Shiny Pokemon are rarest of the rare treasures that some fans will spend hundreds of hours hunting down. Getting a Shiny Pokemon is a status symbol. It is the ultimate showcase of a fan’s dedication to their favorite Pokemon. Your chances of actually getting a Shiny Pokemon are astronomically slim, and a regular player can go through an entire Pokemon game without even realized there are special slightly-altered Pokemon with unique color palates. Shiny Pokemon are so rare, you might never see one in your entire playthrough.
And Shiny Pokemon return in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Instead of spawning in fights, these Shiny Pokemon appear in the wild, wandering around like every other critter — that both makes them easier and harder to find. Thankfully, there’s a new mechanic that exponentially increases your odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon. It might not be the Shiny Pokemon you want, but if you’re happy to get any Shiny at all, this is how to do it.
More Pokemon Legends: Arceus guides:
How To Catch Legendary Arceus | How To Catch Mythic Darkrai | How To Catch Legendary Palkia & Dialga | How To Craft Pokeballs & Potions | How To Get All 3 Starter Pokemon | How To Earn Tons Of Money With Crafting | How To Increase Friendship Level Faster
How To Find Shiny Pokemon | Ultra Rare Pokemon Variants Guide
Shiny Pokemon are special recolored versions of Pokemon. Some are only slightly different, while others are much more vibrant. The odds of encountering a Shiny Pokemon are about 1/4096. That means, on average, you’d have to encounter 4096 of a Pokemon species before encountering a single shiny. It can takes days, weeks, or months of grinding to encounter one.
After playing through the story of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, there are two ways to find Shiny Pokemon we’ve found so far. One greatly increases your chances by a huge margin, and the one guarantees a Shiny Pokemon reward.
- How To Increase Your Chances Of Finding Shiny Pokemon: As you progress through the game, you’ll notice a special marker on your world map that shows a Mass Outbreak location. A Pokemon Mass Outbreak is a special event where many, many more Pokemon than usual populate a region. Travel there to find tons of Pokemon — and the Pokemon in these Mass Outbreak events are much, much more likely to be shiny.
- Mass Outbreaks give you +25 shiny rolls. A huge bonus.
- In addition to Mass Outbreaks, Shiny Pokemon chances are greatly increased by the following additional factors.
- Shiny Charm: A special equippable item that gives you +3 shiny rolls.
- Unlock Dex Research Level 10: Reach Research Level 10 for a Pokemon species. Gives +1 shiny roll.
- Unlock “Perfect!” Dex Research: Complete all research tasks for a Pokemon species. Gives +2 shiny rolls.
Combining Shiny Charm, Dex Research Level 10, and “Perfect!” Dex Research while hunting in a Mass Outbreak Event will increase your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon from 1/4096 to 1/128. Suddenly, finding Shiny Pokemon becomes a whole lot easier. Credit goes to Pokemon Researcher @Sibuna_Switch for sharing this information.
If you just want a Shiny Pokemon by any means necessary, there is a special request that will always give one as a reward.
- How To Get A Guaranteed Shiny Ponyta: After completing the “Frenzy of the Lord of the Woods” main quest, you’ll unlock the “A Peculiar Ponyta” request from the HQ. Begin the request and catch the marked Pokemon to get your Shiny Ponyta.
That’s the best advice I can give for finding Shiny Pokemon — until the fan community finds an even better method. Until then, hit up the Mass Outbreaks and grab your Shiny Ponyta to begin your rare collection.
More Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl guides:
How To Catch All Legendary Pokemon | How To Get Mew, Jirachi & Manaphy | How Get A Useful Catcher Pokemon | Where To Find Evolution Stones | All Field Moves | Early Mystery Gifts | Easier Grand Underground Catching | How To Catch Rotom & Change Forms | All Gift & Fossil Pokemon | Ultimate Moves Locations | Shiny Pokemon Hunting Guide | Easy Cash Farming Method | How To Catch Feebas, The Rarest Pokemon | Ditto Breeding Guide | Best XP Grinding Method | How To Expand Secret Base | How To Catch Mesprit