Hey there, fellow Pokémon trainer! Ever wonder how some trainers seem to have Pokémon with special abilities you’ve never seen before? Those are Hidden Abilities, rare talents that only certain Pokémon have access too. If you’re looking to gain an edge in battle or just want your favorite Pokémon to reach their maximum potential, unlocking Hidden Abilities is the way to go. In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the various ways you can find and unlock Hidden Abilities for your Pokémon. Whether you’re a casual player just looking to spice up your adventure or a competitive battler aiming for the top, unlocking Hidden Abilities will open up a whole new world of possibilities for your Pokémon team.
What Are Hidden Abilities?
Hidden Abilities are special abilities some Pokemon can have in addition to their normal abilities. They were introduced in Generation 5 to add an extra layer of strategy to competitive battling.
So how do you get these Hidden Abilities? There are a few ways:
- Breeding: If either parent has their Hidden Ability, there is a chance the offspring will inherit it. The odds increase if one parent is female and the other parent is male. Using certain items like the Everstone can also boost your chances.
- Friend Safari: In X and Y, some Pokemon caught in the Friend Safari have a chance of having their Hidden Ability. The Pokemon that appear depend on the friend codes you’ve registered.
-DexNav: In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, using the DexNav to search for Pokemon in specific areas gives you an opportunity to find ones with Hidden Abilities. The more you encounter a certain Pokemon, the higher the odds get.
- Island Scan: In Sun and Moon, using the Island Scan feature to locate rare Pokemon also provides a shot at finding Hidden Abilities. The Pokemon scanned depend on the island you’re on.
- Max Raid Battles: In Sword and Shield, some Gigantamax Pokemon and rare spawns in Max Raid Battles have a chance of having their Hidden Ability. Team up with friends to take them on!
With some patience and the right technique, you’ll be discovering Hidden Abilities in no time and gaining an advantage in your adventures. Now get out there, trainers – your perfect Pokemon is waiting!
Breeding for Hidden Abilities
To get your Pokemon’s hidden ability, you’ll need to breed for it. Here are the steps:
- Get a Pokemon with the hidden ability you want to breed. This is called the “parent” Pokemon. You can catch one in the wild, receive one in a trade, or use an Ability Capsule item on a Pokemon you already have.
- Breed the parent Pokemon with a Ditto. Ditto is a genderless Pokemon that can breed with any Pokemon, so it’s ideal for this. Make sure the parent Pokemon is holding an Everstone so it will pass down its nature.
- Hatch the eggs and check the offspring for the hidden ability. There is about a 60% chance of a Pokemon inheriting its hidden ability from the parent, so you may need to hatch a few eggs. Don’t give up!
- Replace the parent Pokemon with an offspring that inherited the hidden ability. Then breed that Pokemon with the Ditto and repeat the process. This makes it more and more likely that future offspring will have the hidden ability.
- Keep breeding until you hatch an offspring with the desired hidden ability, nature, IVs, and egg moves. This can take time, but with patience you’ll get the perfect Pokemon!
By following these breeding steps, you’ll uncover your Pokemon’s hidden potential in no time. Before you know it, you’ll have a powerful Pokemon with an ability you can’t get through normal gameplay. Put in the work, and you’ll be rewarded!
Hidden Abilities in the Friend Safari
The Friend Safari
The Friend Safari in Pokémon X and Y is a great way to find hidden abilities. After beating the Elite Four, you gain access to the Friend Safari in Kiloude City. Here, you can catch Pokémon with their hidden abilities, which are abilities they cannot normally obtain.
To unlock the Friend Safari, you’ll need to register friend codes of other players. For each friend code you register, you gain access to a new Friend Safari with different Pokémon. The Pokémon that appear in each Safari depend on your friend’s friend code, not their in-game progress.
- The more friend codes you add, the more Friend Safari options you’ll have. Aim for at least 20 to 30 friends to maximize your choices.
- Pay attention to the Pokémon types for each new Safari. Try to add friends with Safaris featuring types you need.
- Once you enter a Friend Safari, you can catch as many Pokémon as you want. The more you catch, the better odds of finding one with its hidden ability.
- Hidden abilities have a 60% chance of appearing in the Friend Safari. Some may take longer to find than others, so patience and persistence pay off.
- The Pokémon in each Safari stay the same, so you can return as needed to search for hidden abilities.
The Friend Safari offers a straightforward way to find those elusive hidden abilities. Build up your friend list, explore the different Safaris, and keep catching until you find the hidden gems you’re searching for. With some time and luck, you’ll have a whole team of Pokémon with abilities they can’t obtain anywhere else!
Hidden Abilities in Max Raids
Raid Dens Are Your Ticket
To get hidden abilities for your Pokémon, you’ll want to focus your efforts on Max Raid Battles. These dens scattered around the Wild Area are your best chance at encountering Pokémon with their hidden abilities.
When a den lights up, it means a Dynamax Pokémon is lurking inside. Team up with three other trainers locally or online to take on the giant ‘mon. If you’re lucky, it may have its hidden ability. The Pokémon you face is randomly generated, so you may have to try a few times to find one with a hidden ability.
Some tips to keep in mind:
•Purple beam dens have the highest chance of containing Pokémon with hidden abilities. Red and white beams still have a small chance as well, so don’t overlook them.
•The more stars a den has (1 to 5), the higher the Pokémon’s stats and the lower the catch rate. However, dens with more stars also have a higher hidden ability rate. Aim for 3 to 5 star dens when hunting for hidden abilities.
•Bring lots of Repeat Balls, Dusk Balls and Timer Balls to increase your chances of catching the Pokémon.
•Have a Pokémon with Intimidate, Pressure or Unnerve in your lead spot. This can force the Dynamax Pokémon to not use a move that lowers its own catch rate on the first turn.
•Save before entering the raid. If the Pokémon does not have its hidden ability, you can soft reset to try again without wasting resources.
•Check what abilities the Pokémon can have as soon as you catch it. If it’s not the hidden ability, release it and try the raid again. With some patience and persistence, you’ll eventually find one with the ability you want!
Following these tips will set you well on your way to unlocking the hidden potential of your favorite Pokemon. Happy hunting and good luck!
Other Ways to Get Hidden Ability Pokemon
Max Raid Battles
Max Raid Battles are a great way to encounter Pokémon with their Hidden Ability. These special co-op battles allow you to team up with other players to take on Dynamaxed Pokémon. The Pokémon you face will often have a rare Ability. Defeat the Dynamaxed Pokémon and you’ll have a chance to catch it!
Ability Capsule
If you already have a Pokémon with a regular Ability, you can use an Ability Capsule to change it to the Hidden Ability. Ability Capsules can be bought for BP at the Battle Tower, but they are very pricey. You have to really want that Hidden Ability! The capsule will only work if the Pokémon actually has a Hidden Ability it can switch to.
Breeding
Breeding Pokémon is one of the most effective ways to get Hidden Abilities. As long as one of the parents has the Hidden Ability, there is a chance the offspring will inherit it. The chances are higher if the female Pokémon (or non-Ditto parent) has the Hidden Ability. You may need to hatch quite a few Eggs to get a Hidden Ability, so persistence and patience pays off!
Trading
Don’t have any luck finding that Hidden Ability yourself? Try trading with other players! Many players breed extra Hidden Ability Pokémon to trade for other HA Pokémon or valuable items. You can try offering to trade on social media, fan forums, or in the GTS and see if anyone has an extra Hidden Ability Pokémon they’d be willing to trade. Just be very careful trading with strangers and watch out for hacked or illegitimate Pokémon.
By exploring all of these options – battling, using items, breeding, and trading – you’ll be well on your way to unlocking your Pokémon’s hidden potential and discovering those elusive Hidden Abilities! Stay determined and keep searching – that perfect Pokémon is out there waiting for you.
