I need help. I have never really shiny hunted in the 7th Gen. I want a team or individual Pokemon that can be used to shiny hunt in these games. I do NOT play Let's Go, so please do not comment with Pokemon from these games. I only have the Alola games. If you have a suggestion, please list Pokemon name, items, natures, and movesets. If possible, also list how to use them. Like I said, I'm new. Thanks so much in advance, and stay safe!
There are a few ways you can shiny hunt, but I think the easiest (if the Pokémon you're hunting can breed) is the Masuda method. For this, here's what you're gonna need:
A foreign Ditto, that is, a Ditto from a game with a different language than yours. Technically, any foreign Pokémon will do as long as it's in a compatible Egg group, but a Ditto is preferred since it can breed with literally anything as long as the other Pokémon belongs to a species that can breed.
A sample Pokémon of the species you're trying to shiny hunt. If you're not using a Ditto, you also have to make sure it's whatever gender your foreign Pokémon is not.
A Pokémon with the Ability Flame Body or Magma Armor. My personal favourite is Flame Body Volcarona, but if you don't already have any Pokémon with either Ability you can find Fletchinder in Route 8. They can be hard to find (in USUM they only appear through SOS) but they will always have Flame Body and they can also use Fly. Once you get one, just put it in the first slot of the party, and it will drastically reduce the amount of steps you need to hatch an egg. And believe me, it adds up. If you're gonna shiny hunt, you need this.
And that's really all you need, you just put them together in the Nursery and hatch hatch hatch until you get a shiny. Make sure that you keep Fletchinder (or whatever Pokémon you're using) in front of the party to save time. Keep in mind that no matter what method you use, shiny hunting is a long process, and you will likely get boxes upon boxes of Pokémon before you get a shiny.
If you are hunting legendaries, soft resetting is the only way to do so (unless you have US/UM, in which you can use Ultra Wormholes to hunt certain legendaries, post-game). The only way to increase those odds is to use the Shiny Charm, but chances are that you do not own that yet.
If you are not hunting legendaries or searching for wild shinies, then the Masuda method mentioned above works wonders.
If you really want to search for wild Pokemon (I would only recommend doing this if the Pokemon is genderless or they are legendary/mythical/ultra beast, otherwise use the Masuda method), then you need the move False Swipe. That leaves the opposing Pokemon with at least 1HP, so your catching chances are greatly increased.
Another great Pokemon for this is Tapu Koko with the move Nature's Madness. Tapunium Z boosts this attack so that it removes 75% of the opposing Pokemon's HP, so it is better used for higher level/legendary Pokemon before using False Swipe (Tapu Koko can also learn False Swipe).
Heal Pulse can help as well. If legendaries are running low on PP for their moves, they will soon use Struggle, which will damage themselves. Heal Pulse can prevent an accidental shiny death by healing them, but it is only helpful in rare cases.
For most Pokemon, I would use Vom's method, but for certain Pokemon the above information should help with your problem.
Good luck, and may the shiny odds be ever in your favour!
For SM/USUM, SOS hunting is also an option. Although harder in USUM due to the nerf to Adrenaline Orbs, the setup and process is generally the same. I've mainly seen it done with Trevenant + Smeargle, but there are other combinations of Pokémon that can achieve the same effect.
You'll want to set up one of the wild Pokémon using Skill Swap + Trick with the Trevenant so that it can perpetually recycle Leppa Berries and never run out of PP. Smeargle is what you'll want to use to get the base mon down to 1HP so that it calls more often, and to finally get the shiny mon (if/when it shows up) down to 1HP and asleep for high-chance catches. Odor Sleuth lets you hit ghost-types, just in case that's what you're hunting for. The offensive move should have high PP and be able to one-shot any non-shiny Pokemon that get called.
Both of these mons should be hugely overleveled for whatever route you're hunting in.
There are a few ways you can shiny hunt, but I think the easiest (if the Pokémon you're hunting can breed) is the Masuda method. For this, here's what you're gonna need:
A foreign Ditto, that is, a Ditto from a game with a different language than yours. Technically, any foreign Pokémon will do as long as it's in a compatible Egg group, but a Ditto is preferred since it can breed with literally anything as long as the other Pokémon belongs to a species that can breed.
A sample Pokémon of the species you're trying to shiny hunt. If you're not using a Ditto, you also have to make sure it's whatever gender your foreign Pokémon is not.
A Pokémon with the Ability Flame Body or Magma Armor. My personal favourite is Flame Body Volcarona, but if you don't already have any Pokémon with either Ability you can find Fletchinder in Route 8. They can be hard to find (in USUM they only appear through SOS) but they will always have Flame Body and they can also use Fly. Once you get one, just put it in the first slot of the party, and it will drastically reduce the amount of steps you need to hatch an egg. And believe me, it adds up. If you're gonna shiny hunt, you need this.
And that's really all you need, you just put them together in the Nursery and hatch hatch hatch until you get a shiny. Make sure that you keep Fletchinder (or whatever Pokémon you're using) in front of the party to save time. Keep in mind that no matter what method you use, shiny hunting is a long process, and you will likely get boxes upon boxes of Pokémon before you get a shiny.
If you are hunting legendaries, soft resetting is the only way to do so (unless you have US/UM, in which you can use Ultra Wormholes to hunt certain legendaries, post-game). The only way to increase those odds is to use the Shiny Charm, but chances are that you do not own that yet.
If you are not hunting legendaries or searching for wild shinies, then the Masuda method mentioned above works wonders.
If you really want to search for wild Pokemon (I would only recommend doing this if the Pokemon is genderless or they are legendary/mythical/ultra beast, otherwise use the Masuda method), then you need the move False Swipe. That leaves the opposing Pokemon with at least 1HP, so your catching chances are greatly increased.
Another great Pokemon for this is Tapu Koko with the move Nature's Madness. Tapunium Z boosts this attack so that it removes 75% of the opposing Pokemon's HP, so it is better used for higher level/legendary Pokemon before using False Swipe (Tapu Koko can also learn False Swipe).
Heal Pulse can help as well. If legendaries are running low on PP for their moves, they will soon use Struggle, which will damage themselves. Heal Pulse can prevent an accidental shiny death by healing them, but it is only helpful in rare cases.
For most Pokemon, I would use Vom's method, but for certain Pokemon the above information should help with your problem.
Good luck, and may the shiny odds be ever in your favour!
For SM/USUM, SOS hunting is also an option. Although harder in USUM due to the nerf to Adrenaline Orbs, the setup and process is generally the same. I've mainly seen it done with Trevenant + Smeargle, but there are other combinations of Pokémon that can achieve the same effect.
You'll want to set up one of the wild Pokémon using Skill Swap + Trick with the Trevenant so that it can perpetually recycle Leppa Berries and never run out of PP. Smeargle is what you'll want to use to get the base mon down to 1HP so that it calls more often, and to finally get the shiny mon (if/when it shows up) down to 1HP and asleep for high-chance catches. Odor Sleuth lets you hit ghost-types, just in case that's what you're hunting for. The offensive move should have high PP and be able to one-shot any non-shiny Pokemon that get called.
Both of these mons should be hugely overleveled for whatever route you're hunting in.
Thanks so much in advance, and stay safe!
