What is the Masuda Method?
There’s a special kind of pride that comes from hatching a shiny Pokémon you bred yourself. While hunting in Mass Outbreaks is great, nothing beats the control and precision of breeding. This is where the Masuda Method comes in—a classic shiny hunting technique named after Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda, who programmed it into the games himself.
The concept is simple: if you breed two Pokémon from games with different languages, your odds of hatching a shiny are dramatically increased. It’s the single most effective way to target-breed a specific shiny.
Let’s look at the odds in Scarlet & Violet:
- Standard odds (no modifiers): 1 in 4096
- With Shiny Charm only: 1 in 1365
- Masuda Method only: 1 in 683
- Masuda Method + Shiny Charm: 1 in 512
Getting your odds down to 1/512 is the goal, and I’m here to show you exactly how to do it.
Your Masuda Method Checklist
Before you start setting up your picnic, you need a few key items. Gathering these first will make your hunt infinitely smoother.
1. A Foreign Pokémon (Ideally, a Ditto)
This is the heart of the Masuda Method. You need a Pokémon that was caught or hatched in a game set to a different language than yours. You can check a Pokémon’s language tag on its summary screen. For example, if your game is in English (ENG), you’ll need a Pokémon with a tag like JPN, SPA, GER, etc.
A foreign Ditto is the ultimate prize for any breeder. Since Ditto can breed with nearly any Pokémon, a single foreign Ditto opens the door to shiny breeding for your entire Pokédex.
How to get one:
- Surprise Trades: You might get lucky and receive a foreign Pokémon through a Surprise Trade. It’s a long shot for a Ditto, but possible.
- Trade Codes: The community has established a universal trade code for Ditto-for-Ditto trades: 4448 4448. By using this Link Trade code, you’ll connect with other trainers looking to do the same. Keep trading until you get one with a different language tag.
- Ask a Friend: If you have friends playing in other languages, this is your most reliable option.
2. The Shiny Charm
This is non-negotiable for any serious shiny hunter. The Shiny Charm is a Key Item that permanently boosts your shiny odds for both wild encounters and eggs. To get it, you must complete the Paldea Pokédex (all 400 Pokémon). Once you do, fly to the academy and talk to Professor Jacq in the biology lab. He’ll reward you with the charm. It’s a lot of work, but it more than triples your chances.
3. A Pokémon with the Flame Body or Steam Engine Ability
Put a Pokémon with one of these abilities in your party (it doesn’t even have to be at the front!). It will cut the number of steps required to hatch eggs in half.
Easy options in Paldea:
- Fletchinder or Talonflame (Flame Body)
- Coalossal (Flame Body or Steam Engine)
The Breeding Process in Paldea
With your foreign Ditto and Shiny Charm in hand, it’s time to start the hunt. Scarlet & Violet’s Picnic feature has completely streamlined the breeding process.
Step 1: Prepare Your Party Place only two Pokémon in your party: your foreign Ditto and the Pokémon you want to get a shiny of. Add your Flame Body Pokémon to the party as well if you have one ready for hatching.
Step 2: Set Up a Picnic Find a nice, flat spot and start a picnic. You don’t have to do anything else; the Pokémon will do their thing automatically.
Step 3: Boost Your Eggs with a Sandwich While eggs will appear in the basket over time, you can speed it up dramatically by making a sandwich with Egg Power. You don’t need fancy Herba Mystica for this. A simple Jam Sandwich (Recipe #17: Strawberry + Jam) will give you Egg Power Lv. 1, which is more than enough. An Ultra Peanut Butter Sandwich (Recipe #15: Banana, Peanut Butter, Butter) will grant Egg Power Lv. 2.
Step 4: Collect and Hatch Check the basket at the end of the picnic table every few minutes. You can collect up to 10 eggs at a time. Once your party is full of eggs (and your Flame Body Pokémon), pack up the picnic and start riding your Koraidon or Miraidon. With the hatching boost, it won’t take long for them to hatch. Repeat the process until you see that sparkle!
Beyond the Shiny: Breeding for Perfection
The Masuda Method isn’t just for shinies. It’s your chance to create a competitively viable Pokémon from scratch.
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Passing Down Egg Moves: These are moves a Pokémon can’t learn by leveling up. In Scarlet & Violet, this is easier than ever with the Mirror Herb.
- Have your target Pokémon forget a move to open up a slot.
- Give it a Mirror Herb to hold.
- Put it in a picnic with a Pokémon that knows the desired Egg Move.
- After just a minute, your target Pokémon will have learned the move! No breeding required. You can then use this parent to pass the move down to its shiny offspring.
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Perfecting IVs and Natures:
- Destiny Knot: Give this to one of the parents (usually the high-IV Ditto), and the offspring will inherit 5 IVs from its parents instead of the usual 3.
- Everstone: Give this to the parent with the Nature you want (e.g., Adamant, Modest), and the offspring is guaranteed to have that same Nature.
Conclusion: Trainer’s Final Thoughts
The Masuda Method is a test of patience, but it remains one of the most rewarding experiences in all of Pokémon. While Mass Outbreaks offer instant gratification, breeding gives you total control. You get to choose the Pokémon, the Poké Ball it’s in, its ability, nature, IVs, and even its special moves. It’s the only way to obtain shiny starters like Meowscarada or Skeledirge.
It can feel like a grind when you’re hundreds of eggs deep, but don’t give up. The moment that differently-colored Pokémon hatches and the sparkle animation fills your screen, all that time and effort becomes instantly worth it. Happy hunting