Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

How to Do Chain Fishing and Get Brilliant Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and Shield

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

You can chain Brilliant Pokémon through fishing in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Recommended Videos

Acquiring Brilliant and Shiny Pokémon is an art form, and the process is no different in Pokémon Sword and Shield. While all trainers start with a 1 in 4,096 chance of encountering one, there are several techniques for increasing the chances of having them spawn in the game. There’s the Masuda Method Egg Breeding, or you can go about chaining Pokémon in the wild, which is fighting the same species over and over again. There’s another technique to chain Pokémon trainers encounter by fishing.

You do need to fish in the Wild Area.

The concept first came about during Generation 6 for capturing Shiny Pokémon. Now, you can do it in Pokémon Sword and Shield to locate brilliant Pokémon. The technique requires you to continually fish for Pokémon at a single location. You want to stay in a single area, so make you’re fighting Pokémon of the ideal level range you want to encounter.

To properly chain fish, you need to defeat Pokémon you reel in and start a battle with successfully. If you run away, lose, catch the Pokémon, leave the area, or turn off the game, you start over from scratch because the streak stops. It shouldn’t take you too many hooks, though. You continue the chain if you have a Pokémon faint in combat, or if you camp.

Here’s the overall break down of how many times you need to hook a Pokémon for the increased chances.

  • 0 to 2: A Brilliant Pokémon could appear
  • 3 to 6: You have a 1.3x chance of encountering a Brilliant Pokémon
  • 7 to 14: You have a 3.3x chance of hooking a Brilliant Pokémon
  • 15 to 24: You have a 6.6x chance of reeling in a Brilliant Pokémon
  • 25+: You have a 16.6x chance of reeling in a Brilliant Pokémon

After 25 successful hooks and defeating Pokémon, you’re going to max out the increased chances of encountering them. It’s far quicker than the other methods and makes sense given the limited amount of Pokémon you encounter by reeling them in and fishing.

Brilliant Fishing in Pokemon Sword and Shield

You’ll know you’ve captured a Brilliant Pokémon by the small golden aura radiating from the splashing water before you reel it in and before you toss in your fishing rod.


Gamepur is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Zack Palm
Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.