How to Learn Egg Moves

Learn Egg Moves by transferring it between Pokemon of the same species or breeding together a Pokemon who knows the Egg Move and another Pokemon of a species you want to have learn the Egg Move. Read on to learn the process of passing down Egg Moves and for Egg Moves explained in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).

How to Learn Egg Moves

Transferring Egg Moves

Deposit Two Pokemon of the Same Species in the Nursery
Squirtle A Knows the move Aqua Jet	Squirtle B Has an empty move slot

To transfer an Egg Move between two Pokemon of the same species you have to deposit both of them in the Nursery in Solaceon Town.

As an example, you can catch a Squirtle with the Egg Move Aqua Jet (Squirtle A) in the Grand Underground. Place Squirtle A in the Nursery with another Squirtle with an Empty Move Slot (Squirtle B).

After leaving both Pokemon in the Nursery, step out of the building and ride your bike around for about 30 seconds. This should be enough for Squirtle B to learn Squirtle A's Aqua Jet! You can then retrieve your Pokemon from the Nursery.

Make Sure the Pokemon To Learn the Egg Move Has an Empty Move Slot

If the Pokemon you want to learn the egg move does not have an empty move slot, you won't be able to transfer an Egg Move to it.

Make sure the receiving Pokemon only has 3 moves or less. To clear up move slots, you can speak with the Move Deleter in Canalave City. He can be found in the first house south of the Canalave Pokemon Center.

Move Deleter Location

Only Pokemon of the Same Species Can Transfer Their Egg Moves

When transferring egg moves, the two Pokemon have to be the same species. Attempting to transfer Egg Moves between Pokemon in the same evolutionary line will not work (i.e. Squirtle and Wartortle).

You Can Transfer Multiple Egg Moves at Once

If Pokemon A has multiple egg moves that can be transferred to Pokemon B, the moves will be transferred in the same order as they are listed on the Pokemon's Summary page, provided that there are enough empty move slots. If you only intend to transfer one Egg Move, be sure to place that move at the top of the list.

Breeding Egg Moves

Parent Pokemon
Squirtle ♀	Wooper ♂ Knows Yawn
Child Pokemon
Squirtle Knows Yawn

Put a male (♂) and a female (♀) Pokemon together in the Pokemon Nursery in Solaceon Town. The 2 Pokemon have to be from the same Egg Group to breed an Egg together. The male has to have the Egg Move in its learnset.

The resulting child Pokemon will be the same species as the female, but will have the Egg Move of the male Pokemon.

In the example above a Male Wooper with Yawn can breed with a Female Squirtle. Since they are both in the Water 1 Egg Group and Yawn is an Egg Move for Squirtle, this results in a Squirtle offspring which will hatch knowing Yawn.

What are Egg Moves?

Moves Inherited Through Breeding

Egg Moves are moves that a Pokemon is only normally able to inherit through breeding. Some species of Pokemon can only learn a certain move via Egg Move, as they're not able to learn the move via Level Up, TM, or Move Tutor.

For instance, Lucario is unable to learn the move Vacuum Wave via levelling up. However, you can breed a male Hitmonchan that knows Vacuum Wave with a female Lucario. The resulting offspring will be Riolu with the move Vacuum Wave.

Egg Move Pokemon Trading Board

Egg Moves Can Now Also Be Learned by Transferring

Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced a new mechanic where Egg Moves can be transferred between Pokemon of the same species even without breeding. Although this mechanic was not in the original Diamond and Pearl, it receives a welcome return for the remakes.

As a parallel example, if you had two Lucario, one with Vacuum Wave and the other without, you can place both of them in the Nursery. Provided that the second Lucario has an empty move slot, the first Lucario can transfer the Egg Move to the second Lucario after walking around for less than a minute.

Check the number of moves a Pokemon can inherit

When a Pokemon is born knowing Egg Moves, if there are 5 or more possible Egg Moves it could learn from its parents, there are rules in place which determine which of the Egg Moves the Pokemon will learn. Check the list of Egg Moves carefully if there's a certain move you definitely want the child Pokemon to learn.

Can Be Relearned After Forgotten

If a Pokemon who learned an Egg Move from breeding chooses to forget it to make room for another move, the Egg Move can later be restored by taking the Pokemon to a Move Reminder.

Move Reminder: How to Relearn Moves

Pokemon BDSP Related Guides

Training and Breeding