pokemon-sixth-generationpokemon-x-y
I've been seeing people getting millions of shiny Pokémon in X & Y without effort. My first shiny on Pokémon X (Corsola) also took only 93 fishing encounters.
I'm wondering: is the chance of finding a shiny in Pokémon X & Y better than it used to be?
If so, what is the chance to find a wild shiny in X & Y? How does it compare to the previous games in the series)?
The gender ratio for the 6th generation starters is currently unknown, but all starters so far had a ratio of 12.5% female / 87.5% male, or 1 : 7.
The gender of your Pokémon does not depend on your character's gender. Both male and female protagonists can have either male or female starters.
This specific gender ratio is used to make it more difficult in breeding more of them since players usually get them as gifts or Fossils rather than catch them in the wild. All starter and Fossil Pokémon are in this group.
The only way to ensure you'll get a female starter is indeed by saving the game beforehand and reloading it as necessary.
First and foremost, lets start with the Pokémon:
Smeargle is a great all-round Pokémon, as it's the only one that learns Sketch. It will learn Sketch every 10 levels starting from level 1, meaning by level 31 it will have 4 moves. Sketch will permanently copy a move used in battle, meaning that Smeargle can learn almost any move.
You can guarantee the move Smeargle gets when using Sketch by entering double battles such as the ones in Restaurant Le Nah. Send out both Smeargle and the Pokemon whos move you want to copy, get it to use the move you want, such as False Swipe, and using Sketch, 'attack' your partner.
So how do I build the ultimate Pokémon Catcher using Smeargle?
With 100% accuracy, Spore is the preferred sleep move, but it is a little harder to get access to in X & Y.
Foongus learns it at level 50 (Amoongus at 62). Otherwise you can get a Paras through Friend Safari or GTS, who will learn it at 22. Shroomish will learn it at level 45.
Nevertheless Sleep Powder is the other safe option. Butterfree will learn it on level 12. Nice and easy. Otherwise Hoppip/Skiploom on 16 and Oddish/Gloom on 17.
I listed Stun Spore as a tertiary option, as some people swear by Stun for catching. Again Butterfree on level 12, Hoppip/Skiploom on 14, or Oddish/Gloom on 16 are your best bets.
False Swipe should be fairly obvious. It will bring a Pokémon down to 1HP, and never kill it. Perfect for catching Pokémon. As it's a Normal move, Smeargle also gains a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) when using it, bringing it's power from 40 to 60 (or from 60 to 90 with the Technician ability, see below).
It's TM 54, which can be found in Professor Sycamore's Lab. Talk to a woman on the third floor - she will give it to you. Teach it to any of these Pokémon.
Otherwise, Scyther can be rarely found on Route 21 and will learn it at level 13. your other options are Axew, Karrablast, Cubone or Zangoose (levels 24,25,27 and 29 respectively).
This slot is a little up to personal preference.
As for the ease of getting these moves:
Soak is awesome. I'm sure some people who were reading about False Swipe and Mean Look were crying out "But they don't work on Ghost!"/"False Swipe isn't very effective against Rock!". Well I'm here to tell you. Soak changes the target Pokémon's type to Water.
Not only does this mean that False Swipe/Mean Look will hit Ghost (and Rock/Steel normally), but Spore/Sleep Powder can hit soaked Grass-types too.
And as an added bonus (man I sound like a salesman), the enemy Pokémon no longer gets STAB from it's typed moves (meaning Smeargle takes less damage).
However, getting access to it may be a little harder:
Ok, that's a good start, but what about Natures/Items/Abilities/IVs/EVs?
Lucky Egg can be used for an XP boost whilst levelling up. Find it in the Hotel in Coumarine City (talk to a girl there).
Metronome can be used to boost the power of consecutive False swipes (10% each turn). Again, head to Coumarine City, and check the Monorail station.
Some people also recommend Silk Scarf, for the immediate 20% boost to False Swipe it brings. If you're running the Technician ability (see below) you should probably go with Metronome. Can you guess where Silk Scarf is? That's right, COUMARINE CITY. Talk to the old man in the house by the docks.
Own Tempo or Technician (Player's choice)
This really comes down to personal preference. Having tested both, I have found that I prefer the power boost from Technician than the protection from confusion via Own Tempo.
Note: Smeargle's hidden Ability is Moody, but I don't think it's useful in this situation. Stick with Own Tempo or Technician.
Completely optional, but Jolly (-SpAtk, + Speed) or Adamant (-SpAtk, +Attack) are probably the best ones. Honestly you'll get away with anything though.
Come on, you're facing off against wild Pokémon, it doesn't really matter. If you feel like trying to beat your best times in Super Training, avoid Special Attack. Everything else is personal preference. I spread mine over Speed, Attack and HP, in that order.
Don't even bother.
Notes:
Best Answer
The chance of getting a shiny has indeed improved. It has doubled. This is further increased by chain fishing, getting multiple Pokemon in a row without moving or getting the "Not even a nibble" message. Poke radar works much the same to improve the odds, and the Masuda Method of breeding further increases these odds.
The Masuda Method means you take a foreign Pokemon and breed it with one from your region. For example, say you wonder trade and get a Japanese Pikachu. Breed that with a Pikachu you caught and you have a better chance of a shiny than if you breed two Pikachu that you caught.
This chance is increased further in the Friend Safari. In the Friend Safari, you are eight times more likely to find a shiny than the rest of the game. However, the shiny charm does not affect this.