How to save a dying Chao?

[horsea9]

Hello everyone!
I'm new to Chao Island and I'm not sure if it's the right place for this post. I also hope my English isn't too bad...
I've got a real problem with Chao. My niece likes playing SADX. I taught her the basics, and before leaving for several days, I explained to her that if one of the Chao goes into the grey cocoon she should reset the game immediately and stop playing it if she wants to keep her Chao.
As soon as I got back she told me that it happened and she did everything she was told.
I've tried different methods: I put all the other Chao into different gardens, and the poor Chao got all the attention: I fed it, gave it animals, petted and held it. Nothing helped. In a while it would just frown and go into a grey cocoon (I suppose it was neglected, or maybe even hit accidentally). I tried to feed it and then hold it without letting it go for a long time but it tried to break away. Seeing my niece really upset I decided to try Chao Editor. I thought the problem was the happiness level so I increased it, I also tried the hunger level and "bond with the character"... No matter what I do, the happiness level drops to zero at some point, and Chao ends up in a grey cocoon...
Can anything be done here? Please, help!

[Yukki 2.0]

Has this chao reincarnated before?

[FedoraBrella Chao]

Strange. It may be a glitch, or something we don't really know about yet. A good way to tell if a chao will reincarnate or not is to keep pressing the pet button (individual presses, not holding down.) until it comes to you when you whistle, which means it's very happy and will reincarnate.

[Yukki 2.0]

Once upon a time, I was told that chao eventually die even with a lot of happiness. I believe that after 2 reincarnations, they will be on their last life. Unless you manage to make them a chaos chao, all chao go to heaven. Or hell.

[FedoraBrella Chao]

Chao have unlimited reincarnations, if they're happy enough at the end of their life and nothing's stopping them, they reincarnate.

[Yukki 2.0]

I could have sworn that they only had three lives.

[FedoraBrella Chao]

Nope. People have had chao that've reincarnated more than 2 times, some have even had it reincarnate 5 or more times. This rumor likely came from the fact that chao must be on their 3rd life or more to become a chaos chao. However, in SA2 and SA2B, they can get sick, and it's assumed that if left unnattended, it will surely die. I doubt illness is in SADX, so that's probably not the problem.

[horsea9]

Thank you for help! No, it has never reincarnated before, this would be its first reincarnation...

I guess the problem might be I tried to hold down S button in order to prevent Chao from forming the cocoon, I was afraid I would miss that moment. I'll try to press it repeatedly.

UPDATE:

I guess it will be impossible without Chao Editor. When I enter the garden, it's still sleeping, then in one or two minutes it wakes up. I give it a fruit or two (it seems hungry), then less than in a minute it dies...
Even if I wake it up (which is, as far as I know, is absolutely not recommended), there will be not enough time to make it happy, because its happiness is below zero level
Isn't the happiness level supposed to remain more or less the same after you change it with Chao Editor? Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

[FedoraBrella Chao]

Sounds like it's some sort of glitch. This is the PC version, right? If so, a chao editor may help.

[Echo2VX]

I have chao that have reincarnated more than 20 times.
To help with the problem of raising happiness: There is a special way you should pet it. Don't hold the pet button down. Using individual pets isn't all that detailed either. You want to give it individual pets, very short ones. But space it so that the chao displays a heart after each pet. The more hearts you see pop up above your chaos' head, the happier it will get. When I save my chao, I count how many times this is done. The most I ever do it for is 100, but 50 should usually do the trick.

[horsea9]

Echo2VX, thank you, now I see. The most terrible thing I never knew whether things I'm doing have any effect on Chao, I'll pay more attention to the hearts )

FedoraBrella Chao, yes, it's PC version.

Could you give me just a few hints, please? (in case I won't be able to cope without Chao Editor)
Just what should I do in the first place, what can be ignored.. And I also heard some things in Editor should be changed only when Chao is sitting on the ground, and you are not holding it, and some changes work only after you leave the Garden (?) and re-enter it... Or maybe I'm mistaken again.
So, what should be the most effective way?
Should I first form a bond between Character and Chao, then do something to its hunger and happiness... and maybe make its life longer so I'll have more chances to save it?
Well, I understand that Chao gets hungry and sleepy from time to time... but the happiness decreasing so drastically (just in a second) doesn't seem normal, I guess Chao Editor just won't save it for some reason :( It's not easy to find a right way to do things because the game often crashes when I use Chao Editor
I've also exported information about Chao to files but I'm not sure it will help...

[Echo2VX]

ALSO: A good note for the petting thing and the hearts, you can get hearts twice as fast if the chao is sitting down instead of standing.

[horsea9]

Interesting ) I had no idea it makes a difference

[Crazo3077]

The following is my advice:

1. If you're having a hard time reaching the Chao before it puts up a cocoon, leave and come back until it spawns in water. I know this will happen in SA2B, and I imagine it can happen in SADX, but that's how you can ensure you get a hold of it.

2. While petting helps, I have seen a lot of success using Heart Fruit. To my knowledge, Heart Fruit boost both happiness and desire to mate, which can help save time.

3. It only helps in SA2B, but if they have a favorite fruit, it might make a difference, but I don't remember for sure.

[horsea9]

Thank you, I'll try both!

The hardest part is though I have a couple of minutes, Chao is usually sleeping in the beginning (so I can't pet it), and I'm afraid to wake it up. Sometimes when I reset the game it appears in water but I can't feed or pet it until I put it on the ground, and that often results in losing a moment, and it's gone ((

[Crazo3077]

Don't be afraid to wake up the Chao if your plan is to feed it. It will be work it.

[horsea9]

We were so close...

I began with taking down sleepiness and tiredness using Chao Editor and that made it wake up. Then I increased affection to the character a little hoping that it will help make Chao happy faster.

After that I gave it a Heart fruit and pressed S button repeatedly, very quickly. I used to think making Chao happy is a VERY long and difficult process but in 2 or 3 minutes happiness was about 40 or so! And finally, Chao went into a pink cocoon! My niece was so happy, she nearly screamed for joy. Unfortunately, the game crashed as we were leaving it ((

I guess I'll have to do the same naturally, without Chao Editor, but... I wish Chao wasn't sleeping because if I wake it up it reacts to S button like this , and no hearts appear...

[NachoThePikachu]

What you could do after waking it up is continue petting it even if there is a lack of response at first. Once sleepiness passes and you continue petting it, the hearts will come back and you can increase happiness again without having to worry about it going into the cocoon. :3

[Crazo3077]

I emphasize that if it is hungry, or Chao Editor can make it hungry, use that to feed the Chao, even if it has the swirls. Keep it tired and keep feeding it Heart Fruit. Don't modify it's happiness or connectedness in the editor. Keep it sleep and hungry and keep waking it up and feeding it heart fruit. When it gets squiggly, just leave the garden and come back.

[horsea9]

UPDATE!

Hello, everyone, and thank you so much!
You helped me to save this little guy , and I really appreciate it

Now I know the way, it should be easy to take care of the others

[DropkickGiggles]

Throw that guy into the water as fast as humanly possible. Chao can't reincarnate/die while swimming!