Ronald Cress Games 11.28.2016 11:Nov AM EST

Pokemon Sun And Moon Tips, Tricks: How To Build Smeargle As The Ultimate Shiny Pokemon Hunter

Shiny Hunting in Pokemon Sun and Moon is made easier through Ally Chaining. Now, Pokemon you encounter can call for help, which would make any Pokemon appear beside the one you're battling with. Players have now found a way to use this feature to find rare creatures such as Shinies or those with Hidden abilities by having one call for help again and again until the desired creature is found.

That is why it is called a chain. Knock the other one out and have the remaining Pokemon call for help. Repeat this until a Shiny Pokemon comes up. This is incredibly taxing, but we just have the right partner for you in your adventures in Pokemon Sun and Moon.

Catch A Smeargle First

Smeargle can be found on Melemele Island in Pokemon Sun and Moon, which is the second island you will go to as you progress through the game. Find a patch of grass along Route 2 and just run around until you find a Smeargle. Depending on your version, it has a 10 to 20 percent encounter rate.

Have It Learn The Right Movesets

What makes Smeargle the best Shiny Hunter in Pokemon Sun and Moon (and in previous generation titles) is its ability Sketch. It can copy the move of a Pokemon it's battling with, but note that it is permanent.

First, have a Pokemon that has the move False Swipe encounter a Smeargle. Once it copies the move via Sketch, catch it. Use this from now on to copy the other moves for Shiny Hunting. There are lots of ways to do this, but we will discuss the easier one.

Use Ally Chaining

Instead of finding each Pokemon Sun and Moon Pokemon that has the abilities you want your Shiny Hunter to learn, just have your own fight another wild Smeargle. For example, you want it to learn a specific move, find one that has it in your Pokedex and enter battle with a Smeargle using it.

Again, run around the patch of grass in Route 2 to encounter a wild Smeargle. Have it call for help; another of the same species should appear. If successful, use the move so the one you don't intend to KO Sketches it. Once it does, then make the other one faint.

Now that you're fighting with a Smeargle with the move you want, bring out your own. If the opponent uses the move, have your own Smeargle sketch it. Now you have a Shiny Hunter that has two moves. Repeat for the other moves you want.

Recommended Moves

For Shiny Hunting, trainers all over the world recommend Recycle, Recover, Spore, Aerial Ace and more apart from False Swipe (this is a must). Some recommend Soak so you have a move against Ghosts. Just a reminder, though, you can choose up to four. Smeargle learns Sketch every after 10 levels (level 1, level 11, level 21, etc.).

Also, you have to note that it cannot learn some moves like explosion, self destruct, transform, and metronome, according to Reddit user woofle07. Dark Void, Chatter and Hyperspace are also unusable.

How about you? What's your Shiny Hunter build? Are you also using Smeargle? Let us know in the comments below! Meanwhile, check out our guides on how to: Calculate The IV; Catch Cosmog, Dhelmise and Type: Null; Get Alola Dugtrio Early; Catch a Female Salandit; Get A Shiny Pokemon; Catch the Four Alola Guardian Deities; and Transfer Pokemon from Older Titles.