Totoro's Insights and Observations on Hunting and Catching Shiny Poke'mon with a Poke'Radar
Welcome Fellow Shiny Poke'Mon Hunters
OK, presumably you know what poke'mon are and know that they can sometimes be found in the wild with a different color? And you probably know that these color variant poke'mon sparkle when they pop out of their poke'balls and are called shiny poke'mon? Hmm...you know all that, huh? Well, do you know how common shiny poke'mon are in the wild? Aha...you don't. Well, your odds of finding one are 1/8,192. So, if you run around encountering wild pokemon and find 8,192 of them, on average, one of those you find will be shiny. Maybe it'll be your first, maybe your 8,192nd, maybe you'll find 10, maybe none. It's all odds and luck. Totoro finds this to be a bummer...so does my good friend the Catbus.
But cheer up! Maybe you also didn't know that you can use a handy little item called a poke'radar to not only catch some poke'mon that otherwise can't be found, but also to greatly increase your chances of finding a shiny poke'mon? If you're good with the poke'radar, you can increase your odds from 1/8,192 to 1/50! Ahh...I see...you have heard all of this and are now eager to start catching shiny poke'mon. Well, slow down, little hunter, there are things you should hear and consider first. After all, this is Totoro's Tree of Insights and Observations, not Totoro's Tree of run off and act impulsively like the Catbus (ahem...sorry Catbus).
Now tell me...do you like puzzles and challenging things? I hope so. It has been my experience, and that also of my good friend the Catbus...both being avid shiny poke'mon hunters...that this has not been an easy thing to do, at least at first. You have to learn to do something called chaining. What's chaining you ask?
Building a chain to catch a shiny poke'mon?
Here's a nice little totorograph showing how your odds of encountering a shiny poke'mon change as you build a chain of the target poke'mon using your poke'radar. See...you start out with bad odds, about one in 2000 chance of seeing a shiny patch that has a shiny poke'mon. Huh? Why is it 1/2,000 when I just said the odds were one 1/8,192? Well, that's because your poke'radar makes 4 patches of grass shake with poke'mon, so the odds that one of those patches will have a shiny each time you trigger your poke'radar are 4/8,192...or about 1/2,000. So, now, as I was saying...As you build your chain, these odds improve...but it takes a while to really increase your chances. A chain of 35 pokemon improves your odds to 1/1,176, which is better, but still a long shot. BUT, as you add links 36-40 to your chain, your odds really improve fast. By your 40th link, your odds of seeing a shiny are now up to just 1 in 200 for each patch, and since you usually see 4 patches when you trigger your poke'radar, the odds drop even further to 1 in 50! Now those are odds we can work with!
Chaining
Totoro Fun Fact: Chaining is a game you play with the Poke'radar in which you follow rules to continue to encounter the same species of poke'mon over and over, either catching or fainting the poke'mon to automatically reset the poke'radar. As you build your chain up by finding the same poke'mon over and over, you increase the odds that a shiny poke'mon will appear. Once you've built a chain all the way to 40, you have reduced the odds from 1/8,192 to 1/50 that one of the 4 shaking pieces of grass will have a shiny poke'mon.
You cannot increase the odds beyond 1/50, so you will stop chaining once you've reach a chain of 40.
Once you're at 40, you will begin to reset your poke'radar until you see a piece of grass that pulses with diamonds of bright flashy light (usually pinkish). That's where a shiny poke'mon is hiding!
Here's a very short video showing you what a patch of grass hiding a shiny pokemon looks like (look above and to the right of the trainer's silly-looking cap to see the whitish flashy patch of grass):
PRACTICE and PATIENCE
Sounds easy, but it can take months of practice before you become really good at it, and the patience to follow the rules I'll explain here. That said, it's not as hard as, say, trying to get a good night's sleep when all of those darn crickets start chirping...but, don't get me started on crickets. Let's just say, if you learn some rules and follow them, in time, anyone can become a good chainer and quite a successful shiny poke'mon hunter.
Anyway, the best way to do something hard is to stop before you just charge blindly into the task, and do a little bit of homework. As I just mentioned, there are some very simple rules you must follow when using the pokeradar to catch shiny poke'mon. If you follow these rules, you will have a much better chance of succeeding. That's the way of many things in life, but I'll try and stay focused on shiny poke'mon for now.
The Catbus and I have learned through trial and error, and with the help and advice of many good friends. We've really benefitted from other shiny hunters like Shuko, who was among the first skilled shiny hunters in the US. But Shuko herself learned by translating guides made by other expert shiny hunters in Japan. Shuko shared what she learned so that others could start using the poke'radar to hunt shinies, and many of these shiny hunters improved and expanded upon what Shuko learned. Skye, for example, revealed the key secret of counting steps to each patch and only hunting in the farthest patch occuring in the 4th ring (more on that later). Others, like Belthazar, Dukeburger, Dragonite, Crownfire, Niele and many I can't think of right now because those crickets are making so much racket, also helped shape the art of shiny hunting.
And, since knowledge is most useful when shared with others, please pull up a small log or rock, or find a sunny spot in the grass and let Totoro share some of what he and the Catbus have learned with you.
ESSENTIALS:
1. A Poke'radar.
A Poke'radar can be used to greatly increase your odds of finding a shiny poke'mon. It is used in the large fields of grass where many (but not all) wild poke'mon live. It can also help you find and catch some poke'mon that can't be found any other way. It's the item you must have to chain poke'mon, and is only available in Dialmon/Pearl/Platinum after you've completed your Nationaldex and talked with Professor Rowan (So, you can't chain poke'mon in Emerald or earlier generations). A handy device!
2. Repels.
Shiny hunting with the pokeradar requires that you are able to repel all of the wild poke'mon that inhabit the large fields of grass where you will hunt, so you can only see and interact wih the poke'mon you spawn with your poke'radar.
So...you must use repels throughout the whole process of chaining and resetting for shiny poke'mon.
I use Max Repels, and usually have almost the full 999 in my bag when I start. You can have fewer, although you should consider that once you run out of these, you will start running into wild poke'mon and will lose any real chance of finding a shiny with the poke'radar, so carry a lot of Max Repels...at least 300-400 before you start hunting. Some hunters like Super Repels...but there are a lot of silly folks in this world. You can read about different types of Repels here.
3. Poke' Balls.
I use several types of Poke' Balls. I really like Quick Balls, but most types will work. The Catbus likes to hunt in the evening, being mostly nocturnal (boy is he grumpy in the morning!), and so he thinks it's good to have Dusk Balls which work better at night. Ultra Balls can be good for catching those harder to catch poke'mon. Other types of balls, like Net Balls will give you advantages against water and bug type poke'mon too, and Repeat Balls help you catch poke'mon you've caught before. . You might also try to carry a few Master Balls, if you can get them, to use on some of the poke'mon that have very low capture rates, like Beldum. Some hunters like Luxury Balls...you know...this is really up to you. You can read about different types of Poke' Balls here.
ALSO HELPFUL:
1. A Poke'tch with Poke'tch Application # 20 . This application keeps track of the length of your chain and helps you know when to stop (when you get to 40) and start resetting for shiny poke'mon.
2. One or two lead poke'mon in your party with high HP and a couple attacks with pretty high PP. You'll use these poke'mon to faint the non-shiny poke'mon while you are chaining to find your shiny poke'mon.
3. One or two poke'mon that are good at shaving off HP from weaker poke'mon to make them easier to catch. Poke'mon with "False Swipe", which always leaves at least 1HP, for example, can help you weaken a poke'mon to improve the odds you'll catch it. Poke'mon that know "Thunderwave", for example, can paralyze poke'mon you're trying to catch.
4. Items like Leppa Berries that can restore your PP are really good to have along to recharge your best attacks while you're building a chain to 40.
CHOOSING YOUR TARGET POKE'MON
...THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING ON SWARMING POKE'MON
So, now that you've got the basics in your poke'bag...how do you begin? Well, first, I suppose you have to choose which poke'mon to go after and figure out whether it can be hunted with the poke'radar, and if so, where it can be found. You may already know that some poke'mon are more common than others. Take Bidoof...please!! Hehe...just a little joke from Totoro...I like Bidoofs...really. Also, some poke'mon can only be found during certain parts of the day...and now I'm thinking of crickets again, great!
SEREBII POKEDEX
Anyway, you can do some research on the poke'mon you want to hunt by looking at the wonderfully detailed Serebii poke'dex. For example...let's look at Snorlax. A charming large loveable poke'mon that's furry and has nice pointy ears and a light colored belly and likes to sleep a lot. Remind you of someone? Here is the Serebii entry for Snorlax. To determine where you can find Snorlaxes, scan down the page until you see a box labeled "Location". It shows you that, regrettably, Snorlaxes can only be had by evolving Munchlaxes. OK, so let's look at Munchlaxes...because, if you catch a shiny Munchlax and evolve it into a Snorlax, the Snorlax will also be a shiny. Just click on the Munchlax in the box labeled Evolution Chain to get this page. Here's more unsettling news...Munchlaxes can only be had by slathering honey trees with honey and then being lucky enough to find a Munchlax there later. So, you cannot use the poke'radar to catch Snorlaxes or their earlier evolution. What does that mean? It means, Snorlax is not a poke'mon you can get easier by chaining with the poke'radar, and they remain rare and special (Be quiet Catbus!!) Most water and some cave-dwelling poke'mon also cannot be hunted with the poke'radar and chained for shinies because the poke'radar only works on land in the grassy fields.
Luckily, many, many poke'mon CAN be found with the poke'radar in grassy fields throughout Sinnoh. You'll just have to study the Serebii poke'dex to learn whether the poke'mon you want to hunt can be found in them. OK, the Catbus wants me to talk about cats...so, let's look at that cute little lion Shinx. Here's the Serebii poke'dex page for Shinx. It shows you that a shiny shix is kind of tan colored. I like the blue better, but that's just me. This page also shows you where Shinxes can be found, along with all of the attacks they can learn and when, etc. It's a very handy resource. Anyway, let's look at the location box. It says Shinxes can be found in grassy patches on Rt 202, 203, 204 and the Valley Windworks in Platinum. Now, to the right of this line in the Location box, is a link to more Details. Click that link to get this page. This shows you how common Shinxes are for each location, and what time of day they can be found at each spot. It indicates that Shinixes are most common on Rt 202 in the morning. So, if you are trying to chain Shinxes in your Platinum game...Rt 202 in the morning would be a good place and time to do so.
SWARMING POKE'MON
So, here's where we need to talk about swarming poke'mon. Once you've obtaned your National Pokedex, some poke'mon begin swarming in special fields of grass through Sinnoh. The poke'mon and location change daily, so to find out what's swarming where for a given day, go talk to your rival's sister in Sandgem Town. She'll tell you. What's so special about swarmers? Well, remember how Shinx could only be found at a 30% rate, and then, only during the day. Well, that's pretty good. Many poke'mon have much lower encounter rates, so only 1-5%. But, swarming poke'mon are found at a rate of 40%, so your odds are 4 in 10 of encountering one randomly. This is a very good starting point, and allows you to make some mistakes and still keep a chain going while you're learning. Which poke'mon swarm? Here's a link to the Serebii Swarming Poke'mon page. These are excellent poke'mon to go after when learning to chain.
THE ART OF CHAINING
OK, here's where the fun and frustrations begin. You should play with your poke'radar a bit to see how it works. Run into the center of a large field of grass that is made up of a grid of grass patches that is at least 9 patches wide by 9 tall. Now, activate your poke'radar. You will see exactly four individual patches of grass shake. They might be either sparkly or non-sparkly. There are slight variants of these two, but for now, just consider there are two types of grass that shake when you trigger the poke-radar: PLAIN and SPARKLY. These should not be confused with the FLASHY, PULSING patches that have shiny poke'mon in them. Those really stand out and the two pulses of light coming from them lasts longer than the shaking of either plain or sparkly patches (see video above if needed). Why is this important? Because here's rule #1 for successful chaining:
RULE #1. SELECTING AND STICKING WITH THE RIGHT TYPE OF PATCH
RULE #1. You can chain in either PLAIN or SPARKLY patches, BUT, once you start a chain with either type, you must STICK WITH THAT TYPE THROUHOUT YOUR CHAIN. If you start with plain and enter a sparkly patch (or vice versa)...you will likely break your chain by encountering a different species of poke'mon, and you will have to start your chain over.
Now, not only are there always 4 patches that shake, there is always exactly one patch that shakes in each of four rings of grass around the trainer. Here's where I'm going to lean on some wise friends to help demonstrate the art of chaining. Look at this excellent diagram by my friend Skye:
The Four Rings of Chaining!
This diagram shows your trainer standing in the center of a large field of grass and the 4 concentric rings that surround you. When you trigger your poke'radar, exactly one patch of grass in each ring will shake. To chain for shiny pokemon, you must get good at seeing all 4 shaking patches. Special note: this diagram over-represents the visibility of the patch in the 1st ring directly behind the trainer. If you trigger the poke'radar and don't see a patch shaiking in the 1st ring, it is the patch directly behind you that has a poke'mon, so be careful to avoid it!
So, again, practice triggering the poke'radar in the center of a large field learning to see all 4 shaking patches...especially the spots where the patches in the 3rd and 4th ring are located.
Why? That's where Rule #2 for chaining shiny poke'mon come into play. Rule #2 is by far the easiest rule to break! It's also hard to describe. So, let's state the rule and then look at some examples using some more nice diagrams by Skye.
RULE #2 SELECTING THE RIGHT PATCH LOCATION
RULE #2. To continue your chain, you should enter a patch of grass only if both of these conditions are satified:
The patch is IN 4TH RING, AND the patch is FARTHER IN STEPS FROM YOUR POSITION THAN ANY OF THE OTHER 3 PATCHES.
Maximum number of steps in the 3rd and 4th rings:
This diagram shows you the maximum number of steps you can take in both the 3rd and 4th rings. See how you can only walk a maximum of 6 steps in the 3rd ring...3 steps in one direction, and 3 more in a perpendicular direction...before you leave that ring. See also how in the 4th ring, you can walk up to 8 steps and still be in the 4th ring. Easy peasy, right? Well...yeah, it is, kind of.
The 4th ring is not always a sure thing.
Now, you may be thinking, "OK, as long as I always make sure I enter patches that shake like the first one (plain or sparkly) and are also in the 4th ring...I'm set! Well, not so fast. This diagram shows you how a patch in the 3rd ring can actually be farther in paces than a patch in the 4th ring.
Ties should be avoided
Here's another case where the patch in the 3rd ring is the same distance in paces as the patch in the 4th ring. You should pass up both patches and reset your radar in this case.
When is it right to enter a patch of grass?
You have good odds of extending your chain if you follow rule #1 and also enter a patch that is in ring #4 and is at least 1 pace farther from your position than any of the other patches. Some like to avoid patches that are 8 paces away or 5 paces away, even if they are farther than the patches in rings 1-3. This leaves patches that are either 6 paces away or 7 paces away. A patch that is 7 paces away, by definition, must be in the 4th ring, and will always be farther than the other patches, as the maximum # of steps for patches in rings 1, 2, and 3 are 2, 4 and 6 respectively. Therefore, entering a patch that is 7 steps from the location where you set off the poke'radar is often a good bet....
Unless......
Patches giving you the best odds:
OK, here's a little Totorograph. I've identified the patches I recommend as safe to enter with white boxes...provided they are farther than the patches shaking in rings 2 and 3. These are the only patches of grass I recommend you enter. If you don't see a patch shaking in the 4th ring, or if it's only four steps away, or if it's eight steps away, you should probably pass them up and reset. Again, these patches are not always safe...to enter one of these patches, you must make sure its distance is greater in steps than the patches shaking in rings 2 and 3.
Also...the patches 4 steps away in the 4th ring, and 8 steps away in the 4th ring that I've marked with red boxes...these CAN be safe to enter if they are farther than the patches shaking in rings 2 and 3...but they can also break your chain unexpectedly. So...here's what Totoro does (don't know about the Catbus, but he probably does it too, he's more adventurous than Totoro)...I use these patches early on in my chain, when I don't mind so much if my chain breaks because I haven't invested so much time. BUT, once I'm at 15 or 20 links on my chain...I stick with the patches that are between 5 and 7 steps away, in the 4th ring, provided they are farther than patches shaking in the 2nd and 3rd rings.
OK, time for some Practice!!!
Example 1.
So...are you ready for a test? GOOD!! I'm going to show you some examples and you decide whether you should enter the patch in the 4th ring or not. For these examples, let's just assume all the patches are the same type (i.e., sparkling or non-sparkling), but keep in mind, you will have to verify that too before you enter a patch. I will identify the locations of the 4 shaking patches with white boxes, OK?
EXAMPLE 1. Here's the first example. Would you enter the patch in the 4th ring? I will show you a few more examples and then have all of the answers at the bottom of the page, just to be sneaky and make sure you don't cheat!!
Example 2.
Here's another example. Would you enter the patch in the 4th ring?
Example 3.
Here's another example. Would you enter the patch in the 4th ring?
Example 4.
Here's another example. Would you enter the patch in the 4th ring?
Example 5.
Here's another example. Would you enter the patch in the 4th ring?
A few more rules...
OK, you're doing great!! Now, here are a few more rules to know and master to be a great shiny hunter:
RULE #3. CHAINING ON THE EDGE...JUST DON'T DO IT!
After you enter a patch and either catch or faint the poke'mon, the radar resets automatically and spawns 4 new patches in random positions in the 4 rings around your new location. BUT...if you are on an edge, it is possible that all of the new shaking patches with pokemon will be spawned outside of the field you're standing in. If this happens, your chain ends. How do you avoid this? Simply. Follow Rule #3:
Rule #3. Don't enter patches if they are on an edge.
RULE #4. NO RUNNING AWAY
As you are building your chain by encountering the same pokemon species over and over, you MUST not flee from them. You can either catch them or knock them out to continue the chain, but running away will end your chain.
Rule #4. Catch or Battle each poke'mon in the chain...don't run away.
RUNNING AND RESETTING
OK, so you now have a better idea about which patches of grass to go to in order to continue your chain. But...what do you do if you trigger the poke'radar and you don't see one of those patches? You need to "run and reset". In order to recharge your poke'radar, you have to run/walk 50 paces. The hitch is, you have to do that without stepping into one of the 4 shaking patches you spawned with the last poke'radar burst. So, as those patches are shaking, you must not only determine whether you have a good candidate to walk into, but also scope out a good area to walk/run in the event that you don't see a good patch and have to recharge your poke'radar. This is easier than it sounds, but takes a little practice. In time, you'll do this without thinking about it much. You'll just step over one row or two and run back and forth for about 50 steps and then find a good spot to again trigger your poke'radar and look for more patches. Look below to view a short video of someone demonstrating the running and resetting method before finding a shiny poke'mon. Notice how the person basically finds an open path where there was not shaking patch, runs back and forth (using a repel when needed to avoid wild pokemon) and then resets near the center of the field to spawn the most patches. In this case, the trainer spawns a shiny patch and catches a shiny Tyrogue. Watching Youtube videos can be a fun way to learn by watching other people chain.
RULE #5. KEEP AT LEAST ONE PREVIOUSLY SHAKING PATCH IN RANGE
OK, we've talked about the 4 patches that are spwaned by the poke'radar burst, right? Do you know what happens if you move far enough in any direction so that all four of those patches that shook go off of your screen? Yep, you guessed it...your chain breaks. So, this one's pretty easy.
Rule #5. Be sure to move only as far as you need to while running and resetting to make sure that you keep at least one of the patches that shook with the last poke'radar reset in your field of view.
This will usually not be a problem, but it's hearbreaking if you're not thinking about it and ranging too far from the center of the field.
Picking a good spot in the field of grass to reset your Poke'radar
It can be very challenging to chain in some smaller fields of grass...especially those that are smaller than 9 patches wide by 9 patches tall. Even in the 9 x 9 fields though, you have to decide where to stand when you trigger your poke'radar. If you stand in the very center of the field, you're in trouble, because the patch of grass that shakes in the 4th ring will automatically be on an edge, violating Rule #3. If you stand away from the center, you pull part of the 4th ring in from the edge...but you push part of it off the field too. Often, this is exactly what you must do though. In order to create a portion of the 4th ring that is safe to enter to continue your chain, you must sacrifice part of your 4th ring. This means that it will take more time to chain successfully in smaller fields of grass. Just be aware of this, and be prepared to take more time to get your shinies in small fields. For example, look at this map of the fields of grass along Rt 202. There are five fields of grass, but clearly, the best one is the largest, which has a full 9x9 array of grassy patches with extra patches buffering that 9x9 grouping. This is a good example to consider when thinking about where to trip your poke'radar when you chain and when you reset once you've reached a chain of 40 and start looking for shinies...because the locations for these two events are different. Let's zoom in a bit on the big patch.
Good location for resetting when looking for shinies, but...
Here's the large patch of grass blown up a bit (figuratively... :D) I drew a large red square around the intact 9x9 field of grassy patches, with a smaller red square in the center of that grid. This is a good location to reset your radar once you've built your chain to 40. It's true that you may end up spawning a shiny or two on the edge, but less that 25% will be occurring there, so it's pretty safe to reset at this location. However, if you examine the site as a spot to trigger the radar when building your chain, you might see the problem...there are very few good spots to get a useful 4th ring patch that won't be on an edge.
...very few good patches for chaining.
This diagram shows the good patches located around the trainer if standing in the center of the 9x9 field of grass. Notice only 8 of the potential 24 patches are good...all of the rest are on an edge. Not ideal. So...what can you do to improve this scenario and have more good patches to choose from?
A better location for triggering your poke'radar while chaining
Look what happens when you move to the left one patch and down one patch. Even though doing so sends some of the poke'radar range out of the field of grass, it also pulls a large portion of the poke'radar's range away from the edge. Now, there are 16 good patches to look for shinies to continue your chain.
Some shiny hunters like to reset in these skewed locations too. I think it's a wash. There are fewer edge patches in the second location, but you'll also spawn 4 patches less often increasing the average number of resets you'll need between shinies. Also, remember, the shiny patch is equally likely to spawn in any of the 4 rings, so your odds aren't much better by moving because you've now brought patches in the 3rd ring onto the edge as well as reduced your potential field of shinies. I have only had a chain end by entering an edge for a shiny once or twice, and I've nabbed dozens of shinies off the edge. It's your choice, just consider the pros and cons.
The Trophy Garden
Sooner or later you will want to try the Trophy Garden. There are several nice pokemon to chain here. Beyond the standard annoyances like Roselia and Staravia and more uncommon finds like Pichu and Pikachu, there are rare additions that change based upon the whims of Mr Backlot in the Poke'Mansion. Go talk to Backlot and he'll tell you which new poke'mon is hanging out in his garden (and the butler will scurry out to make it happen). The last two poke'mon that Backlot tells you about remain in the garden along with the much more common resident poke'mon - so once Backlot describes the poke'mon you want to chain, don't talk to him until after you've chained that poke'mon. For ezample, if you talk to Backlot the 1st time and he says there are Eevees, there will be Eevees in the TG. If you return the next day and he says there are Castforms in the TG, there will now be Eevees and Castforms in the TG. Note that the Eevees are still there too because the last two he describes occur in the garden. But if you go the next day and he describes a 3rd type of poke'mon, say Marills, you will bump the Eevees and now there will be Castforms and Marills in the TG. Clear? As mentioned, among the poke'mon that the Trophy Garden can have are Porygon, Castform, and the ultimate...Eevee. Here's a link to the Serebii Platinum Guide for the Trophy Garden poke'mon. Successful chaining in the TG can be a challenge due to the number of different poke'mon in the garden, the low occurrence rate of the rare poke'mon that will be your desired targets, and the configuration of the grass in the garden. Since you can't change the first two parameters, let's look at the grassy field and discuss how to chain there.
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Resetting for Shinies
Here's another Totoro-graph. This shows the array of grassy patches in the Trophy Garden. As you can seen there is a full 9x9 field with little outcroppings of grassy patches coming off of that. Again, building your chain by resetting in the center of the 9x9 field doesn't work well, as most of the good 4th ring patches would be on an edge. But, the center of the 9x9 field is a good place to reset once you've built your chain to 40 and are resetting for shinies. |
Building your Chain
Here's the same schematic showing where the Catbus and I reset our poke'radars when we're building our chains to 40. Just move up one step and to the right one step from the center of the 9x9 field. This only gives 13 good 4th ring options (shown in yellow), but that's as good as it gets in the Trophy Garden! This is one of the reasons it is a bit more challenging to chain here. |
Why did my chain break?!
The Trophy Garden is a good place to stop and talk a little more in depth about why chains break, because they tend to break more there for silly reasons that have nothing to do with the 5 rules I just described. First, let's very quickly review those five rules for chaining that, if followed, help you build a chain (i.e., prevent one from breaking).
Based on the five rules I described, a chain can end by doing any one of the following:
1. Entering a different type of patch than the one you entered to start your chain. (Rule #1)
2. Entering a patch that is not farther in steps than each of the other 3 patches. (Rule #2)
3. Entering a patch on the edge of the field of grass. (Rule #3)
4. Running from a battle while building your chain. (Rule #4)
5. Running far enough from your last reset spot to move all of the shaking patches from the last reset outside of your screen. (Rule #5)
OK, we've covered those. What you'll find though is, even if you follow all of these rules explicitly, your chain will still break sometimes. Why? Well...here are a few other reasons that might be contributing to your chain breaking. These are the things that you can often ignore and be just fine, but they also sometimes can break your chain. You can decide whether to be extra conservative and consider these for each link of your chain, or...like the Catbus and me...you can ignore these early on in your chain but consider them once your chain is longer...say above 25.
SO, your chain also MIGHT break if you:
6. Enter a shaking patch that is touching another shaking patch.
7. Enter a patch that is positioned by itself with the other 3 patches clustered together.
8. Enter a patch when all of the 4 patches are arranged in a line (either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally)
9. Enter a patch only 4 steps away, even if it is farther than the other 3 patches.
10. Enter a patch 8 steps away.
11. Enter a patch when all 4 patches are clustered together in the same quadrant of the field (e.g., all above you and to the right, or all below you and to your left).
A common thread of these exceptions for me is that the group of 4 shaking patches often "looks funny". You know, the patches are all clumped, or in a nice traight line, or that 4th ring patch is really isolated from the others. Again, a lot of times you can still go after that 4th ring patch in these cases, but they can also break your chain, so as your chain growns and the pain of the broken chain increases, you might want to be a bit more conservative. And, before we end...here's one more thing that can break your chain:
BAD LUCK.
I am convinced that even if you follow all of the rules that I've described here, your chain might still break now and then. This could be due to a random factor that can just break a chain in "violation" of the rules we know. Or, it could be we haven't discovered all of the rules and don't know we're breaking one. This is something to just keep in mind. A random factor is a common thread to the pokemon games and so just understand that and don't take it personally. Many have learned to succeed and chain even the rarest pokemon...so you just have to know that some chains are just gonna break and there's nothing you can do about it (as far as we know!) So, take my advice and practice what I like to call "No Regrets Chaining Philisophy". Trust me, it'll make broken chains much easier to accept. What's the "No Regrets Chaining Philosophy"? Well, I'm glad you asked.
The No Regrets Philisophy
Hints on great locations to chain - Rt 222, Rt 207, Fuego Ironworks, Rt 202
I recommend Route 222 as a great starting place because it is so large. If you look at this map I have drawn a large red square around the field of grass I am referring to. Inside of the field, I have drawn a yellow square around a 9x9 field of grass that represents your poke'radar range if you were standing in the center of the yellow square. Notice that the yellow square has more grass surrounding it. So, you can reset your poke'radar in the center of this field and have the full 9x9 area of your poke'radar surrounded by grass patches, so you don't have to worry about the 4th ring being on an edge. The one risk here is accidentally straying too far when running and resetting and accidentally running outside of the zone of 4 patches spawned by the last poke'radar blast...this will break your chain because you must keep at least one of those patches in your view when running and resetting. Skitty swarms here and is easy. Another easy Poke'mon in Diamond and Pearl was Flaffy because it was the only electric pokemon found here, so chaining it with a lead pokemon that has the ability Static gives you a good chance of succeeding. I believe Magnemite now occurs here, so maybe go after one with Magnet Pull!
Another easy shiny for me is Aron by the Fuego Ironworks. Here, use a lead with the ability Magnet Pull to increase your odds of attracting steel type pokemon.
Chaining for Shinx using a Static-ability lead is also pretty easy on Rt 202.
My friend Edo-Kun recommends chaining at the Valor Lakefront.
Route 207
Rt 207 has a large field of very bright-colored grass that provides good hunting grounds for Geodudes (55% occurence in Diamond and Pearl), Larvitars, Phanpy (swarming) and Gligar (with Emerald plugged in while chaining in Diamond and Pearl). Here's a link to the Bulbapedia page for this field of grass. Let's zoom in a bit on this field of grass and look at good locations to trigger your poke'radar while building your chain and then resetting for shinies once you've built a chain to 40. Again, they occur in different locations in this field.
Building your chain
The small red square shows the location I recommend to position your trainer to reset your radar while building your chain (You could also step down one patch and have similar success). This produces a higher number of good 4th ring patches (that aren't on the edge). The large red square shows your poke'radar range. |
Resetting for Shinies
The small red square shows the location I recommend to position your trainer to reset your radar once you've built your chain to 40 and are resetting for shinies. This location guarantees that you will spawn 4 patches everytime you reset your poke'radar (You could also step down one patch and have the same success). The large red square shows your poke'radar range. |
Tips on using Synchronizer to get shiny poke'mon with good natures for battle
Getting shinies with a good nature improves your odds of having one you can battle with. To do this, determine the natures you want to target for the shiny you are going after. Again, the Smogon University Strategy Pokedex is a good place to research this and get some ideas. Once you've selected a nature or two you want, you have some work to do. You need a pokemon that has the ability Synchronizer that also has the nature(s) you want to convey to your shiny pokemon. Abras or Raltses are usually used. I like Ralts as you can tell if they have synchronizer when you're hunting them. Chain Raltses and when you get a chain going and start encountering them, check to see if they use Trace on you when the battle with each begins. If so, just knock the turkey out because it has the wrong ability. If it doesn't trace you, catch it. After you've caught a bunch of Synchronizer Raltses, look at their natures and keep one of each nature you might want to convey to shinies. Most people keep a full box of Raltses with different natures just to use as synchers. No need to raise or evolve your Ralts, in fact, better not to do so. If you keep your Ralts at a low level you can easily faint it before chaining. A Ralts in the lead with synchronizer will improve your odds of passing on the nature of that Ralts - even if the Ralts is fainted. So, just knock the Ralts out before chaining, stick it in the front of your party, and go to town.
Tips on Poke'mon abilities that give you an advantage
OK, we just talked about one ability that helps...Synchronizer. I also listed a few more above. They work the same way. They need to be in the front of your party to work, but they can increase your odds of encountering your target pokemon, or keep it from ending the battle, or increase the odds of a certain gender, etc. Here are a list of the abilities that I am aware of that can be helpful:
Magnet Pull: Increases chance of encountering a steel pokemon.
Static: Increases chance of encountering an electric pokemon.
Suction Cups: Prevents an opposing poke'mon from using Roar to end a battle.
Synchronizer: Increases chance of encountering poke'mon with the same gender as the poke'mon with Synchronize.
Cute charm: Increases chance of encountering pokemon of opposite gender.
Know of any more? Please post in the blog!
Changes coming with Platinum
Chaining in Poke'mon Platinum is a little different than in Diamond/Pearl. In one important way it is easier...there are still only two types of patches (other than the important 3rd type...a shiny patch). But, the way the patches shake in Platinum is different, and...easier to watch and distinguish than the shaking patches in Diamond and Pearl. For this reason, starting in Platinum might be a good idea for new chainers (A great suggestion from one of the very best Shiny Hunters...Dukeburger!)
Here are some thoughts about chaining in Platinum:
The tutorial by your rival:
First, there is a really silly demonstration by your alternate gender "rival" in Platinum that takes you up to the field on Rt 202. I played the male character, so Dawn's my mentor, and she gives a really cryptic walkthrough of the radar by leading you into a field of grass and then apparently setting off her radar which causes a single patch to shake, at which point she says something vague about going to the patch to cause a pokemon to jump out at you and battle, then offering a parting comment about entering another somewhat distant patch to see the same kind of poke'mon again. You can follow her back to her spot outside of Professor Rowan's digs to talk with her and get the same nebulous hints about chaining and seeing a "different'colored" pokemon (aka shiny) that came with the Diamond and Pearl games. This is really not very helpful to anyone looking for even the basics of chaining, but that's OK, that's why we're here!! :D
The poke-radar patches:
Well, in Platinum, we still get 4 patches in concentric rings around the trainer using the poke'radar. They look different in Platinum though. There seem to be basically two types:
1. Darker patches that shake vertically up and down 4 times (they don't twist like in DP, but just shuffle up and down...not sure how I feel about this in comparison, but it seems simpler and cleaner in some ways, maybe will be easier to get used to and distinguish the two patches, maybe not...time will tell)
2. Lighter patches that also shake vertically (up and down) but do so fewer times (3 times I think...doing this from memory) and shake faster, ending their shaking before the darker, longer, slower-shaking patches finish their shakes.
The lighter, faster-shaking patches seem to have the more rare and poke'radar-exclusive poke'mon again, as was the case with DP, as these are the ones I am finding Sentret in for the field of grass on Rt 202.
So far I've successfully chained East Sea Shellos, Swinub and Skitty (swarm) and things seem to work the same in Platinum. In fact, chaining seems a bit easier as the two types of patches are more distinct and easier to track in some ways. The shiny patch seems a bit less flashy than in DP, so keep an eye out for it, but it still pulses and lasts as long as the longer-shaking patches, so it fairly easy to spot.
Good luck chaining everyone!
ANSWERS.
EXAMPLE 1. Nope, don't enter this patch, it's the same # of steps (5) as the patch in Ring #3.
EXAMPLE 2. Yes, this patch is probably safe, as it's 6 steps away and the patch in Ring #3 is only 4 steps away.
EXAMPLE 3. Yes, this patch is probably fine as it's 7 steps away and is farther than the patch in Rings 2 and 3.
EXAMPLE 4. No, this patch is actually CLOSER than the patch in Ring #3.
EXAMPLE 5. Yes, the patch in Ring #4 is 6 steps away, while the patch in Ring #3 is only 5 steps away.
HOW DID YOU DO?
Want to keep learning?
Want to learn more? Want to discuss your shiny hunts and triumphs and heart-breaks with other shiny hunters? Well, then, go to the place where the Catbus and I learned to be successful shiny hunters: The Bulbagarden Forums. Just click this link.
