Pokemon Sun & Moon: The Best Shiny Pokemon Farming Method

pokemonshiny — Source: [Dueling Analogs]

There’s no easy way to get Shiny Variants in Pokemon Sun and Moon — but there is a way to make things just slightly easier. It’s slow, tedious, and might take forever, but by following the tips and tricks below (discovered by the awesome community, as always) you’re exponentially increasing your chances of finding one of these supremely rare Pokemon.

This method is all about using the S.O.S. mechanic, keeping your target alive, and waiting for a Shiny to appear in combat. There’s about a 1% chance it will appear, but those odds are so, so much better than trying to find the exact Shiny you’re looking for in the wild.

The Best Shiny Pokemon Farming Method

The majority of this Shiny Pokemon farming method comes from Youtuber Arekkz Gaming, so check out his video here for a visual guide.

To farm for Shinies, you’ll want to take advantage of the S.O.S. mechanic that’s introduced after completing Melemele Island and starting your journey on Akala Island. Before getting started, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the following requirements ready.

Shiny Farming Requirements:
- Unlock the S.O.S. Mechanic: Pokemon from all islands will call for help when they’re low on health after you arrive on the first town of Akala Island.
- Adrenaline Orbs: Available for purchase after completing Mallow’s Trial on Akala Island. Can be purchased at all Pokemon Centers for 300.
  - Adrenaline Orbs make Wild Pokemon call for S.O.S. Pokemon help more often. Can only be used once per battle. The effect lasts the entire battle once used.
- Learn False Swipe / Hold Back: To grind for Shiny Pokemon, you’ll need to avoid making the ‘main’ Pokemon faint. False Swipe lowers a Pokemon’s health to 1 but won’t defeat it.
  - Get the False Swipe TM from Prof. Kukui after defeating Island Kahuna Hala. Find the Professor in Iki Town on Melemele Island. False Swipe is a Normal-Type move that any Pokemon can use.

Once you’ve fulfilled requirements and gathered up the items /moves you’ll need, it’s time to start hunting for Shiny Pokemon.

Shiny Pokemon Farming – Step-by-Step

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, you’ll first want to select a Pokemon you want the Shiny version of. If you don’t know where a Pokemon is located, you can scan the QR Code to find its location in the Alola Region. Just check out the gallery below for all new Generation 7 Pokemon, or go to our full QR Codes Guide for a complete list.

Once you’ve pinpointed a location to hunt for the Pokemon you want, its time to begin the Shiny farming process.

Encounter a Wild Pokemon (Non-Shiny) that you want to catch its Shiny Variant.
- This is much easier to do on low-level Pokemon, using high-level Pokemon. You don’t want to get knocked out while farming for Shinies.
Lower the target Wild Pokemon’s health — preferably to 1. There is a chance Pokemon will begin calling for S.O.S. once they’re below 50% health.
- This is where False Swipe / Hold Back will make life easier. The lower a Pokemon’s health, the higher the chances they’ll call for help.
Use an Adrenaline Orb to increase chances that the Wild Pokemon will summon help.
- You can only use one Adrenaline Orb per battle. The effect lasts the entire battle.
Wait for an S.O.S. Pokemon to appear. There are three benefits you can find when encountering S.O.S. Pokemon of the same species:
1. They can be shiny. (Not likely.)
2. They can have higher EVs, or Base Stats. (Likely.)
3. They can have a Hidden Ability. (Random.)
If a Shiny doesn’t appear — make the S.O.S Pokemon faint. Remember, the original Pokemon must survive to summon more S.O.S. Pokemon.
- There is a very low chance that a Shiny Pokemon will appear, but this is a much better method than randomly wandering and hoping for a Pokemon you want to be shiny. This way, you can select which Pokemon will spawn Shiny, even if the margins are still low.
Continue to defeat the S.O.S. Pokemon until a Shiny Variant appears. Repeat Steps 4 & 5 until you get results.
- When it does, defeat the ‘original’ Pokemon — you cannot capture a Pokemon when there are two in a battle.

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There’s another important factor you’ll want to keep in mind when hunting for S.O.S Pokemon — the back-up (S.O.S.) Pokemon can also call for help — but only if it is alone. To prevent your target from using all its PP, here’s what you’ll need to do.

IMPORTANT: Count how many moves you make. After every 25-35 moves, make the “Original” Wild Pokemon faint (Only if an S.O.S. Pokemon is still in the battle.) and lower the new S.O.S Pokemon’s health down to 1.
- Make sure there is always at least one Pokemon in the battle to continue the string. The new S.O.S. Pokemon will have refreshed PP, so it won’t struggle itself to death after using all its moves in battle.

Got that? Don’t clear the playing field until a Shiny Variant has appeared. That’s when it’s time to start capturing, and a Shiny can be captured like any other Pokemon. Make sure to bring plenty of Pokeballs, incase the Shiny is slippery!

That’s the best way to capture a Shiny Pokemon that you want. Got your own strategies? Let us know in the comments, we’re always looking for new (and awesome) tips.

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