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Pokémon: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

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The Masuda Method

By
Vincent Lau

Want to hatch a Shiny Pokémon the traditional way? This method is for you.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the Daycare
  • At least one Pokémon foreign to your region (this is noted by a regional abbreviation on the Pokémon’s status screen, like JPN for Japan)
  • A foreign-region "Ditto" IconDitto is really efficient in that you can breed it with Pokémon of any gender

Benefits

Shiny Pokémon become approximately three times more common (3 in 4,096)

Preface

The Masuda method, seemingly named for Junichi Masuda, a person involved in the development of the Pokémon series, has one notable benefit: Shiny Pokémon !

Besides the color, what makes Shiny Pokémon desirable is their rarity. Under most circumstances, the odds of finding in the wild are 1 in 4,096 (about 0.0244%).

Think of this way: you might go through 500 wild battles in a relatively completionist playthrough, yet that’s barely 1/10 of the way to the 1 in 5,000 a Shiny Pokémon will appear in.

Normally, finding Shinies requires tedious looking in an area, although methods to increase the rate of Shinies have been brought in over the years, such as the Shiny Charm introduced in Black 2/White 2 or PokéRadar chaining - and the Masuda Method is one of them.

The Method

For us, this is a foreign Feebas, alright.

Of course, all methods still require some level of work. The one with the least true “work” involved is the Masuda method of Pokémon breeding. In it, you will need two Pokémon, each from a different region - that means you can have one of your own, and one from elsewhere.

Basically, you breed the two together … and that’s it. There’s nothing special involved with this method that you don’t want to be - if you’re just looking for a Shiny, without desiring certain IVs or moves or Nature or whatever, you can just breed them, but this otherwise still falls under normal breeding doctrines.

The chance of finding Shiny Pokémon like this is 1 in 1,366 - about three times more effective than random hunting/breeding. It’s not much, but it’s practically the only way to, for example, get Shiny starter Pokémon.

Keep in mind Wonder Trade for this - lots of people use that. The U.S., for instance, tends to get foreign Pokémon 40% ~ 50% of the time, which means residents of other regions are very likely to get something foreign (if just the U.S. dominates half the market).

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Pokemon Company International
  • Platforms,
    3DS
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    28 November 2014
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    Vincent Lau

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Relive your adventures in Hoenn or start a brand new journey with this re-imagining of a much-loved game. Collect and battle your way to the Pokemon League for the right to challenge the Elite Four. Hunt legendary Pokemon, breed them and become the best Pokemon Master you can be with the help of our guide!

  • A full walkthrough for all badges and the Pokemon League challenges.
  • Side quest information on legendary Pokemon and the different Routes and Caves.
  • Information on breeding, Pokemon Contests, the Battle Maison and much more!
  • Full-color screenshots throughout and useful tips to help you along the way.
  • Comparisons between the original game and remake.

Updates (Aug 2016):

  • Added Encounter Rates to Wild Pokémon table lists as well as general locations making it easier to find your favorite Pokémon.
  • Fixed some formatting issues and general editing.
  • Expanded Introduction with loads of new information.
  • Restructured Extra Activities section (at the end) for easier navigation and reading.

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