Shiny hunting in Pokémon games is an arduous task. With odds as low as 1 in 8192, sitting there endlessly resetting your game is very time consuming, and even if the rewards are worth it, it can be a pain to do. Even the best shiny hunting methods require a lot of setup and careful planning to work, but that’s what makes shiny Pokémon so valuable.
That said, there’s no reason why you can’t seek out a few easy wins, and thankfully, there are a bunch across the games. Most of them still require a bit of legwork, but it’s more interesting than repetitively resetting your game. That said, there are a few you catch and transfer up with Pokémon HOME, you just need to know where to look.
Hoard Pokemon – Pokémon X & Y/Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
When the franchise made the leap to 3D graphics in Generation 6, hoard encounters were included as a way to show off the capabilities of the 3DS. These encounters saw you fight five wild Pokémon at once, usually all of the same species, making it a challenging fight if you aren’t prepared.
These can be easily exploited for shiny hunting purposes. Part of what makes shiny hunting such a long process is the fact that you can only encounter Pokémon one at a time, so getting to see five at once makes life a lot easier. It’s still a bit repetitive but is a huge step up from encountering Pokémon one at a time.
Catch Combos – Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu & Let’s Go! Eevee
Pokémon Let’s Go! were the first games that let shiny Pokémon appear in the overworld, making it great for shiny hunting. Going through the process of initiating and ending a battle was the main reason shiny hunting in previous games took so long, so getting rid of them is very helpful. Not to mention, it lets you see several Pokémon at once.
It was quickly discovered after the launch that you can manipulate the shiny odds quite easily, and all you have to do is catch some Pokémon. As you repeatedly catch the same species of Pokémon, your Catch Combo increases, if you get this chain to 31 you have far better odds for shinies at 1 in 347 without the Shiny Charm item and 1 in 273 with it.
Early game Pokémon – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has been one of the best games for shiny hunters for a variety of reasons. Like Pokémon Let’s Go!, shiny Pokémon can spawn in the overworld, meaning all you need to do is wander around the land and one may appear. Given how much time you’ll spend exploring each region, you’re bound to stumble across one or two during your adventure.
This goes double for the Pokémon found in the first area of the Obsidian Fieldlands. This is partly because you’re going to see more of them than anything else, but also because they’re the easiest to complete for the Pokédex. Completing a Pokédex entry in Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives you a small boost to their shiny odds and perfecting it gives an even bigger boost. If you do this early, then it’ll be no trouble to find shiny Bidoof, Starly, and Shinx wherever you look.
Max Raid Events – Pokémon Sword & Shield
Max Raid battles are a really fun part of Pokémon Sword & Shield. Gathering three other trainers to take on a big boss makes for a lot of interesting matchups and scenarios. Under normal circumstances, the Pokémon that appear in these Raid Dens have the same shiny odds as anything else, but sometimes special things happen.
Roughly once per month it’s announced on the Pokémon social media channels that a weekend-long event is happening in the Raid Dens. These are usually themed around a type of Pokémon, and almost always include one with increased shiny odds. The most common scenario is that the selected Pokémon will have their shiny odds boosted to 1 in 50.
Ultra Wormholes – Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
A feature in the post-game of Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, players could ride on the back of Solgaleo or Lunala through Ultra Space to encounter Pokémon not native to Alola, including Legendaries. There was a lot more in store behind these mysterious portals, though.
Depending on how far you travel in Ultra Space, and the quality of the portal you travel through, you would have increased odds of finding shiny Pokémon. At its best, this would give a whopping 1 in 3 odds of finding a shiny. It’s not the most reliable as it requires getting good at the Ultra Space minigame and getting lucky in what portals you find, but with persistence, it’ll pay off in a big way.
Massive Mass Outbreaks – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
At launch, the best shiny hunting method in Pokémon Legends: Arceus was the Mass Outbreaks. These offered awesome shiny odds, with 1 in 200 or better, paired with encountering 10-12 Pokémon at a time. What’s more, they could easily be farmed with some strategic saving.
Unfortunately, the Daybreak update changed this, meaning they could no longer be farmed. However, as a replacement, Massive Mass Outbreaks were added, which triggered lots of Mass Outbreaks in a region at once. All you need to do is use Braviary to glide over the area to check every Outbreak and you’re sure to find a shiny in no time.
Haxorus, Dratini & Gible – Pokémon Black 2 & White 2
Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 were landmark games for shinies. They added the Shiny Charm to the series, which permanently boosts shiny odds, and they had not one, not two, but three easy shinies. Although, they require some elite Pokémon skills to unlock.
First up is Haxorus, which is encounterable after you have completed the Unova Pokédex. For the other two, you must beat the game, defeat Alder, go to Black City/White Forest, and beat Benga at the facilities there. Once you’ve done that, head back to Alder and he’ll give you a Level 1 shiny Pokémon as a gift: Gible in Black 2; Dratini in White 2.
Community Day – Pokémon GO
Pokemon GO’s community is as strong as it ever was, keeping the game alive and well for over five years. Part of the reason for this is how strong the support is, with regular events drawing people back to the game for valuable rewards, namely shiny Pokémon.
Coming once every month, Community Day events offer massively increased spawns for a chosen Pokémon. Along with the spawn increase, unique moves will appear on them for just a few hours, but the most noteworthy change is the boosted shiny rates. While Community Day is active, shiny odds are 1 in 25 for the chosen Pokémon.
Red Gyarados – Pokémon Gold & Silver
Pokémon Gold & Silver added colour to every sprite in the game, and that is where the idea for shiny Pokémon was born. They were far rarer than they are today at an eye-watering 1 in 8192 odds. As such, you may have gone through the entire game without even knowing they exist because of how rare they were.
To show off this feature, an event was worked into the story for Gold & Silver. After getting your fifth Gym Badge and heading to Mahogany Town, you’ll be directed to go to the Lake of Rage where a special Red Gyarados lives. You’re tasked with calming it, either by catching or defeating it and when you engage it in battle you’ll discover that it’s shiny.
Ponyta – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Guaranteed shiny spawns don’t happen often in Pokémon games, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus wanted to show off that shinies appear in the overworld. It does this by giving you a side mission all about shiny Pokémon. We have a full explanation for catching this Pokémon in our Shiny Ponyta guide.
You’ll be directed to speak to a man in Jubilife Village who will tell you of a strange-looking Ponyta out in the Obsidian Fieldlads. Head out there and you’ll see a shiny Ponyta virtually begging to be caught. To make life even easier, if it runs away or is defeated it’ll respawn repeatedly until you catch it, so it’s impossible to miss.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
