With fans anxiously waiting for the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the community has quickly begun to circulate new rumors about what might be coming to the new titles and what might not be. One recent set of alleged leaks appears to specifically reference the breeding mechanic in Pokemon games, implying that this feature may not appear in the same way previous games introduce it.
This specific rumor comes from CentroLeaks on Twitter, a prominent source of alleged leaked and rumored information around the Pokemon series as a whole. Though, no direct source is specified, CentroLeaks alleges that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will specifically be making changes to the nursery, where breeding has taken place in previous games.
In the first post on the subject, @CentroLeaks claims that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will not include breeding in the games. However, it is also specified that eggs won't be entirely removed, even if the usual system for finding them is being pulled from the upcoming title. The implication here being that Game Freak will be implementing a new system for finding and hatching eggs into specified Pokemon. There unfortunately isn't much information on this new form of breading from the initial leak.
A later clarification on the state of breeding in the upcoming Pokemon specifies that what could really be getting removed is the nursery where this feature normally takes place. According to CentroLeaks, the source also specifically mentioned a new mechanic replacing breeding as a way for finding and hatching Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's eggs. That being said, it still doesn't give fans much to go on when it comes to how this might change breeding, as well as some of the more advanced training strategies.
A major change to the breeding system like this is the type of thing that many casual fans may not really notice, as more of the series tends to revolve around catching Pokemon, rather than breeding them. However, this could have a heavy effect on Pokemon's competitive scene, thanks in part to how not being able to train Pokemon from level one could interact with EV training. Additionally, the removal of the nursery might even be concerning to less competitive players, as this can often be the way to get some weaker Pokemon to reach the higher levels where they become more useful and easier to train. Altogether, if this rumor turns out to be true, it could mean some major changes could be coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that some players might not have been ready for.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to release November 18th for Switch.
