What are Shiny Pokémon Canonically?
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Shiny Pokémon are canonical alternate color palettes for every monster in the Pokémon universe, where each Pokémon has a standard color scheme, and the monsters’ designs never deviate from these color schemes in regular circumstances, aside from a few early adjustments. Shiny Pokémon are considered very rare and have been included since Generation II in Gold and Silver, with the first shiny Pokémon being a Red Gyarados.
Introduction to Shiny Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon have different coloration than usual, but they offer no statistical edge over their normal counterparts, making them a treasure desired by collectors, with people pursuing these rare creatures often known as Shiny Hunters. The rarity of Shiny Pokémon is what makes them so special, with a base shiny rate of 1 in 4096, making any given Pokémon spawn have around a 0.02 percent chance of being shiny.
FAQs about Shiny Pokémon
FAQ 1: What is the Lore Behind Shiny Pokémon?
The lore behind Shiny Pokémon is not extensively explored in the Pokémon games, but fans speculate that they were invented as a way to make Gyarados stand out against the lake and be more noticeable to players, given the old pixel graphics of Gold and Silver.
FAQ 2: Are Shiny Pokémon Intentional?
The real reason for Shiny Pokémon is that in Gold and Silver, the developers wanted the player to battle the Gyarados in the Lake of Rage, but the Pokémon was hard to spot because it was blue on top of water, so they made it red, insinuating that Team Rocket “modified” it.
FAQ 3: What is so Special about a Shiny Pokémon?
The only difference between Shiny Pokémon and normal Pokémon are the colors of their sprites, which also sparkles when sent out, and most people want them because they are so rare.
FAQ 4: Why do we Hunt Shiny Pokémon?
Shiny Hunters pursue these rare creatures because they offer no statistical edge over their normal counterparts, but their extreme rarity makes them a treasure desired by collectors.
FAQ 5: Can you Breed Shiny Pokémon?
Yes, you can breed Shiny Pokémon, and it typically has the same shiny odds as any other Pokémon, although these odds can be increased with the Shiny Charm and the Masuda Method.
FAQ 6: Do Shinies Breed Shinies?
There is no chance that breeding Shiny Pokémon with other Shiny Pokémon will raise the rate of incidence of Shiny Pokémon upon hatching, but you can increase the rate to 3/4096 if you breed two Pokémon from two different real-world regions.
FAQ 7: Is it Bad to Evolve Shinies?
No, it’s not bad to evolve Shiny Pokémon, as it will give rise to the shiny version of the evolved Pokémon, so if you don’t have any other problem about evolution, you can surely evolve it.
FAQ 8: Are Shiny Pokémon Weaker?
No, Shiny Pokémon are not any stronger or weaker than normal Pokémon, unless you’re playing in Pokémon Gold, Silver, or Crystal.
FAQ 9: Should I Keep 0 Star Shiny Pokémon?
A Shiny Pokémon is not worth transferring even if it has a poor Appraisal, but if you don’t have another Pokémon of the same species, it may be worth holding onto the 0-star until it can be replaced by one with a better Appraisal.
FAQ 10: Why Doesn’t Shiny Ditto Transform into Shiny Pokémon?
Past Generation 4, whether Ditto is shiny or not, a Ditto will transform into the coloration of its opponent, so if the opponent is Shiny, Shiny Ditto will transform into Shiny, and if the opponent is not Shiny, Shiny Ditto will transform into normal coloration.
FAQ 11: Is Shiny Arceus a Thing?
Yes, Shiny Arceus is a thing, and the base shiny rate in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is 1 in 4096, the same as it’s been since Gen 6.
FAQ 12: Do Pokémon Refuse to Fight Shinies?
Yes, Pokémon will always refuse to auto-battle a Shiny Pokémon.
FAQ 13: Are Shinies Always Female?
No, Shiny Pokémon are not always female, unless they are of Pokémon that are more likely to be or can only be female, it’s just RNG.
FAQ 14: Is Shiny Female Eevee Rare?
With no special bonuses or tactics, the odds of a randomly-encountered Pokémon being Shiny are 1/4096, and if you’re just running around in the grass on Route 4 or 6, you have a 1/20 chance of encountering an Eevee, and then there’s a 1/8 chance that it’s female.
FAQ 15: Why Should you Release Hacked Shinies?
Players that receive a hacked Shiny Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Surprise Trade should release them immediately, preventing the potential danger to other users, and it’s essential for the community to come together and handle the problem.