Introduction to Chao

So, what's the first step? Hatching the Chao, of course!

In every garden, you start out with two normal eggs. Are you ready to become a parent? Great! Head into the garden and choose an egg. Stand next to it and press the [Y] Button (DC) or the [X] button (GCN). Make sure to keep [Y] pressed. Now move the analog stick in any direction, slowly, this will make Sonic cuddle the Chao. Cuddle it a bit and set it down. If you did it right, after a bit, ta da, A Chao! It will hatch shortly. Try experimenting different ways to hatch your chao.

So, now that you've hatched your Chao, it's time to learn how to care for it. In this part you'll learn how to feed it, good and bad habits, how to read your Chao's mind, and more!

You're in charge of your Chao, and you'll need to know how to take care of it. A big part of that is feeding. Chao need food just as we do. Make sure to feed them from time to time. To feed them Coconuts, step up to a tree in the Chao garden that has fully developed Coconuts on them. (They are larger if the are ripe, and they are smaller if they are still growing). Step up to the tree, then press and hold [Y](DC) [X] (GCN) and then press forward on the analog pad. Your character will begin to shake the tree, and then the ripe coconuts will fall. Pick up the coconut by tapping [Y](DC) [X] (GCN), now hold the Coconut and walk up to your Chao. Your Chao will begin to eat it.

You'll notice that in every Chao Garden there is a chao transporter. These "stations" allow you to place your Chao into your VMU or to take one out (DC), and for GCN it allows you to put your chao in the Game Boy Advance. By placing your Chao in the VMU or Game Boy, you also write the Adventure Game on the VMU or put your chao in the Tiny Chao Garden in Sonic Advance 1,2. The VMU game (Chao Adventure) is great fun, and the GBA allows you to take your chao on the go.

All the Chao Gardens have water. Don't let your Chao get to the water if it doesn't know how to swim! If the Chao doesn't know how to swim it will cry and splash around. Teach your chao to swim by giving him swim animals (seals, penguins, etc.)

Your Chao is still a baby. The Chao can't mate yet, as it's not an adult. For the Chao to be able to mate, it has to be full grown. How do you tell if it's full grown or not? It's quite simple, really. When the Chao is about there, it will re-enter it's Egg Stage. An egg will form around the Chao. First it will be a bit translucent, but then it will harden up and become white. The Chao will re-hatch as a full-grown adult.

Chao must be full-grown adults to mate. When a Chao is ready to mate a small ring of flowers will grow around it. You can make Chao mate in three ways, 1) In the Garden, 2) Through 2 VMU's 3) Heart fruits.

In the garden, set the two adult Chao together. If everything goes right, they will mate. You'll know if they mated or not because if they do you'll have a new egg to hatch. The Chao in the egg may take after some of it's parents external features, such as color.

Mating Chao with VMU's is different. You'll need two VMU's. Each VMU must have an adult Chao saved onto it. Connect the two VMU's, and then on the menu click "Mate". On that Status Screen you'll see an egg pop up. You can download this Egg into a garden and then hatch it.

With heart fruits, getting chao to mate is much easier. Just give an adult chao the fruit, and the flowers will for m around it. Then do the same procedure listed in 1).

No, we're not talking about Horoscopes here, we're talking how to read your Chao's emotions. An important part of raising a good Chao is to be able to know how it's feeling. It's too bad Chao's can't talk, but since they can't we must learn their "language". By reading the different symbols that appear on the tops of their heads, we can get a feel of how it's doing. Here's a list.

Heart: It's happy, your doing a good job of parenting :)

Swirl: Bad sign... It's angry/upset. Feed it coconuts.

Question Mark: It doesn't know what to do. Not neccessarily good or bad.

Exclamation: Chao is surprised! Found out if its good or bad.

XX Across Eyes: Very unhappy/angry Chao. Feed it lots of Coconuts.

- - Across Eyes: Very happy chao :)

Half-Closed Eyes: Chao is tired. Nuzzle it some or feed it coconuts. Or better yet, both.

Waving Arms: Your Chao wants more affection. Go nuzzle it ;)

Flailing Arms: Uh-oh.. Chao temper tantrum ;)

So, what did you think you were going to do with all those Animals you saved from the Action stage? Yep, they are for the Chao!

After completing an action stage and saving as many animals as you can, walk into the Chao garden. The animals will "fly-off" you and will be in the garden.

Now, animals can be used to attribute to a Chao's appearance and abilties! When you take an Animal up to a Chao it's abilities actually "rub-off" on to the Chao. For example, if I take a parrot up to the Chao, it's flying ability will increase. The animals also modify the Chao's appearance and this makes Each Chao unique.

To do so, stand next to an animal, and pick it up pressing the [Y] button. Then, as if you were feeding the Chao, stand close to it. You'll know if it worked because stars will appear around the Chao and of course it will makes those cute Chao noises.

There are five groups of animals. Yellow, Purple, Green, Red, and Blue. They are grouped by color, but mainly what ability they attribute to the Chao. Each group has 3 animals, totaling 15 different Animals you can use with your Chao. Below are tables that you can use which will tell you what ability each animal modifies, what it does to a Chao's appearance, and what new action the Chao learns from the animal. These tables come from the Official Sonic Adventure Strategy Guide by Prima.

Yellow Group Animals: Swimming

Yellow group animals will increase a Chao's swimming ability.
Animal Apearance Change Action Chage
Penguin Arms and legs tun to fins or become webbed, eyebrows grow Snuggling
Seal Tail changes to look like fins Dances with raised arms
Sea Otter Brown hair on arms and legs Swims, turns quickly

Purple Group Animals: Flying

Purple group animals will increase a Chao's flying ability.
Animal Apearance Change Action Chage
Parrot Wings and tial turn red, red plube on head Sings
Peacock Spreads green tail, green plume on head Becomes Conceited
Swallow Wings and Tail turn blue Dances in circles

Green Group Animals: Running

Green group animals will increase a Chao's running ability.
Animal Apearance Change Action Chage
Rabbit Grows Rabbit legs and ears Backflips
Deer Grows hooves and horns Bows
Wallaby Green hair grows, long tail Shadow boxing

Red Group Animals: Strength

Red group animals will increase a Chao's Strength.
Animal Apearance Change Action Chage
Gorilla Grows long nails, turns purple, grows ears Beating drum
Elephant Arms and legs thicken, ears grow Sumo action
Lion Nails and ears grow, mane appears Washes face like cat

Blue Group Animals: One Skill Affected Randomly

Blue group animals will randomly affect one skill of a Chao.
Animal Apearance Change Action Chage
Koala Nails grow, white hair covers body Blows trumpet
Skunk White and black fur, skunk tail Draws
Mole Nails grow, tail turns pink Digs holes

* Special thanks to http://www.suneet.com/soniczone/chao/hatch.html for providing this info!