Conquering the trading system (X/Y)
Posted by: VaeporSage
Date: 2014-05-04 17:16:23
Since Christmas when I got Y, I haven't migrated or cloned anything. Nevertheless, I have obtained 60+ shinies, ~55 events and a full living dex from scratch.
I have invested way too much time in this scheme (nearly 500 hours total, probably started hardcore trading about 70 hours in), but it's fairly simple and consistently effective. You most definitely will not have to input anywhere near that amount of time.
Here goes.
1: Get Kricketot.
Kricketot is probably the godliest thing you can put on the GTS. I can guarantee you that if you hatch a Kricketot and put it up there, you will get Latios, Latias, Kyogre, Kyurem, Regice, whatever legendary you want. No joke. If you have Balm Mushrooms in bulk, those help, but they're not a necessity.
Kricketot is not found in Gen VI. In Gen V, it is obtained only by breeding a Kricketune. (And come on now, no-one did that.) As a result, Kricketots are disproportionately valued to a hilarious degree - perhaps by Pokedex collectors most of all. Breed boxes of these and you will profit. 8)
On average, it takes about 8 hours for someone to take up your Kricketot. It can be quicker if you ask for something lesser such as Azelf. On weekends, more people view your stuff also.
Put in a friendly message as you stick up the Kricketot if you like - it might loosen people up into giving away their once-off legends for something they know you just hatched and farmed.
Personally, I've never put one up for Xerneas or Yveltal. These are very commonly asked for when people put up Kricketots. However, I do know that if you take two minutes to raise it up to Lv.10 for a Kricketune, you will almost certainly get your Xerneas/Yveltal. ;)
2: Hunt on the GTS.
This is the hardest step. You may be content with your pile of legendaries, but if you want to take it further, here's how. Simply look through all the Pokemon of which you would like a shiny form. You want a shiny Honedge? No harm in looking. Eventually, you will definitely come across some naive fool offering up their rarest stuff for mere Xerneases, Ho-Ohs and such - which it only took you a Kricketot to get!. ::)
This could take 5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour, who knows. But be patient with the GTS. You will be surprised at the amount of people who couldn't care for shinies and would prefer to own the Pokemon they see on the box. You can get really cool stuff this way - so far my best was a shiny Heatran offered up for my Xerneas. You may get hacks; but you have lost only a Kricketot to get it.
Make sure to look only at the first 5 Pokemon or so in each species. Any further than that are the ones that haven't been traded for. Shinies can go quick, but to be honest, it's rare that someone will get in ahead of you to snatch it if you find the shiny as the first one listed.
Make sure to use the blue arrow icon on the bottom of the screen to quickly navigate through your boxes when swiping your shinies.
If this sounds tedious, I can assure you that it is nothing to the monotony of chain fishing, Masuda hatching or soft resetting.
3: Shinies for events.
Depending on your outlook, you may prefer to own shinies rather than events. Personally, I disagree. Scan through the list of people wanting to trade from time to time. Sometimes you will have what they want.
This really comes down to the person you trade with, so hunt your prey well. If they really want a particular shiny and they're bored or otherwise unimpressed with their event, they will eagerly hand it over. If you have a wide range of shinies, feel free to flaunt it! Advertise it in your profile. ("FT:20+ shinies!:D) etc.
Always trade up. Trading your shiny Kecleon for a shiny Metagross is a no-brainer. Certain events are not worth trading for, such as the Bank Celebi. But really, knowing what people want more is common sense based. One thing that can really skew people in favour of a shiny is its level. Training your shinies can make them appear more valuable to your trade partner, even if it's just a lame Beedrill or something.
If you do not use voice chat, it is important to have a wide range of messages. Nickname some Pokemon "No thanks", "Yes please", "Any shinies?" and so on to keep trading flowing nicely.
If I think of any other tips to help, I'll make sure to add them in here. But with just the information here, I think you can accumulate a decent collection. Good luck to all who give this a shot! ;)