Baby Pokémon are typically considered to be Pokémon that are a pre-evolution of an existing Pokémon that is usually available only through breeding, although this is not always the case. Baby Pokémon are almost always in the Undiscovered (No Eggs) Egg Group and thus must be evolved before they are able to breed.
Some Baby Pokémon were introduced alongside their evolutions, such as Togepi and Riolu.
Although most Pokémon can be bred and hatched from eggs, freshly-hatched Pokémon are not considered “Baby Pokémon” in this context, despite them being “babies.”
Baby Pokémon in the Video Games
The following Pokémon are pretty much universally regarded as “Baby Pokémon” in the Video Games, as they meet the criteria of being the lowest evolutionary stage of a Pokémon and that they are also all in the Undiscovered (No Eggs) Egg Group.
- Pichu
- Cleffa
- Igglybuff
- Togepi
- Tyrogue
- Smoochum
- Elekid
- Magby
- Azurill
- Wynaut
- Budew
- Bonsly
- Mime Jr.
- Happiny
- Munchlax
- Riolu
- Mantyke
Baby Pokémon in the Trading Card Game
The classification of Baby Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game complicates things when it comes to classifying them in the Video Games.
For instance, nowadays in the Trading Card Game, most “Baby Pokémon” such as Pichu, Cleffa, Magby, etc. are all treated as Basic Pokémon, but that’s the same classification as Pikachu, Clefairy, and Magmar.
During the “Neo” series of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (Gold and Silver era), there was an actual “Baby Pokémon” stage that was functionally the same as a Basic Pokémon, but had the “Baby Rule” and could evolve into the respective Basic Pokémon. This mechanic has been absent from the Trading Card Game for nearly 20 years now, though, so it is not currently used, but does shed some light on how it was handled.
Some Baby Pokémon, such as Togepi and Riolu, are Basic Pokémon, but their evolutions are properly Stage 1 Pokémon (meaning it has evolved once) as most standard evolutionary families are, so by the Trading Card Game’s definition of Baby Pokémon, Togepi and Riolu are not considered Baby Pokémon.