I agree with another comment in here. The purpose for the Masuda Method was encouraging people to trade around the world over the wifi. For that reason, I doubt it was removed.
My question now though is all this talk about a raised shiny encounter rate in this version. How does that compare to shiny breeding so far? It seems far more people are encountering than successfully breeding shinies...
I've only ever gotten one true shiny...back in Emerald (Beautifly...well, technically it started out as a shiny silcoon). I've been trying to work though the games in order (I'm only on Pearl now, with the others already started but on hold), but X has currently tanked that plan for the time being. There's just so much to do that's more addicting than Pearl!
I've noticed breeding is something I often stop and do a whole lot of (heck, I don't officially start my games until I have a boy and girl of each starter-using resets and trades with my son, who holds them for me in exchange for a few of the eggs).
Back on topic: If the Masuda Method does work...do you think it's holding its own against shiny encounters so far? There's that whole increased the odds rumor (by as much as 1/1000?!)
Great tips in here though with the fletchling (I didn't even think about my evolved fletchling having flame body already :D ). As to trading for a foreign ditto, my son caught me a bunch of ditto and I deposited one last night on the GTS. I left a note "diff region plz" but just asked for any ditto. I woke up this morning with a nice JPN ditto :)
So, if you've the patience and can't find someone offering a ditto for your ditto, just be one of those from your country offering a ditto for a ditto. You might have to deposit the ditto you get again, but eventually you'll get someone from another region trading you.
Also, I believe, so long as you have that little black box with white writing that specifies a different realm at the top of the summary (on the top screen right above the Dex No. - above all the alternating brown lines). If it's not from another region (and thus not part of the Masuda method for you), there'll just be a blank space above the Dex No.
It can be tricky, so I just make sure I see that box and an obviously foreign language name (such as Japanese). Gotta be careful though. Somehow my husband ended up with a pokemon that had a Japanese name but it was missing the little sign that claims it as from another region (I can only assume that is because someone from our region started the game in that language).
When looking at the 1-screen top summary, the different region sign will be on the very top line in this order: Pokeball icon, pokemon name, a tab-space, Lv.49 (or whatever level it is), space, the little black box with parallel-slanted sides. If it's from your region, that line will end with the level.
