I wondered once again at the end of a game: where should I transfer all of my older pokemon?
Waiting patiently in boxes across Pokemon Y, Alpha Sapphire, and Moon, there are still so many old school (or middle school or high school or college era) pokemon to train. So many egg moves to breed. So many abilities or natures to pass on. Oh where or where would my pokemon go?
To choose which title was worth transferring all of my pokemon to, specifically which would help me breed and train the fastest, I judged the 3DS games on multiple categories. Let’s see who won and who thanked Arceus for their nomination.
Best Breeding Mechanics: Pokemon X and Y
Just Gogoating around town, taking a break from breeding and training.
It appears a gender equality movement is gaining traction these days. And you cannot escape it, even in Kalos. In my generation, only males could pass egg moves to their offspring. Starting in X and Y, female pokemon finally got the same privilege. About time if you ask me.
But pokemon equality aka “pokequality” didn’t stop there. Since X and Y, males and genderless pokemon can pass their abilities to their offspring too. In prior games, only female pokemon had the honor. For these reasons, Pokemon X and Y is the champion of pokemon gender rights. But is it the best game for breeding?
Best New Breeding Item: Destiny Knot (Pokemon X and Y)
While X and Y paved the way for pokequality, the Destiny Knot was the real benefactor in Generaton VI. What was once a gimmicky item that forced pokemon to be mutually infatuated, like some sick Tinder made by ditto, became a breeder’s best friend in X and Y.
When Destiny Knot is equipped by either parent, it will pass 5 IVs randomly to the offspring. If you breed and don’t feel profound appreciation for that last sentence, you don’t deserve to read the rest.
Best Breeding Route: Prism Tower (Pokemon X and Y)
Just hold down the joystick and let the joyride begin.
A good breeding route is so long you can just watch TV and pedal mindlessly back and forth until your eggs hatch. But what’s longer than a straight line? A circle!
If you need to Netflix and breed, you need to head over to Lumiose Gym with some eggs and follow these steps:
- Line your bike up outside of the gym and notice the circular bike path.
- Position your bike between the NPCs and pokemon that are hanging outside so you don’t hit them.
- Move your joystick in either direction to pedal endlessly around the Prism Tower until your eggs hatch. Voila! Infinite loop = best breeding route.
Best Game to Level Up: Pokemon X and Y
While you’re in Lumiose City, head over to Restaurant Le Wow for the fastest way to level up. Choose a Rotation Battle and place the highest level pokemon in the front and 2 pokemon you want to level up on either side, preferably with Lucky Eggs.
If you have Level 3 Experience O-Power, select it before your battle. Turn battle animation off and begin! Within 10 minutes you should be finished with all 5 battles, 3 pokemon per round, fewer than you would face against the Elite Four & Champion, but completed in half the time. Repeat this and you’ll have a Level 100 squad before you know it.
Sadly, no pokemon game since X and Y has provided such easy access to infinite high level pokemon battles besides the Elite Four.
Best Game for Move Tutors: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon
Attempting a Magikarp Splash in ORAS.
Just when you thought X and Y would sweep the one and only Pokeward Show, along came Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon.
And they deserve to be the dark horse winner of at least one award. Ultra Sun and Moon did something no generation of pokemon could: make battle points fun. In Pokemon X & Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, and Sun & Moon, battle points were awarded after streaks of intense battles against NPCs that seemed programmed to destroy you. Ultra Sun and Moon lets you surf a Mantine.
Even if the occasional Sharpedo chases you, it’s still more relaxing to perform surfing tricks for battle points than to grind your pokemon into stardust. The only pain you might feel will be from carpal tunnel after too many Magikarp Splashes. But after 3 minutes of surfing for roughly 9 battle points, you’ll notice how quickly you can rack them up without the stress of maintaining a winning streak in a Pokemon Mansion.
And when you score the highest surf record on every beach, you’ll win something better than battle points: a surfing Pikachu. No word on who tutored it such an exclusive move. Maybe Puka?
Puka the OG Surfing Pikachu in action.
And there you have it. Looks like I should keep the majority of my old school pokemon in X and Y to breed and train to my heart’s content. The newer pokemon will just have to suffer through the latest games to reach their potential. Congratulations to X and Y for being the Best Pokemon Game for Breeders and Trainers. No game for 2 generations compares to you.
Do you have advice on how to become a better pokemon breeder and trainer? The very best? Like no one ever was? Leave a comment below, and thank you to the Pokemon Academy for an awesome awards night. Alola!
