Pokemon Sword and Shield: Encounter Chaining Explained

This Pokemon Sword & Shield Guide explains everything there is to know about Encounter Chaining to improve your odds at catching a Shiny Pokemon. This is a chapter of our complete Shiny Hunting Guide, so be sure to check out the main guide for even more optimizations with Shiny Catch Rates.

What is Encounter Chaining?

Encounter Chaining is when you encounter the same Pokemon over and over again while attempting to hunt a Shiny Pokemon of that specific Pokemon. To properly increase your Encounter Chain you need to defeat the same Pokemon over and over without fainting another Pokemon that isn’t the one you are Chaining. Each Encounter the game will “roll” (randomly decide) whether or not your encounter will be a shiny. The reason you want to build up these encounter chains is to vastly improve your odds at finding a Shiny Pokemon (a differently colored version) of the Pokemon you are “chaining”.

What continues or breaks the chain?

Encountering and fainting the same Pokemon over and over will increase your chain. Encountering another Pokemon while in a chain will not disrupt the chain unless you catch or faint the Pokemon that is not the one you are chaining. Running away from an encounter whether it’s the Pokemon you are Chaining or not will not disrupt the Chain but will not increase it either.

What does the Chain need to be to increase odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon?

The higher your chain the better the chance of getting a Shiny. The maximum chain that will boost your chances of a Shiny Pokemon are after having defeated 25 of that Pokemon in a row.

Is there a counter for your current Chain?

Unfortunately no, this is something you are going to have to track manually or through writing down the starting number and checking the Pokedex entry of that Pokemon to see how many more Battles against that Pokemon you have had.

Is the current chain the only thing that affects the shiny chance?

No, the Chain just increases your chance that the encounter will “reroll” the chance at being shiny. The number of times you have battled the Pokemon you are Chaining will determine the amount of “rerolls” you get which increases the odds.

How do the Chain Count and Number of times you have battled a Pokemon work together?

Every time you encounter a Pokemon you have a chance at rerolling the encounter to be a Shiny Pokemon. The higher the chain the higher the chance at rerolling the chance at the Pokemon being shiny. The number of battles you have completed against that Pokemon will determine the amount of rerolls that you can get from hitting the chance at the reroll.

Breakdown of the odds:

Knowing that the Encounter Chain and Number of times affects the shiny odds here are the chances and odds of each encounter:

• Pokemon Battled 1-19 Times: 1 reroll increases chance to 1 in 2048
  • 0-3 Chain – 1.5% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 4-7 Chain – 3.5% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 8-15 Chain – 6.5% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 16-24 Chain – 13.5% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 25+ Chain – 31.5% Chance at 1 reroll
• Pokemon Battled 20-49 Times: 1 reroll increases chance to 1 in 2048
  • 0-3 Chain – 2% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 4-7 Chain – 4% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 8-15 Chain – 7% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 16-24 Chain – 14% Chance at 1 reroll
  • 25+ Chain – 32% Chance at 1 reroll
• Pokemon Battled 50-99 Times: 2 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1365.3
  • 0-3 Chain – 2.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 4.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 7.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 14.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 32.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 100-199 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 3 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 200-299 Times: 4 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 819.2
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 4 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 300-499 Times: 5 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 682.6
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 5 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 500+ Times: 6 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 585.1
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 6 rerolls

Odds with the Shiny Charm:

The Shiny Charm (see How to Get Shiny Charm) will give a base +2 rolls. Here is a listing of the odds with the Shiny Charm having been obtained:

• Pokemon Battled 1-19 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
  • 0-3 Chain – 1.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 3.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 6.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 13.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 31.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 20-49 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
  • 0-3 Chain – 2% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 4% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 7% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 14% Chance at 3 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 32% Chance at 3 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 50-99 Times: 4 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 819.2
  • 0-3 Chain – 2.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 4.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 7.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 14.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 32.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 100-199 Times: 5 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 682.6
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 5 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 5 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 200-299 Times: 6 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 585.1
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 6 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 6 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 300-499 Times: 7 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 512
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 7 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 7 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 7 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 7 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 7 rerolls
• Pokemon Battled 500+ Times: 8 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 455.1
  • 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 8 rerolls
  • 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 8 rerolls
  • 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 8 rerolls
  • 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 8 rerolls
  • 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 8 rerolls

That’s all there is to know about Chaining Pokemon Encounters in Sword and Shield. There are other ways to improve your Shiny Hunting odds, please refer to our full Pokemon Sword & Shield Shiny Hunting Guide for all optimization methods.