Improve your chances of getting Shiny Pokemon by breeding with Pokemon from different regions. Read on to learn how to efficiently hunt for Shiny Pokemon in the wild, how to do the Masuda method, and the best odds for finding Shiny Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).

How to Get Shiny Pokemon

Shiny Pokemon are an extremely rare variation of Pokemon which can randomly appear when encountering Pokemon in the wild, breeding Pokemon in the Nursery, or obtaining Pokemon in in-game events.

For each Pokemon encountered, there is a 1/4096 chance that it will be a Shiny Pokemon.

How to Tell if a Pokemon is Shiny

Odds of Getting Shiny Pokemon

Odds of Breeding Shiny Pokemon

The odds of getting a Shiny Pokemon from breeding is 1/4096. It can also increase to 1/683 with International Breeding, which involves using a Pokemon from a different country from where you are from. This significantly improves the odds of you obtaining a shiny Pokemon!

How to Breed Pokemon and Hatch Eggs

Using the Masuda Method (International Pokemon Breeding)

When 2 Pokemon of different countries of origin are brought to a Nursery, their chances of producing an egg of a Shiny Pokemon increase significantly. Players often seek to find foreign Ditto, since Ditto can breed with almost every Pokemon.

This is colloquially referred to as the Masuda Method and has been a technique for breeding Shiny Pokemon in the series since Generation 3.

Via Poke Radar Chaining

You increase your odds of encountering Shiny Pokemon in tall grass by chaining together encounters with a single Pokemon species via the Poke Radar. By increasing the chain up to 40, you're more likely to encounter the shiny grass patch.

The chain breaks if it's not the same Pokemon species encountered or if no grass shakes

If your next encounter is not of the same species, the chain ends. You should avoid getting into wild encounters in grass not rustled by the Poke Radar. Additionally, if no grass shakes after the Poke Radar battle, your chain ends.

How to Use the Poke Radar

How to Get Shiny Legendary Pokemon

Palkia and Dialga are Not Shiny Locked

It is possible to get shiny Palkia and Dialga while playing through the story. Remember to save your game before the Legendary Pokemon appears at Spear Pillar, so you can reset your game when it is not a shiny. It will likely take several tries before you can get the shiny Pokemon.

The Lake Guardians are Not Shiny Locked

Getting shiny Uxie and Azelf is easier than getting shiny Mesprit since you can save inside the cave before starting the battle. Once the battle starts, you can see if the Pokemon is shiny or not, and reset your game if it is not shiny.

Enter the Hall of Fame after Beating Mespirit

To reroll the shiny odds for Mesprit, you can defeat the Pokemon and enter the Hall of Fame. Once you exit the Hall of Fame, Mespirit will respawn in the world.

How to Get Shiny Starter Pokemon

Starter Pokemon are Not Shiny Locked

It is possible to get a shiny starter Pokemon at the start of the game but it may take several resets. Remember to save before entering Lake Verity if you want to get the shiny. You can also get shiny starters by breeding for them in the Day-Care or by finding wild ones in the Grand Underground.

Best Starter Pokemon

Pokemon BDSP Related Guides

Training and Breeding