Getting Started: Miscellaneous

Learn how to breed rare Chocobos in Final Fantasy VII! This guide covers renting stables, catching Chocobos, and using Sylkis Greens to get the ultimate birds.

Alright, let's talk about Chocobos! They're super important for getting around later in the game, and breeding them can seem a bit daunting at first, but it's actually pretty straightforward once you know the drill. We'll cover everything from renting stables to snagging the best birds.

Meeting the Chocobo Sage

First up, you'll want to pay a visit to the Chocobo Sage. He's got most of the info you'll need about breeding, though he keeps some of the nitty-gritty details to himself. The main reasons to see him are to snag some Sylkis Greens (these cost a hefty 5,000 Gil each, so start saving!) and to grab the Enemy Skill Materia from the Green Chocobo hanging around. Think of him as your initial Chocobo guru – get the info, buy the greens, and you're set.

Renting Stables

Before you even think about catching Chocobos, you need a place for them to live! After the whole North Cave business, the old guy at the Chocobo Ranch will finally rent out stables. Each one costs a whopping 10,000 Gil. If you want to go all out and rent all six, that's 60,000 Gil. Ouch, I know, but honestly, it's still cheaper than buying tons of Sylkis Greens later on. Renting all six is the way to go if you're serious about breeding.

While you're at the ranch, chat with Choco Billy. He'll lay out the basics of raising Chocobos: catch 'em, send them to the corral, put the ones you want to breed in the stables, feed them Greens to boost their stats, race them to improve their lineage (yeah, apparently Chocobos are the only creatures that follow Lamarckian Evolution!), and then feed them the right Nut to breed them. His sister, Chole, can also help by recording what the Sage tells you and comparing your Chocobos' abilities, though her advice isn't super detailed.

Catching Chocobos

Got your stables ready? Good. Now it's time to hit the road and catch some birds! You probably got a taste of this when you met the Midgar Zolom. The trick is to equip Chocobo Materia – the better the Materia, the higher your chances of finding a Chocobo. Look for Chocobo tracks on the world map and just run around on them. Eventually, you'll encounter a Chocobo along with some regular monsters. Your job is to defeat the monsters quickly without harming the Chocobo. If you're fast enough, it'll stick around. They're pretty skittish, so if you take too long, they'll bolt. Cheap Gysahl Greens can calm them down, but by Disc 2, you should be able to handle most monsters before the Chocobo flees.

But here's the kicker: you're not just looking for any old Chocobo. You want the high-quality ones, the ones with dormant genes for those awesome colored birds. There are two main types you'll be hunting: "Good" and "Great" Chocobos, as graded by Choco Billy. Normally, you wouldn't know their quality until you tried to move or release them back at the ranch, but there's a clue: high-quality Chocobos hang out with specific monsters.

Good Chocobos can be found east of the Gold Saucer (south of that sandy peninsula) and they'll usually be with Spencers (those little green fish guys). Great Chocobos are found west of Mideel and tend to travel with Spirals (those gray, pillbug-like enemies). You can mix and match, but the Spencers near the Gold Saucer are generally easier to defeat quickly. Just be careful, as they can sometimes bring along Joker enemies, who can instantly KO your party! The Spirals near Mideel are tougher, but they're also a bit more rewarding. Aim to capture six Chocobos in total (any combination of Good and Great), then head back to the Chocobo Ranch. You'll need to move four of them into your stables – two males and two females. With a bit of luck, you'll have the foundation for some epic breeding!