How to Hatch Eggs Fast in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

By Dave Acuñaon
Pokemon Scarlet Violet Egg Hatching cover

Hatching Eggs is one of the major parts of the breeding system in the Pokémon franchise. Though it’s not as complicated compared to pairing or stat training, hatching eggs equally requires involvement of the player, and it’s also the part that requires the most effort.

In this guide, we will be looking at the mechanics of hatching eggs and share tips on how to make the process faster.

How to obtain eggs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

Unlike in most of the previous games, breeding is no longer done in daycare centers in Scarlet and Violet. Instead, Pokémon can be bred by setting up a picnic. When a pair successfully breeds, players can look inside the picnic box to find an egg or two.

We have a full guide about the breeding mechanics in Scarlet and Violet in our How to Breed Pokémon guide.

How to Hatch Eggs

Eggs have a hidden value known as the Egg Cycle. Players complete one egg cycle once they have taken a set number of steps, and the number of cycles an egg has is determined by the kind of Pokémon that will hatch from it.

For example, between Pikachu and Eevee, a Pikachu egg has 10 egg cycles while an Eevee has 35 egg cycles. Assuming that the value of steps per cycle has not changed since Generation VII, which is 256 steps per cycle, hatching a Pikachu egg will only take 2,560 steps to complete, while hatching an Eevee egg will take 8,960 steps. Which is why in a party of 3 Pikachu eggs and 1 Eevee egg, you’ll have all of your Pikachu eggs hatch before the Eevee egg hatches.

There is some slight deviation to the number of steps required, especially if you obtain more than one of the same egg at the same time and attempt to carry them all at once. Unlike in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl where if eggs of the same kind were to hatch at the same exact moment, all of them will hatch at once, players of Scarlet and Violet will have to take a couple of steps more to make the succeeding eggs hatch.

Going back to the example earlier, even if you manage to get all 3 Pikachu eggs and carry them at the same time, you’ll need to take a few more steps from hatching the first one to hatch the second one, and then a few more steps to hatch the third one.

Lastly, the Pokémon that will hatch out from the egg is determined by the female of the pair, or the Pokémon itself if paired with a Ditto.

Fast method of Hatching Eggs

To make hatching eggs faster, all you need to do is to include one Pokémon in your party that either of these three abilities: Flame Body, Magma Armor, or Steam Engine. These abilities increase the amount of egg cycles completed whenever the amount of steps needed for a cycle has been taken, essentially cutting the hatching time in half.

Only one Pokémon with any of those abilities is needed in the party as the effects do not stack, while the rest of the party can all be eggs.

Here’s the list of Pokémon from Scarlet and Violet that have these abilities:

  • Flame Body
    • Larvesta
    • Volcarona
    • Fletchinder
    • Talonflame
    • Carkol
    • Coalossal
    • Charcadet
  • Magma Armor
    • Camerupt
  • Steam Engine
    • Rolycoly
    • Carkol
    • Coalossal

It’s best to check the abilities of these Pokémon upon obtaining them as most of these Pokémon can have a second ability or a hidden ability instead.

It also helps make the hatching process easier and faster if you run around on top of your Koraidon or Miraidon in a space where no other Pokémon can bother you, like the circle road in Levincia.

Is there a difference between hatching eggs in the world and hatching eggs with a special background?

No, there’s no difference. Sometimes, when the game detects that the floor where the egg will be placed on as it hatches is tilted over an acceptable angle like on a slope, the game changes the hatching animation to one that has a special background instead.

Does any of the meal powers affect the hatching time or outcome of an egg?

None of the meal powers affect the egg once you have the egg in your possession. Egg Power only affects the speed and chances of an egg to appear in the picnic basket, while Sparkling Power only affects Pokémon encounters in the wild.

Although it is still not implemented in the game, it has been datamined that the Oval Charm might possibly become available in Scarlet and Violet. However, this will not have any effect in hatching eggs as the charm can only make it more likely for eggs to appear in the basket, much like the Egg Power effect.

If you like this guide, be sure to check out our other Pokémon Scarlet and Violet articles:

Type Weaknesses and Resistances:

Pokémon League:

How to Evolve:

Legendary Pokemon:

Check out this video by NottheWinner Gaming showing how to hatch eggs in Scarlet and Violet: