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You only need one Synchronizer of any nature for getting specific-natured mons from SOS battles.
There is a glitch with Synch + SOS battles whereby a Pokemon with Synchronize must be on the field when the new Ally appears, but the nature will be synched with the first Pokemon in your party, regardless of whether the first pokemon in your party is the Synchronize pokemon. So just raise one Synchronizer to a sufficient level with the moves you want (Trick/Sub/CM/Psybeam in your case), and then put any random pokemon with the nature you want at the lead of your party. The lead mon can be fainted, if you don't want it to actually appear in the battle at all -- the Synchronize will still work.
This glitch only exists when Synchronizing allies in SOS battles. Otherwise synching natures is the same as previous gens.
Knowing Pokemon-devs, it isn't a "glitch". Its an obscure quality-of-life improvement.
Just like the "trapped circle" in front of the Nursery where you can ride on Tauros perpetually without moving. Somebody definitely put that there on purpose. Its too perfect.
Since the idea of Substitute to stop Imposter from working while chaining Dittos came up, I have a question about that, because I'm interested in getting an Imposter myself. Does the ability message come up when it fails?
Since the idea of Substitute to stop Imposter from working while chaining Dittos came up, I have a question about that, because I'm interested in getting an Imposter myself. Does the ability message come up when it fails?
Since the idea of Substitute to stop Imposter from working while chaining Dittos came up, I have a question about that, because I'm interested in getting an Imposter myself. Does the ability message come up when it fails?
Just came up with something for chaining Dittos for natures.
Alakazam @ Leppa Berry
Ability: Synchronize
Whatever-you-want-Ditto-to-be nature
- Energy Ball
- Psybeam
- Round
- Thunder Wave (to check for HA, if it's Limber, it won't be able to be paralysed)
Since 4 IV is guaranteed after a chain of 30, you may want to use some higher PP but lower power moves like Confusion (25 PP, 50 power) instead of Energy Ball (10 PP, 90 power). If you have Leppa Berries or PP Maxes it doesn't really matter.
Garbodor
Ability: Stench (if it's Sticky Hold, you won't be able to Switcheroo/Trick Leppa Berry onto it)
Irrelevant nature
- Recycle
1. Lead with Alakazam.
2. Switch into Garbodor.
3. Ditto transforms into Garbodor.
4. Switch out into Smeargle.
5. Substitute so any SOS Dittos won't be able to transform.
6. Switcheroo or Trick the Leppa Berry onto Garbodor so it essentially has infinite PP.
7. False Swipe the Ditto until it has 1 HP.
8. Baton Pass into the leading Alakazam (since it's in the lead, all SOS calls have a better chance to be the same nature as it).
9. Kill SOS chains until satisfied. You can check whether the new Ditto is Limber or Imposter using Thunder Wave on Alakazam.
Of course, if you don't have a Synchronize Alakazam with the desired nature, you can always just put a Pokemon with whichever nature you want in the first slot, the chaining method is still the same thanks to the new mechanics of Synchronize.
A suggestion would be to include something like Gyarados for Intimidate, so that SOS'ing to 30 is sped up by having less failed call turns. Waterfall and Crunch (or just tackle) add up to 30 PP, are 100 acc, and are easy to get. Sub also fits on Gyarados.
Simply switch into this instead of Kazam, swap into Kazam after 30 kills and sub/kill to make the next 'Mon spawn with the increased chance for the desired nature.
Just came up with something for chaining Dittos for natures.
Alakazam @ Leppa Berry
Ability: Synchronize
Whatever-you-want-Ditto-to-be nature
- Energy Ball
- Psybeam
- Round
- Thunder Wave (to check for HA, if it's Limber, it won't be able to be paralysed)
Since 4 IV is guaranteed after a chain of 30, you may want to use some higher PP but lower power moves like Confusion (25 PP, 50 power) instead of Energy Ball (10 PP, 90 power). If you have Leppa Berries or PP Maxes it doesn't really matter.
Garbodor
Ability: Stench (if it's Sticky Hold, you won't be able to Switcheroo/Trick Leppa Berry onto it)
Irrelevant nature
- Recycle
1. Lead with Alakazam.
2. Switch into Garbodor.
3. Ditto transforms into Garbodor.
4. Switch out into Smeargle.
5. Substitute so any SOS Dittos won't be able to transform.
6. Switcheroo or Trick the Leppa Berry onto Garbodor so it essentially has infinite PP.
7. False Swipe the Ditto until it has 1 HP.
8. Baton Pass into the leading Alakazam (since it's in the lead, all SOS calls have a better chance to be the same nature as it).
9. Kill SOS chains until satisfied. You can check whether the new Ditto is Limber or Imposter using Thunder Wave on Alakazam.
Of course, if you don't have a Synchronize Alakazam with the desired nature, you can always just put a Pokemon with whichever nature you want in the first slot, the chaining method is still the same thanks to the new mechanics of Synchronize.
Not really, it's almost what I did today to get a Timid Ditto (which I noticed I lacked when I wanted to get a Timid Porygon).
What you could do is forgo Substitute, Trick and Baton Pass on Smeargle (and give it other moves geared to chaining something else):
Kadabra or Alakazam @ Leppa Berry
Ability: Synchronize
Nature: The one you want
- Trick
- Substitute
- Confusion / Psybeam
- Calm Mind / Another attacking move / Role Play
Calm Mind + Confusion if its level is low enough so that it cannot OHKO an untransformed Ditto, two attacking moves otherwise. Psybeam can be used if you use two attacking moves, but Confusion with at least one PP Up makes counting easier.
An earlier suggestion on the thread mentions Role Play, as you cannot know if a Ditto has Imposter when a Substitute is up as the ability does not trigger (or so it seems).
A suggestion would be to include something like Gyarados for Intimidate, so that SOS'ing to 30 is sped up by having less failed call turns. Waterfall and Crunch (or just tackle) add up to 30 PP, are 100 acc, and are easy to get. Sub also fits on Gyarados.
Simply switch into this instead of Kazam, swap into Kazam after 30 kills and sub/kill to make the next 'Mon spawn with the increased chance for the desired nature.
Substitute + Baton Pass + Intimidate also works on Masquerain, and you can get relatively high PP moves like Gust (35), Air Cutter (25), Psybeam (20, bred from Butterfree).
I see people talking about skill swap and such, but for ditto, why not just t-wave? You are always going to kill the one you are checking, since the other one is your infinite recycler, so the status blocking SOS doesn't matter. Ditto's only abilities are Limber and Imposter, so if you can paralyze, you know it is imposter.
Trick is not for the target's item but because of the Leppa Berry.
And Skill Swap would mean the target could regenerate the Leppa Berry even if it lacks Recycle, so you can be mostly safe that it will never start to Struggle.
Trick is not for the target's item but because of the Leppa Berry.
And Skill Swap would mean the target could regenerate the Leppa Berry even if it lacks Recycle, so you can be mostly safe that it will never start to Struggle.
Here's an odd idea: what's the best "Utility-mon" for Elite 4 Grinding?
Lunala is mine at the moment. Moongeist Beam deals with the Sturdy mon, and everyone else is basically one-shot between Moongeist Beam / Moonblast / Psychic. But I'm curious if anybody got something better.
But usually, the "other mon" is holding the Lucky Egg, and benefits from switching in / out for more Exp. ("Other mon" would be some pokemon that I'm raising to 66) Lunala being weak to Ghost and Dark makes it get worn down from the repeated switch-ins while leveling up the "other mon".
Here's an odd idea: what's the best "Utility-mon" for Elite 4 Grinding?
Lunala is mine at the moment. Moongeist Beam deals with the Sturdy mon, and everyone else is basically one-shot between Moongeist Beam / Moonblast / Psychic. But I'm curious if anybody got something better.
But usually, the "other mon" is holding the Lucky Egg, and benefits from switching in / out for more Exp. ("Other mon" would be some pokemon that I'm raising to 66) Lunala being weak to Ghost and Dark makes it get worn down from the repeated switch-ins while leveling up the "other mon".
Speaking of legendaries, I remember Tapu Koko being useful as a utility catching Pokemon when I was doing the UB quests:
Tapu Koko @ Tapunium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
-Nature's Madness
-False Swipe
-Thunder Wave
-Taunt
Guardian Of Alola + False Swipe makes lowering HP so much simpler, especially against defensive Pokemon or UBs. Taunt stops recovery moves while Thunder Wave for stopping SOS chains. Electric Surge can also be slightly useful to stop Rest, if the wild Pokemon has it.
Evoboost and Focus Energy Baton passed to Smeargle equals +2 False Swipes always getting critical hits thanks to the Scope Lens. This combo is primarily for legendary/UB encounters, though I think it will be very effective.
Eevee only gets Focus Energy in Gen I, which is why this combo is transfer only.
Here's an odd idea: what's the best "Utility-mon" for Elite 4 Grinding?
Lunala is mine at the moment. Moongeist Beam deals with the Sturdy mon, and everyone else is basically one-shot between Moongeist Beam / Moonblast / Psychic. But I'm curious if anybody got something better.
But usually, the "other mon" is holding the Lucky Egg, and benefits from switching in / out for more Exp. ("Other mon" would be some pokemon that I'm raising to 66) Lunala being weak to Ghost and Dark makes it get worn down from the repeated switch-ins while leveling up the "other mon".
Ice beam deals with most of acerola and kahili to save PPs.
A modest with max special attack should be able to OHKO consistently carbink. Unboosted, Probopass is impossible to OHKO. Also, use first psychic then moongeist beam, otherwise you fall into full restore range. Luckily probopass can't do anything to a lunala with shadow shield on.
outside of that, lunala obliterates everything from E4. be wary if you're doing constant switches with stuff like stealth rock from carbink and spikes from skarmory.
You can use berries as free medicine. sitrus heals 1/4, so for lunala are almost like hyper potions.
For champions, the only problems are Kukui's snorlax, timid can get into 3HKO range with psychic, and not sure how psyshock interacts with the rest of the E4. Molayne has too many sturdies, so try to save as much moongeist beams you can. but you can always use leppa berries.
Also, you can save before sitting in the chair and SR the tittle defense battle, so you can aim for hau/gladion/kukui for more exp.
Given that Pokebank is released, I could very well share a set that can be used if you want a Friend Guard Cleffa or Clefairy.
These two Pokemon have important issues:
- They can have Cute Charm, so there is a risk for gendered Pokemon.
- Cleffa knows Sweet Kiss. Combine Confusion with Infatuation and you are going to struggle, especially since Infatuation affects even if you try to attack the other Pokemon, if the one your Pokemon's attracted to is still alive and kicking.
- Clefairy knows Minimize... and Cleffa knows Copycat. Leave them unchecked, and they'll quickly max out their Evasion.
- You need ability-changing moves because you'd otherwise need a low-level Pokemon and precise calculations to check for Friend Guard.
This goes alongside the requirement of having a Pokemon with False Swipe. So... who can help us?
Gallade @ Leftovers
Ability: Any
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Level: High enough. Mid fourties tends to work.
Jolly Nature
- Skill Swap
- False Swipe
- Substitute
- Aerial Ace
The only issue here is that Skill Swap is an Egg Move (requires a father of the Solosis line). Other than that...
While Gallade works well, pretty much any Pokemon that gets an HP-to-1 move and an ability checking move work - maybe Hawlucha works better because it can learn Entrainment and has STAB on a never-missing move (and its chance of being female makes Cute Charm significantly less dangerous).
Skill Swap checks abilities.
False Swipe to maximize chances of SOS calling.
Substitute is critical. It allows you to avoid confusion (and maybe infatuation - does Cute Charm work like Cursed Body?), and also protects you from the chip damage you may receive from Wake-Up Slap or Magical Leaf. If you can give your chainer Leftovers, then you don't even need to use Sitrus Berries to ocassionaly recover your HP.
Aerial Ace prevents Minimize from screwing up with your PP.
That being said, there is another danger you cannot protect yourself from, due to two traits:
- Cleffa and Clefairy may summon a Chansey.
- Clefairy knows Follow Me! One untimely use of the move when you want to KO a Chansey, and your chain is royally screwed.
