Hatching a Pal
What happens at the moment a Pal is created, and which of its properties are settled there.
Hatching is the single event that creates a Pal. It happens automatically when a referral is recorded, takes no input from you, and cannot be repeated for the same referral.
When it happens
A Pal hatches the moment the referral state changes from pending to recorded. There is no queue and no delay, and you do not need to be signed in.
If you were referred while the monthly limit was already met, the referral is held and the Pal hatches on the first day of the following month instead.
What is decided at hatch
Four things are settled and then frozen.
| Property | Decided by |
|---|---|
| Traits | The generation seed derived from the referral |
| Tier | Your cumulative recorded referral count |
| Hatch date | The timestamp the referral was recorded |
| Identifier | Assigned in sequence across the whole programme |
Nothing on that list can be changed afterwards, by you or by anyone else.
What you can change
You can give a Pal a display name of up to 24 characters, and you can change that name as often as you like. The name travels with the Pal if you sell it.
You can attach accessories, and you can remove them again. Accessories are not traits and are not part of what the Pal is. See Accessories.
Where it appears
A newly hatched Pal is placed at the front of your collection and marked as maturing for its first seven days. During that period it behaves like any other Pal except that it cannot be listed or traded.
Read The seven-day maturity window for what that restriction covers and why it exists.