Egg RNG in Generation 7: Introduction

By Eisenherz.
  1. Introduction
    1. How Egg RNG works in Generation 7
    2. Your TSV (for hatching shinies)
    3. What you need
  2. Egg RNG (Windows users)
  3. Egg RNG (macOS users)
  4. Additional resources

Introduction

Egg RNG in Generation 7 is probably the easiest entry point for someone who has never done any RNG manipulation. Unlike encounter RNG, which requires impeccable timing and calibration, Egg RNG only requires a lot of patience to set things up, after which it is relatively quick and forgiving.

This guide aims to help anyone who owns Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon receive the exact attributes they wish for when breeding (IVs, gender, nature, shininess...) in as little time as possible.

Be warned, however, that the steps to set things up can be long and tedious. Hang on tight because these will only have to be done once, after which you will be able to RNG Eggs for as long as you need!

Because this guide is meant to be beginner friendly, it will go into more detail than some experienced users might need. If you already know the basics of RNG, feel free to skip over the rest of this introduction! Beginners, however, should read on in order to grasp the mechanics of Egg RNG; this will help you understand what you are doing and why it has to be done.

1.1. How Egg RNG works in Generation 7

Though you may not realize it, when you deposit two parents at the nursery for breeding, all features of your future hatchlings are already predetermined. Everything, including their IVs, ability, gender, and shininess, can be predicted. Think of all your future Eggs as an infinitely long chain, with each Egg constituting a link of the chain, also called an Egg seed or status. When looking at upcoming Eggs from the chain, each of them will be referred to and numbered as a frame.

The software we will be using in this guide allows you to see a list of the upcoming Eggs in the chain and to search through them for one that matches the exact set of features you want. Since a lot of the hatchlings' features depend on the parents deposited (their species, gender ratio, Poké Ball, whether or not they are holding breeding items, etc.), the chain is dynamic and will be tweaked every time new parents are deposited. Thus, you will be required to provide information about the parents you are using so the software can accurately predict what is upcoming.

Whenever the nursery lady offers you an Egg, you have the option to accept or refuse it; this is how you advance through the chain. If you accept an Egg from her, you will leap forward by a certain amount of links in the chain (anywhere between 20 and 40), but if you refuse the Egg, you will only skip to the next one. This mechanic allows you to freely navigate forward along the chain by accepting and refusing Eggs until you get precisely the one you want.

1.2. Your TSV (for hatching shinies)

In addition to your TID, which you can see in your Trainer Passport, another custom number is attached to every trainer: the TSV (Trainer Shiny Value). This value is hidden (you can't see it listed anywhere in your game), but it is what determines whether or not an Egg will hatch as a shiny Pokémon for you.

Likewise, every Egg you obtain also has a hidden value, the PSV (Personal Shiny Value—sometimes called ESV or just SV). Like every other feature, the PSV is predetermined for all future Eggs in your chain. Whenever you hatch an Egg whose PSV matches your TSV, the Pokémon will be shiny. Methods of improving shiny odds (like the Shiny Charm and the Masuda Method) simply change the PSV of some of the upcoming Eggs to match your TSV, making it more likely you will hatch one of them.

Though the PSV of every upcoming Egg can be predicted when doing Egg RNG (as long as you have the Shiny Charm or are using the Masuda Method), it is impossible to know which ones will hatch shiny without knowing your TSV first. Thus, knowing your TSV is key if you intend on hatching shinies through Egg RNG. The Wi-Fi section of the Smogon Forums hosts a TSV database where people will help you find your TSV. This is by far the easiest way to find out your TSV quickly.

1.3. What you need