Is 7-Star Charizard Shiny? A Deep Dive into the Mightiest Mark Charizard
The short and direct answer is: No, the 7-star Charizard available through the Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is not shiny. This Charizard is Shiny Locked, meaning that its appearance is fixed, and it will always be the standard color variation. You will not encounter a shiny version of this particular Charizard in these raids. This was done intentionally to prevent players from endlessly grinding for a shiny version within the time-limited event and to maintain a sense of consistency for all trainers. However, while the 7-star Charizard itself is not shiny, there’s much more to explore about this powerful Pokémon and its availability.
Understanding Shiny Locked Pokémon
The concept of Shiny Locked Pokémon is crucial for understanding why this particular Charizard cannot be shiny. In Pokémon games, many legendary and event-specific Pokémon are “shiny locked.” This means that even with the standard shiny hunting methods, they will always appear in their regular color. The developers implement this measure to control the distribution of extremely rare shiny Pokémon. The 7-star Charizard falls into this category, being a special event Pokémon with unique characteristics. This allows the developers to create special event Pokémon without them being so rare that many players would never be able to get them and it also makes sure that all players get the same Charizard.
Why Shiny Lock Charizard?
The decision to Shiny Lock this specific Charizard likely stems from several factors:
- Event Exclusivity: By ensuring all players receive the standard color Charizard, the developers emphasize that this event is about participation and the challenge of the raid, not the elusive chance of a shiny.
- Consistency: It makes sure that all trainers have the same Charizard with the Mightiest Mark, creating a shared experience.
- Preventing Endless Grinding: Shiny hunting can be incredibly time-consuming. By locking the shiny variant, the game avoids frustration among players, allowing them to focus on other aspects of the event.
What Makes the 7-Star Charizard Special?
While it may not be shiny, the 7-star Charizard has several notable features that make it a sought-after Pokémon.
Level 100 with Perfect IVs
This Charizard comes at Level 100 with a set of moves and perfect Individual Values (IVs). It is fully optimized for battle, making it a formidable addition to any team. The moves it knows are Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast, Hurricane, and Focus Blast. It can also use Overheat, Tera Blast, Sunny Day and Inferno.
The Mightiest Mark
This Charizard has the special Mightiest Mark, signifying its origin from a challenging 7-star Tera Raid Battle. This mark is a visual indicator of its special status and can be used to show off the accomplishment of having defeated it.
Tera Type
The 7-star Charizard has a Dragon Tera Type which adds a different challenge to the raid.
Accessing the Raid
To access these 7-star raids, players must have completed the main story of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet and have unlocked 6-Star raids. This means some preparation might be necessary before they can tackle the mightiest of Charizards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the 7-star Charizard and related topics, to provide a more comprehensive understanding:
1. Can 7-star Charizard breed?
Yes, the 7-star Charizard can breed. After catching it, you can breed it with other Pokémon in the Dragon Egg Group to obtain Charmeander. This allows you to potentially breed for a Charizard with a different nature or abilities. However, note that you can only breed the Charizards captured from the raid and not from previous generations of games.
2. Can you catch multiple 7-star Charizard?
You can only catch one 7-star Charizard per game. While you can participate in the raid multiple times, you will only receive a catch reward once. You can join other players’ raids through the Poké Portal as many times as you want to help them defeat it, but this will not yield more Charizard captures.
3. What is the best Pokémon to use against 7-star Charizard?
Azumarill is considered one of the best Pokémon for the 7-star Charizard raid, due to its typing of Water/Fairy. This gives it a resistance to fire attacks and a complete immunity to the Dragon type. It is important to make sure that you choose an Azumarill with an attack or support role to successfully combat Charizard.
4. Why is a PSA-graded Charizard card so expensive?
The value of PSA-graded Charizard cards, especially older ones like the Charizard Gold Star, is due to their age and rarity. A pristine card that has been graded highly by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) can fetch extremely high prices due to collectors’ demand.
5. How rare is it to pull a shiny Charizard from booster packs?
Shiny Charizard from recent booster packs are not as rare as the older cards, but still difficult to get. The odds of pulling a Special Illustration Rare Charizard from a recent pack like Obsidian Flames is only about 0.52%.
6. What is the number of the shiny Charizard card from Neo Destiny?
The number for the Shiny Charizard card from Neo Destiny is 107. This card, known as Shining Charizard, is a Holo card and has a lot of value among collectors due to its age and rarity.
7. Is Rainbow Charizard V Star rare?
Yes, the Rainbow Rare Charizard VSTAR from the Brilliant Stars set is considered a very rare card, and one of the most sought after from that set. It is a Secret Rare upgrade of the base Rare Holo version.
8. When was the 7-star Charizard raid available?
The 7-star Charizard raid was available on two separate occasions. The first was from December 1st to December 4th and the second time it was available was from December 15th to December 18th. Both times the event started and ended at 7pm ET.
9. Can Mega Charizard fly?
Yes, both forms of Mega Charizard can fly. Charizard is well known for flying in the sky looking for strong opponents.
10. Can Charizard be a Dragon-type?
While Charizard does not become a Dragon-type upon evolution, it is in the Dragon Egg Group, learns Dragon moves, and its Mega Charizard X form does become a Dragon/Fire-type.
11. Can Charizard and Greninja breed?
No, Battle Bond Greninja cannot breed. However, the Charizard received through the 7-star event can breed, allowing players to obtain pre-evolutions.
12. Are all Charizard cards worth a lot of money?
Not all Charizard cards are worth the same. The value is determined by their rarity, condition, and edition. First Edition Holographic Charizards in mint condition are extremely valuable and can sell for thousands of dollars, whereas some modern cards might only be worth a few dollars.
13. How rare was the 1999 first edition Charizard?
The 1999 first edition holographic Charizard is considered one of the rarest and most valuable of all the Pokémon trading cards due to it’s limited release during the initial launch of the cards.
14. What are some of the rarest cards in the Scarlet & Violet 151 set?
The rarest cards in the Scarlet & Violet 151 set are Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex, all of which are Special Illustration Rares.
15. What are the best counters for Mega Charizard?
Mega Charizard has different counters for each form. Mega Charizard X is weak to Ground, Rock, and Dragon attacks, so counters like Rayquaza, Palkia and Zekrom are effective. Mega Charizard Y is weak to Rock, Electric, and Water, making Mega Aerodactyl, Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Aerodactyl, and Terrakion strong counters.
Conclusion
While the 7-star Charizard in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is not shiny, it is still a valuable and powerful Pokémon to add to your collection. Its unique traits, including its perfect IVs, level 100 status, the Mightiest Mark, and the challenge required to obtain it, makes it a must-have for any dedicated trainer. Understanding the concept of Shiny Locked Pokémon helps to understand the developers design choices and appreciate the unique aspects of each event.