A Guide to Shiny Hunting

Intro: The background
Ever since the release of Gold, Silver, and Crystal for the GameBoy Color, Shiny Pokemon have been present in every main series Pokemon game that has been made throughout the generations. As they have always been, Shiny Pokemon are the most eluding Pokemon to attempt to capture (With the exception of the Red Gyarados), and since they are so scarce, they are the most valuable kind of Pokemon, surpassing even the rarity of Legendary Pokemon such as Mewtwo or Jirachi (unless they themselves are obtained as Shiny). Because of their value, people have tried to obtain them through whatever means possible, including hacking or creating fake Shinies. However, there are still other ways to obtain these lovely colored beauties; The Masuda method (the use of breeding two Pokemon foreign to each other from different language games), the random encounter (though this takes a LOT of luck and much patience; this is for the true Shiny hunter), and RNG. One other method that we will discuss (in detail) is perhaps one of the most reliable ways of all: Chaining. The Pokeradar was introduced in the fourth Generation games; Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. It could allow you to encounter Pokemon not native to Sinnoh, and it could also make it easier to EV train Pokemon. But its most famous usage is for capturing Shiny Pokemon with much more ease.

How to Chain: The basic steps
Chaining can be quite an easy accomplishment... to an expert. But to someone who doesn't know the works of it, it can be quite difficult and frustrating. But never fear; this guide will help you to learn, and how to obtain your own legitimate Shiny.
First, you have to go to a large body of grass. In all of the routes of the Sinnoh region, there will almost always be a large area of tall grass for you to chain. Chaining CANNOT be preformed in water or caves, only grass. It helps to go onto Bulbapedia and check the maps of the routes if you're not familiar with the area.
Next, register your Pokeradar in your bag. This will make it easier to use. Once it's registered to the Select Button, use it, and four patches (or sometimes less) will shake. There are three known patches of grass:
1. The patch of grass that shakes normally. This patch will shake longer and usually means there's a Pokemon native to the area you are chaining in hidden in that patch.
2. The patch of grass that shakes vigorously. This patch shakes for a shorter time than the normal patch, and has a percentage of a Pokemon not native to that area hiding within it (For example, it's possible for Mareep to hide in these patches at the Valley Windworks area, or for Nincada to appear in Eterna Forest in these patches).
3. The patch of grass that sparkles. If you see this patch, congratulations! That means the Pokemon you've been chaining will be hidden in this patch! This patch will not shake, but it will glow twice with golden sparkles for as long as the normal patch usually shakes.
When you see the first four patches shake, pick any patch to start your chain. Once you walk into the patch, you will engage in a wild Pokemon battle. You must either defeat (more desirable) or catch (less desirable) this Pokemon, and doing so will start a chain. After defeating this Pokemon, you'll notice four more patches of grass will shake right afterwards. This is where the hard work begins. After you've started your chain, you can't just go to whatever patch you want to go to keep up the chain; otherwise it will have a higher chance of breaking. Here is a small diagram below. O represents where your Trainer stands, and X will represent patches of grass.
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X O X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X

It's absolutely important that you go to the patch of grass that is four tiles away from where you stand (tiles being the spaces that the Trainer sprite is allowed to walk). This patch MUST be four tiles away vertically or horizontally; they can't be added up to four steps. If this diagram is confusing, Google Images provides a better reference for you to understand.
Running into these patches of grass that are farther away will help you to build up your chain. This means that you will continue to encounter the Pokemon you first encountered. For example, if I were to start a chain with Bidoof, and I go to a patch of grass four tiles away, I would encounter another Bidoof. After that Bidoof, I'd go to another patch four tiles away and encounter yet another Bidoof. This is a chain.
Often, there won't be a patch of grass that is four tiles away, and you may ask, "What do I do now?!" Just keep calm, and press the Select Button again (This is only if your Pokeradar is registered), and the Pokeradar will reset the patches. Don't worry, this will not break or interfere with your chain at all. It's also possible that even after you use the Pokeradar again there will still be no patch that is four tiles away. Just run back and fourth WITHOUT running into the other patches to recharge the Pokeradar (which takes 50 steps to recharge), and keep using it until you see a patch that is far away enough. When you do this, keep track of the patches that shook, and make sure you don't run into them. Just run vertically or horizontally in a row of grass that does not have any shaking patches. Also, when you need to close your DS to run an errand or take a break, you'll often times forget which patches of grass shook. In that case, it's best to make sure you're in a row without patches that shake, and face yourself horizontally or vertically, depending on which direction does not have patches that shake. That way, when you open your DS again, you can run in said direction without worrying about breaking your chain.
Breaking a chain means your chain will stop, and you have to start chaining all over again from zero. Chains will often break because:
1. You ran into a patch different from the grass you started off with. If you start your chain with a normal patch, you must keep running into normal patches to maintain the chance of seeing the same Pokemon. The same goes for vigorously shaking patches.
2. You encountered a Pokemon different from the one you're chaining. This can happen sometimes even if you go to a patch of grass four tiles away, and this is the reason why you cannot run into the patches of grass different from the ones you start off with.
3. You ran until the grass was out of sight. When all of the patches of grass are off-screen, your chain will automatically end. It is, however, perfectly fine to keep other patches of grass off-screen as long as you have at least one within your vision.
4. You used your Bike. This action will break your chain.
5. You turned off your game in the middle of chaining. Chains must stay uninterrupted, and turning off your game DEFINITELY interrupts chaining!
6. You ran into a patch of grass that was not four tiles away. Patches that are farther increase your chance of seeing the same Pokemon, which keeps up the chain. But going into a patch that is closer decreases your chances.
In any of these circumstances, a chain will break. In this case, you will have to reset and start chaining from the beginning.
7. A Pokemon you were fighting used Roar, Whirlwind, or Teleport (though if you have a Pokemon with Shadow Tag or Arena Trap, you'll be safe from Teleporting Pokemon).
Chains will not break if an Egg in your party hatches. I have tested and confirmed this.
A Shiny patch will usually appear once the chain has reached the number forty. This is because when you start your chaining, you start off with the usual odds of 1/8192 chance of encountering a Shiny. But with each Pokemon you defeat, those odds will increase, and at forty, it will go up to the maximum chance of 1/200 chance (I think). Forty is the highest odds you can go, so once your chain reaches forty, you no longer have to run into the patches anymore to keep up your chain (But stay in the area still!), so you can keep resetting the Pokeradar until you see that Shiny patch! It can take a while for it to appear sometimes, but perseverance and patience are key factors in chaining. an Also note: It's possible to see a Shiny Patch early on in your chain. I've had Shiny patches that appear in chains going as high as five or six. This doesn't happen often, but it can still happen. Another detail is that, though unlikely, it's possible for a Shiny Pokemon to appear in a non Shiny patch. I've had this happen twice: I was chaining for a Shiny Eevee, and ran into a non Shiny patch. I looked back at the screen to look at my encounter, and I had encountered a Shiny Eevee! The second instance was a Shiny Silcoon in a non Shiny patch at a chain of eleven.

Tips and notes on chaining/supplies:
1. Always use Repels when chaining. When you're chaining, it's still possible for Pokemon to appear in non shaking patches, and even if it's the same Pokemon as the one you're chaining, it will still break the chain because it was not a part of the patches of grass that shake. I prefer using Max Repels, but I've been told using Repels and Super Repels are more desirable because you buy them at a lower price and a higher quantity.
2. STOCK UP. You will need a lot of Pokeballs, and a lot of Repels. Buy at least 200 to 300 Pokeballs (but buy them in quantities of tens; that way, you can get Premier Balls as an added bonus for every ten Pokeballs you buy). Don't just stock up on Pokeballs, however; Great Balls and Ultra Balls are a must as well. Also, keep a wide variety and large quantity of Pokeballs: Net Balls, Heal Balls (not as necessary), Quick Balls, Timer Balls, Nest Balls, Dusk Balls, Dive Balls, Repeat Balls, and Luxury Balls will help you depending on your situation and what Pokemon you're capturing. If you still have a Master Ball, keep that just in case. Also, when it comes to your quantity of Repels, when using Max Repels, keep at least 200.
3. Before you start a chain, walk into the body of grass you will chain in, use your Repel, and then save your game. This helps conserve your resources so that you don't have to keep running back to the Pokemon Center and Pokemon mart to heal and restock. So when a chain breaks, reset your game, and you'll have your original supply and health for your Pokemon.
4. Make sure you walk to your patches, instead of running. It's easy for an excited player to walk into the wrong patch and end the chain. Pace yourself.
5. Use a Pokemon that has high PP points when chaining. For example, my Crobat is my number one partner in chaining because of his Aerial Ace and Wing Attack moves. Aerial Ace has 20 PP, and Wing Attack has 35 PP.
6. Use a decently high leveled Pokemon. Wild Pokemon levels can go as high as level 58 in the wild, and sometimes higher (the highest recorded Wild Pokemon level is Magikarp in the Resort zone, which can go into the 90's). A high leveled Pokemon will wipe out the wild Pokemon easily without the need to deal a blow twice.
7. When you've felt like you've caught enough Shiny Pokemon in your chain, always end the chain by running into a patch and encountering a different Pokemon. The first time I had a successful chain was when I hunted for Ralts, and caught three Shiny Ralts. I accidentally ended the chain by running into a patch of grass that was closer than expected, and to my delight, encountered a Shiny Roselia, which though Shiny, was my chain breaker. This almost never happens, but hey, if it does, extra Shiny in your pocket!
8. Start small. Begin with more common Pokemon as practice, such as Shinx and Starly. Even though they seem common and meager at first, they'll still evolve into majestic Shinies, being Luxray and Staraptor, respectively.
9. Some Pokemon can only be caught with a Dual Slot Method. This works only on a DS or DS Lite system. Plug in a copy of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. For more information on the Pokemon that can be caught using the Dual Slot Method, go onto Bulbapedia.

How your Pokemon affect wild Pokemon:
Even though you may not know it, the Pokemon in your Party can affect the kinds of Pokemon you'll encounter. It's not the species of your Pokemon that affects wild Pokemon, though; it's the Abilities. Here's a list of Abilities that will affect the Pokemon that you find:
1. Cute Charm. If a Pokemon in your party has the Cute Charm ability, then you are more likely to run into Pokemon of the opposite gender. This works fantastically if you're trying to look for a rare gendered Pokemon such as Eevee or Togepi, or if you just want a certain gender.
2. Magnet Pull. This ability gives you a higher chance of seeing Steel type Pokemon, such as Magnemite.
3. Synchronize. This ability is highly useful for raising the chances of getting a Pokemon of a certain Nature. It works by raising the chances of finding a Pokemon with the same nature as the Pokemon that has Synchronize. (Example: An Adamant natured Umbreon that's first in the party will mean you may encounter a Starly with an Adamant nature).

Shiny Hunting Hazards
Believe it or not, there are a lot of factors that can jeopardize a Shiny hunt. A chain can end if a Pokemon uses Roar, Whirlwind, or other escaping moves. Even a Shiny Pokemon can escape through these means. Take these steps to make sure you're good to go on a hunt:
1. Choose a Pokemon to hunt. Make sure you know which one you want to hunt for; Look up the area it can be found in.
2. Go onto Bulbapedia and research that Pokemon. Bulbapedia is a great source of information on Pokemon and their data, and it can help you vastly.
3. Check said Pokemon's movesets on Bulbapedia. This step will fall under two, but I'll say it anyways. Bulbapedia has information on a Pokemon's movesets from Generation One all the way to Generation Five.
4. Make sure the Pokemon in your team are capable of hunting for your chosen Pokemon. Ask yourself: Do my Pokemon need to be healed first? Do they have enough PP?
5. Always check your supplies before you leave. In Platinum, the Fight area is a great place to earn money by re-challenging Gym Leaders and your Rival. Adding the Amulet increases your pay.
As well as these precautionary steps, there's also the scenario previously stated in which a Pokemon will run. Here's some tips on such "what to do" moments:
1. Teleporting Pokemon. Pokemon that know Teleport, such as Abra and Ralts, will almost always use it because that is one of the first and only moves they know sometimes. Mean Look (move), Shadow Tag (Ability), and Arena Trap (Ability) will prevent these Teleporters from escaping, and give you an opportunity to capture them. A Crobat or a Gengar works well with Mean Look (though several others can learn this move as well), and only the Diglett evolutionary line and Trapinch can use Arena Trap. Similarly, only Wynaut's evolutionary line can have Shadow Tag (in 4th Generation, that is.)
2. Roar and Whirlwind. Mean Look will not work on Pokemon that know Roar or Whirlwind, so it will do nothing to stop these kind of Pokemon from running away. Yet, aside from Arena Trap and Shadow Tag, there is another way to keep these Pokemon from escaping. The move Ingrain plants roots within the ground and recovers HP little by little, but it also firmly roots you to the ground, therefore preventing you from being blown away. There are several Grass types that can learn Ingrain, such as Sunflora, Roselia (and by extension Roserade) Cacturne, Abomasnow, and Tangrowth.
3. Explosion and Self Destruct. This is often the most "Son-of-a-bitch-he-got-away-from-me" scenario that happens, and it's even worse because the beautiful Shiny ends up hurting itself. There is a preventative measure that can be taken, thankfully. A Pokemon with the Ability Damp will prevent the Pokemon such as Geodude (and its evolutions) and Voltorb (and its evolutions), who are notorious for their suicidal tactics, from doing what they do best. There's a couple of Water types that have this ability, so use this to your advantage.

These are all the basic steps and techniques you can use to hunt a Shiny Pokemon in the Fourth Generation games. Use them to your advangate, and happy Shiny hunting!