Let’s be real for a second. If you’re still carrying around a 3DS in 2026, you’re probably doing it for one reason: the hunt. While the Switch era brought us some massive quality-of-life upgrades, there’s something about shiny pokemon sun and moon that just hits different. It was the last time Game Freak really leaned into a specific, rhythmic grind that felt rewarding without being totally mindless. You aren't just running around in circles hoping for a random encounter. You're orchestrating a battle.
Finding a shiny in Alola isn't like finding one in Scarlet or Violet. In the newer games, you just squint at the screen until you see a slightly different shade of green in the grass. In Gen 7, you worked for it. You earned it.
The SOS Mechanic: Why It Changed Everything
Before Pokemon Sun and Moon, shiny hunting was basically divided into two camps. You either hatched thousands of eggs using the Masuda Method, or you reset your game until your thumbs bled. Then came SOS Battles. This mechanic is basically the heart and soul of the Alolan shiny experience.
Basically, when a wild Pokemon gets low on health, it calls for help. If it’s successful, another Pokemon joins the fray. If you knock that newcomer out, the original can call for help again. This creates a chain. The longer the chain, the higher your odds of seeing that sparkling animation. It’s brilliant because it turns a passive experience into a resource management game. You have to keep the "caller" alive, make sure you don't run out of PP, and manage your items.
The math is actually pretty wild. At a chain of 31 or more, your odds of finding a shiny jump from the standard 1/4096 to roughly 1/315 if you have the Shiny Charm. That’s huge. Honestly, it’s one of the most generous shiny hunting methods ever put into a mainline game, yet it feels more active than the "Dynamax Adventures" or "Mass Outbreaks" we see now.
Setting Up the Perfect Smeargle
If you’re serious about shiny pokemon sun and moon hunting, you don't just go out with your starter. You need a specialist. Enter Smeargle. This little artist is the MVP of the Alola region.
Most veteran hunters use a very specific "False Swipe" set. You want False Swipe to get the caller to 1 HP, a move like Icicle Spear or Leafage to KO the help, and—most importantly—Recycle. Why Recycle? Because you’re going to be in this battle for a long time. Giving Smeargle a Leppa Berry and the move Recycle means you have infinite PP. You literally cannot lose the war of attrition.
I’ve spent hours—seriously, entire Sunday afternoons—just cycling through Smeargle’s moves while watching Netflix. It’s a meditative process. You get into a flow. Tap, tap, KO. Tap, tap, KO. Then, suddenly, that distinct ping sound happens and the screen flashes. Your heart skips. It never gets old.
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The Island Scan and the Masuda Method
Not everything can be SOS hunted. Some of the coolest shiny pokemon sun and moon targets are locked behind the Island Scan. Remember that? You scan QR codes, get points, and then a "rare" Pokemon appears on your island for one hour. You can't chain these. You get one shot, or you have to reset.
This is where the Masuda Method comes back into play. For those who don't know, if you breed two Pokemon from different real-world languages (like a Japanese Ditto and an English Litten), your shiny odds skyrocket. In Alola, this was perfected. The "Swap Breeding" exploit—though some call it a glitch—allowed players to save their game, hatch a bunch of Magikarp (which hatch fast), and then "swap" the shiny frame to a slower-hatching Pokemon like Dratini or Beldum.
It felt like you were hacking the Matrix. It wasn't "cheating" in the traditional sense, but it was a deep understanding of how the game's RNG worked. It gave the community something to talk about. We weren't just players; we were researchers.
The Difficulty Spike Nobody Mentions
Gen 7 isn't easy. Compared to the modern games, Alola can be a bit of a meat grinder if you aren't prepared. Try SOS hunting a Beldum. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Beldum only knows Take Down. Take Down has recoil damage. This means the caller will literally kill itself trying to hit you, breaking your chain and wasting your time. To shiny hunt Beldum, you need a Ghost-type with the move Skill Swap and Harvest, and you need to give the Beldum a Leppa Berry. It’s a complex setup that requires genuine game knowledge.
That’s what’s missing from modern titles. In Sun and Moon, you had to outsmart the Pokemon. You had to account for their movesets, their abilities, and their call rates. Some Pokemon, like Mareanie, only appear when they’re "helping" a Corsola. But here’s the kicker: Mareanie will actually attack the Corsola instead of you. You have to protect the caller from the very help it summoned. It's chaotic. It's fun.
The Aesthetic of the Alolan Shiny
We have to talk about the designs. Alolan forms are some of the best regional variants we've ever seen. A shiny Alolan Raichu with its chocolate-brown fur? Incredible. The golden Alolan Exeggutor? Hilarious and majestic at the same time.
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Even the legendaries felt special. Resetting for a shiny Nihilego or Pheromosa in the Ultra Wormholes felt like a cosmic event. The visuals of the Ultra Wilds were trippy and immersive. It made the "soft reset" grind feel less like a chore and more like an exploration of the multiverse.
Honestly, the 3DS hardware pushed those models to the limit. The colors in shiny pokemon sun and moon pop in a way that feels more saturated and intentional than the flatter lighting we sometimes see on the Switch. There’s a warmth to the Alola region that makes these rare variants feel like they truly belong in the tropical environment.
The Problem With Modern Comparisons
People often ask why they should go back to Alola when they have Pokemon Home and the newer games. The answer is simple: the experience.
In Scarlet and Violet, shinies are common. Too common? Maybe. When you can see them in the overworld, the "hunt" becomes a drive-by. You're just a spectator. In Sun and Moon, you are the catalyst. You are the one forcing the encounters. There’s a psychological difference between "finding" something and "making" it happen.
Plus, there are the "unhuntable" ones. For a long time, we couldn't get shiny Solgaleo or Lunala without an event. That exclusivity created a culture around these games. We traded, we shared QR codes, and we discussed the best routes for Pelago farming.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Alolan Hunt
If you’re dusting off your 3DS to start a hunt today, don’t just wing it. You’ll burn out.
1. Get the Shiny Charm first. Don't be a hero. Complete that Alolan Pokedex. It’s only 300ish Pokemon, which is totally doable compared to the National Dex. The jump from 1/4096 to 1/1365 is too big to ignore.
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2. Build a "Harvest" Exeggutor. This is the ultimate support tool. Use Skill Swap to give the wild Pokemon the "Harvest" ability and then use Trick to give it a Leppa Berry. This prevents the caller from ever struggling to death. It's the only way to hunt high-difficulty targets like Beldum or some of the lower-PP starters.
3. Use Adrenaline Orbs. You only need to use one per battle. It increases the chance of the Pokemon calling for help. If you try to SOS hunt without these, you're going to be waiting a long time for calls that never come.
4. Watch the "Call Rate." Not all Pokemon are created equal. Some, like Magikarp, have a high call rate (9). Others, like Mimikyu, have a low call rate (3). Adjust your expectations accordingly. A Mimikyu hunt is going to take four times longer than a Caterpie hunt.
5. Keep a "Sync" Pokemon. If you want a specific Nature for your shiny, have a Pokemon with the Synchronize ability (like Abra or Espeon) in your first slot. In Sun and Moon, this gives you a 50% chance of the shiny having the same Nature. It’s not guaranteed, but it beats total randomness.
Shiny pokemon sun and moon isn't just a relic of the past. It represents a specific era of Pokemon design where the grind was a feature, not a bug. It required preparation, specific builds, and a lot of patience. But when that orange-hued Rockruff finally appears on the bottom screen, you’ll realize why people are still talking about these games a decade later. It's the thrill of the chase, perfected.
Go grab a Smeargle, stock up on Leppa Berries, and head to Melemele Island. The sparkles are waiting.
Next Steps for Hunters:
- Check your PC for a Pokemon with the "Harvest" ability; Trevenant or Exeggutor are your best bets.
- Travel to the Battle Tree to buy Adrenaline Orbs with your BP.
- Verify your Pokedex completion to ensure the Shiny Charm is active in your Key Items pocket.