A Pokémon Day Care (Japanese: ポケモン 育て屋Pokémon Day Care) is a place for Pokémon Trainers to drop off their Pokémon to be raised in the care of other people. Most locations are staffed by a Day-Care Couple, but some are only staffed by a Day-Care Man and one is staffed by the Day Care Lad and his older sister. Pokémon in Day Care gain one experience point per step the player takes. Where it is possible to leave two Pokémon, it is also possible for them to breed and produce Eggs.
In the core series, leaving a Pokémon at the Day Care is technically free, but withdrawing it will cost $100 plus an additional $100 for each level the Pokémon has gained.
As they level up in the Day Care, Pokémon will not undergo evolution. If a Pokémon reaches a level where it can learn a new move, it will always learn that move; if the Pokémon already knows four moves, its first move will be forgotten and the new move will be placed last. A Pokémon may even forget HM moves, which normally cannot be replaced, while it is in the Day Care.
While the Day Cares in Orre and Kanto can only raise one Pokémon at a time, all other Day Cares can raise two Pokémon at once. If the player leaves two Pokémon of opposite genders and the same Egg Group at a Day Care (or any Pokémon that can breed and a Ditto), an Egg may be produced.
In GenerationsI and II, when a Pokémon is taken out of the Day Care, its experience will lower to the minimum value for its current level. Also in Generation I, the Day-Care Man will not accept any Pokémon that knows an HM move.
Appeared in Extreme Pokémon!. Several Day Cares are present in the Eggseter, including one run by Mr. Shellby. These Day Cares are run by Nesters who care for Pokémon Eggs and protect the babies that hatch. Races are held in the town, where winners receive Eggs as prizes. Ash received an Egg by winning a race.
The Day-Care Couple on Route 34 in Johto helped Gold, by letting him train on the Pokémon entrusted to them. This training helped Exbo evolve into Quilava, after which he perseveres harder and accumulates enough experience for Polibo, Gold's Poliwag, to eventually evolve into a Poliwhirl during their stay in Ecruteak City. They also taught him to battle without his billiards cue and goggles, as well as how to exploit type advantages.
At the end of this chapter, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum were seen at the Solaceon Day Care with Manaphy and Phione. The Day-Care Couple from Johto also appears, telling the trio about a boy they once knew, having known to affect a Pokémon's personality before hatching.
In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
