It’s no secret that Pokémon Sun and Moon made finding and hunting for Shiny Pokémon much easier than in previous generations with SOS Chaining and the Shiny Charm being easier than ever to obtain. However, a possible exploit involving the Masuda Method seems to make breeding for a specific Shiny Pokémon a lot easier and less time-consuming.
According to the exploit, being dubbed the “Swap Breeding” method, trainers can use the Masuda Method to breed a Shiny Pokémon but if they want a different Shiny Pokémon, they can reset and swap Pokémon with the amount of eggs needed to hatch the Shiny remaining the same.
Apparently, Sun and Moon has a quirk that predetermines how many eggs are needed to hatch a Shiny Pokémon at any given time.
This may seem confusing but it’s actually rather simple and trainers have said this method works.
So let’s break down how exactly Swap Breeding works in Pokémon Sun and Moon. And to learn more about the Masuda Method, check out our Shiny Hunting Guide.
WHAT YOU NEED
To start using the Swap Breeding method, you’ll need the following things:
- A Ditto from a foreign country
- an Everstone
- Destiny Knot
- Magikarp
To find the Everstone and Destiny Knot, check out our Battle Items Guide.
STEP-BY-STEP METHOD
The Swap Breeding method starts by putting your foreign Ditto and a Magikarp in the Nursery. Magikarp is used because it’s the fastest egg spawner in Pokémon and the Masuda Method calls for two Pokémon from different countries to breed.
Equip the Destiny Knot to your Ditto to get the IVs you desire for your Shiny Pokémon. (NOTE: IVs aren’t as important because Hyper Training makes getting perfect IVs so much easier).
Equip the Everstone to the Pokémon you wish to breed a Shiny for so you get the Nature you desire.
1. Before you start, SAVE your game.
2. Place your foreign Ditto and Magikarp in the Nursery until you collect 30 eggs.
3. Remove one parent from the Nursery.
4. Hatch the 30 eggs.
5. If none of the eggs contain the shiny you’re looking for, repeat steps 1-4. If it does contain a Shiny, move on to step 6.
6. Take note of the egg that contained it. (ie. Could be the 12th or 20th egg)
7. Reset the game without saving.
8. Swap Magikarp with the desired Pokémon you wish to get a Shiny for.
9. Breed until you have the same number of eggs as the first run and you should have your Shiny Pokémon.
WHAT NOT TO DO
This Swap Breeding method may seem simple but there are ways to break or reset the chain.
Here are a list of things you can’t do if you wish to find a Shiny Pokémon:
- Don’t unequip the Destiny Knot from Ditto. This will reset the chain.
- Don’t swap Magikarp for a Pokémon that is Genderless or has a fixed-gender.
- Some examples of fixed-gender Pokémon are Rufflet, Miltank, Tauros.
And that’s it. This Swap Breeding method of getting Shiny Pokémon may seem a bit strenuous but should reward you for your time much faster.
We want to hear from you, have you tried this Swap Breeding Method? How successful were you in getting your Shiny Pokémon and let us know if it’s worth using this instead of the traditional Masuda Method?
