Each Pal has a hidden Breeding Power. Breed two Pals together and the game averages their Power values (rounded down after adding 1) to find the target number, then picks whichever non-variant Pal's own Power sits closest to it — so you can never breed something stronger or rarer than your rarest parent. When two Pals are exactly equidistant, the higher-Power (more common) Pal wins. Elemental variant sub-species (Ignis, Lux, Cryst, Noct, Terra, Aqua, Botan, Primo) are never picked by this formula — they only come from a documented set of "special combos" that override it entirely, or in a few cases have no publicly confirmed combo at all. Twelve Pals (mostly Human-like and Legendary Pals) can only be produced by breeding two of the same species.