'Pokémon Scarlet' and 'Violet' Are Finally Upon Us — Here's a Quick Guide on Shiny Hunting!
Updated Dec. 22 2022, 6:38 p.m. ET
Your newest Pokémon adventure has begun with the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. The brand new mainline installment to the franchise introduces players to the ninth generation of Pokémon located in the all-new Paldea region. In either version of the game, Pokémon trainers visit a special academy where they'll participate in the region's annual treasure hunt. The games feature three different story paths and all-new Pokémon to train.
Half the fun of any new Pokémon game is to catch and interact with all-new species of Pokémon. The other half is finding Shiny versions of those same Pokémon. If you're not aware, species of Pokémon can be Shiny, which means they have a different color palette than their normal appearance.
Shiny Pokémon are so highly sought after that there's an entire subculture of Pokémon fans dedicated to the process of Shiny hunting. Now an all-new Shiny hunt begins with Scarlet and Violet.
Here's how to Shiny hunt in 'Pokémon Scarlet' and 'Violet'.
Shiny hunting is different in just about every game, and your chances of encountering a Shiny Pokémon of any type may vary. The odds of a Shiny encounter in Scarlet and Violet specifically are one in 4096. Taking up the Shiny hunt in a game like this sounds pretty daunting, but players have already worked out several different methods to up the odds of a shiny encounter. The most interesting one so far? Making sandwiches!
In Scarlet and Violet, you are able to open up an in-game sandwich menu and make sandwiches. You can choose from a variety of ingredients and whatever sandwich you produce will affect your gameplay in some form.
For the sake of Shiny hunting, there are recipes that boost your encounter rate with specific types. Of course, a higher encounter rate with one type means your odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon go up as well.
Ahead of the game's release, players have been posting the best recipes for encountering certain types! Here's what we have so far.
- Normal: 1x Chorizo, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Fire: 1x Basil, 1x Sweet Herba Mystica 1x Herba Mystica
- Water: 1x Cucumber, 2x Herba Mystica
- Grass: 1x Lettuce, 1x Salty Herba Mystica, 1x Sour Herba Mystica
- Flying: 1x Prosciutto, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Fighting: 1x Pickles, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Poison: 1x Noodles, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Electric: 1x Yellow Bell Pepper, 1x Salty Herba Mystica, 1x Spicy Herba Mystica
- Ground: 1x Ham, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Rock: 1x Jalapeno, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Psychic: 1x White Onion, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Ice: 1x Klawf Stick, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Bug: 1x Cherry Tomatoes, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Ghost: 1x Red Onion, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Steel: 1x Hamburger, 1x Sweet Herba Mystica, 1x Salty Herba Mystica
- Dragon: 1x Avocado, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
- Dark: 1x Smoked Fillet, 1x Sweet Herba Mystica, 1x Salty Herba Mystica
- Fairy: 1x Tomatoes, 2x Salty Herba Mystica
Depending on the Shiny Pokémon you're looking for, these sandwiches should help boost your odds of those encounters.
Players have also confirmed other methods that are proven to work. The "Masuda Method" of breeding two Pokémon from different countries to up a Shiny spawn from an egg has yielded similar results in the new game. Regular egg breeding can also yield Shinies. Shiny Pokémon are also visible in the overworld, but they can be tough to spot depending on the Shiny you're looking for.
Unlike in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, shiny Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet do not have a sparkly visual cue when appearing in the overworld. As YouTuber LauraKBuzz notes, this can be troublesome when trying to Shiny hunt for Pokémon whose Shiny appearances aren't all that different from their normal forms. Luckily, there's a fix for this.
By pressing the R button, your companion Pokémon will auto-battle any wild Pokémon. This can result in an automatic win depending on your Pokémon's level and type.
Your companion will not auto-battle any shiny Pokémon right away. So if you come across a Pokémon that seems slightly off-color, you can press the auto-battle button to see if that Pokémon is really shiny so you know whether or not to enter battle.
How to Shiny hunt using Mass Outbreaks.
Mass outbreaks are one new feature from Legends: Arceus that's been brought over to Scarlet and Violet. Mass outbreaks reset every 24 hours, but you should take advantage of them to try to catch Shiny Pokémon.
You can search for a mass outbreak on the Paldea map, as they're indicated by the red flashing double skulls. If you already have the Pokémon registered in your PokéDex, the Pokémon will show on the map.
To increase your chances of finding a Shiny Pokémon, you'll want to chain battle the Pokémon in the mass outbreak. The more Pokémon you defeat, the higher your chances of finding a Shiny Pokémon.
Even without the use of sandwiches or the Shiny Charm, if you defeat 30 to 59 of the same Pokémon, your chances of encountering a Shiny double, whereas if you defeat more than 60, your chances will triple.
Couple this with a sandwich or the Shiny charm, your chances will continue to increase.
