Masuda method

The subject of this article has no official name. The name currently in use is a fan designator; see below for more information.

The Masuda method (Japanese: 国際結婚 international marriage), also known as Masuda's method, is a fan-made term for the increased chance of Shiny Pokémon being produced when breeding Pokémon with different languages of origin.

While the standard encounter rate for a Shiny Pokémon (either in the wild or by breeding) is 1/8192 from Generation II to Generation V and 1/4096 in Generation VI onwards, the Masuda method multiplies this rate by 5 (to 5/8192 or about 1/1638) in Generation IV, by 6 (to 6/8192 or about 1/1365) in Generation V, and by 6 (to 6/4096, or 1/683) from Generation VI onwards.

The method is named after (but not by^[1]) Game Freak co-founder Junichi Masuda, who described the method in his blog in December 2007. The blog post lists various ways that Game Freak decided to incentivize using the GTS in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, describing this bonus as "rare colored Pokemon’s Egg can be found little easier".^[2]

Usage

The summary of an English Bulbasaur in an English game.

The summary of an Italian Bulbasaur in an English game. The Pokémon is differentiated by an additional "ITA" language tag.

The Masuda method involves breeding two Pokémon created in games of different languages. An Egg resulting from such a pairing will have a higher likelihood of being Shiny. The most common way to arrange such a pairing is to use one foreign Pokémon and one from the game in which the breeding occurs, although the method will work in any game or combination of languages provided at least one of the Pokémon in the pair is from a language different to the language of the other parent. The language of the save file does not apply whether Masuda method takes effect, only the languages of the two parents are taken into account, so if both Pokémon are foreign to the language the game is being played in but are both of the same language, then the Masuda method will not take effect.

Despite being obtainable in one's native language savefile, foreign language Pokémon obtained via in-game trades, such as the Meister's Foppa and Lt. Surge's Volty, are treated as being outside the game^[3][4], so if bred with a parent caught in the same save file,^[5] the Masuda method will take effect.

In Generation IV only, if the Masuda method applies, the Everstone will fail to increase the chance of passing on a Nature. This is due to Nature and Shininess both being determined by the Pokémon's personality value in Generation IV, so manipulating one would interfere with the other. From Generation V onward, Nature is not determined by personality value, so this restriction is removed. A Pokémon traded internationally while still in its Egg will retain the internal marking which recognizes it as a foreign Pokémon even though it would have the hatcher's OT.

Some examples are illustrated below; Pokémon bred in circumstances which invoke the Masuda method and have an increased chance of being Shiny are denoted by their Shiny sprite.

Parents		Offspring
Two Pokémon of the same language
OT: May	OT: Brendan	OT: (Hatcher)
English-language game Gallade ♂	English-language game Gardevoir ♀	Ralts
Two Pokémon from two different languages
OT: Victor	OT: ミヅキ	OT: (Hatcher)
English-language game Sirfetch'd ♂	Japanese-language game ジュナイパー ♀	Rowlet
Breeding with an in-game trade
OT: Dawn	OT: Meister	OT: (Hatcher)
English-language game Magikarp ♂	German-language game Foppa ♀	Magikarp

Mechanics

From Generation III onward, Pokémon track their language of origin, identifying the language of the game they were originally obtained in. From Generation IV onward, if the two Pokémon in the Day Care have different languages of origin, when an Egg is generated, the game will generate extra personality values in an attempt to find one that results in a Shiny Pokémon for the player. This stacks with the Shiny Charm's effect, which works in the same way.

The number of rerolls differs between games. Because the rerolls are in addition to the standard roll, the total number of rolls is one higher than the number of rerolls. The probability of hatching a Shiny Pokémon is approximately equal to the normal Shiny rate multiplied by the total number of rolls (i.e. one more than the number of rerolls). The Shiny Charm also adds rerolls in the same way, so its effect can be combined with the Masuda method.

In Generation VIII, due to a bug, when breeding, if any personality value rerolls are applied, (such as the additional shiny rolls provided via the Masuda method or Shiny Charm), the initial roll to generate a personality value is skipped.^[6][7] The result is that when breeding using the Masuda method alone, despite the Masuda method being intended to provide 7 total rolls (1 initial roll, and 6 rerolls) which is 1 more reroll than prior generations, it is reduced to 6 rolls total (no initial roll, 6 rerolls), effectively canceling out the additional reroll and providing a 6/4096, (approximately 1/683), chance of hatching a Shiny Pokémon as usual.

• However, in Generation VIII, due to the Masuda method providing one more reroll than in previous generations, the chance of hatching a Shiny Pokémon when using both the Shiny Charm and Masuda method is unchanged, providing 8 total rolls, (instead of the intended 9), for a Shiny rate of 8/4096 (equal to 1/512) as usual.

Reaction and purpose

From Generation IV onwards, trading with games from other countries became easier due to the Nintendo DS's ability to communicate through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The Masuda method was coded as an incentive for players to use the GTS's international trading services.^[1][2]

The Masuda method is appealing to players due to allowing them to obtain Shiny Pokémon with specific Egg Moves, Natures and IVs.

Trivia

• The Masuda method is referenced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (albeit without an official designator or name) in one of Jacq's biology classes.^[9]

See also

• Shiny Pokémon
• Pokémon breeding

References

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.