How Rare Are Shiny Pokémon? Main Games, Go, & TCG Pocket

Adding a Shiny Pokémon to your collection is a huge flex to other players because they’re so hard to find. Even though the odds are usually pretty low of encountering one, there are a lot of ways to increase your chances. This guide, featuring tips from Pokémon expert Ethan Dobbs, will walk you through the shiny odds for the main Pokémon games, including Pokémon Go and TCG Pocket.

Base Shiny Odds in Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Generations 2-5, the odds of encountering a shiny Pokémon are 1 in 8,192. From Generation 6 onward, the odds increase to 1 in 4,096. You can increase your odds of finding shinies by breeding Pokémon from different countries, getting a Shiny Charm, or participating in Mass Outbreak events.

Section 1 of 8:

Shiny Odds for Pokémon Games

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1 in 8,192 or 1 in 4,096 Shiny Pokémon were first introduced in Gen 2 and were extremely rare to find in the game. The odds of finding a shiny stayed the same through Gen 5, but shinies became a little easier to find once Generation 6 came out with X and Y.
- Generation 1-5: 1 in 8,192
- Generation 6-current: 1 in 4,096

Section 2 of 8:

Shiny Odds in Pokémon Go

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The base odds of finding a shiny are 1 in 512. Pokémon Go introduced Shiny Pokémon in 2017 during an event, but they have been available ever since. If you’re lucky, there’s a chance that you will encounter a shiny in the overworld, and it will have a special sparkle icon by its name when you try to capture it.^{[1]
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- In-game events, such as Raid Boss encounters, Research Breakthroughs, and Research Task rewards, can all increase your odds of running into more Shiny Pokémon.

Section 3 of 8:

Shiny Odds for Pokémon TCG Pocket

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Odds of opening a Shiny Pokémon range from 1 in 303 to 1 in 345. Pokémon TCG Pocket added shiny Pokémon in the Shining Revelry booster packs, and there have been a few in each booster since then. Each card has individual pull rates, so check the odds for the specific cards you’re hoping to get.
- To see the pull rates, select a pack in the game and tap on “Offering Rates.” Scroll to the card you want to see your chances as a percentage.

Section 4 of 8:

What determines if a Pokémon is shiny?

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Dobbs notes that IVs (individual values) determined if a Pokémon was shiny in the first 2 generations of games.^{[2]
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Ethan Dobbs
Pokémon Expert

Expert Interview} To be a shiny, the IVs for the Pokémon’s Speed, Defense, and Special have to equal 10. The Attack IV also has to be 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, or 15.^{[3]
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Each trainer has a unique ID number and a hidden ID number. Pokémon also have a 32-digit personality value. These numbers are put into a formula, and if the result is less than 8 (in Gens 3-5) or 16 (Gen 6-current), then the Pokémon will be shiny.^{[4]
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Section 5 of 8:

How to Increase Shiny Odds

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1
Breed Pokémon that are traded from different countries. This method is known as the “Masuda Method” and is named after one of Game Freak’s co-founders. If you’ve received Pokémon from a different country during a trade, breeding it with one of your Pokémon immediately boosts the chances of it being a shiny because it has extra personality values.^{[5]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 1638 (Gen 4), 1 in 1366 (Gen 5), 1 in 682 (Gen 6-current)
2
Unlock the Shiny Charm in your game. Dobbs says that the Shiny Charm is an item introduced in Generation 5, and it automatically increases your odds of running into Shiny Pokémon. Usually, you have to complete a large task and talk to an NPC to unlock the charm.^{[6]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 2731 (Gen 5), 1 in 1365 (Gen 6-current)
- Black 2 and White 2: Catch all Pokémon in the National Pokédex
- X and Y: Catch all Pokémon in the National Pokédex
- OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire: Catch all Pokémon in the National Pokédex
- Sun, Moon, UltraSun, and UltraMoon: Catch all Pokémon in the Alola Pokédex
- Sword and Shield: Catch all Pokémon in the Galar Pokédex
- BrilliantDiamond and ShiningPearl: Catch all Pokémon in the National Pokédex
- Legends: Arceus: Reach research level 10 for all Pokémon
- Scarlet and Violet: Catch all Pokémon in the Paldea Pokédex
- Legends: Z-A: Reach the max research request level
3
Use Poké Radar to chain battles with the same Pokémon. In Generations 4, 6, and 8, Poké Radar lets you find specific Pokémon in tall grass. Using the Radar to find 40 of the same Pokémon in a patch of grass increases your odds of a Shiny appearing.^{[7]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 200 (Gen 4), 1 in 100 (Gen 6), 1 in 99 (Gen 8)
- Find a 9 x 9 patch of tall grass and stand in the center.
- Activate Super Repels to avoid random encounters.
- Activate your Poké Radar and watch which patches of grass shake.
- Catch or defeat the Pokémon to continue the chain.
- Enter patches of grass that have the same shaking animation to continue the chain.
- Walk 50 steps to reset and activate the Poké Radar again.
- After defeating 40 of the same Pokémon, watch for a patch with a sparkling animation.
4
Look for Mass Outbreaks of Pokémon. In Pokémon: Legends Arceus and Generation 9 games, Mass Outbreak events occur where multiple Pokémon of the same species appear in a single place. In Legends: Arceus, the odds increase right away, but in Gen 9, the odds increase after you defeat 60 Pokémon.^{[8]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 158 (Legends: Arceus), 1 in 1365 (Generation 9)
5
Reach the maximum Pokédex research level. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, each entry in the Pokédex has specific research tasks that raise your level for that Pokémon. When you reach research level 10 or when you complete all the tasks for a Pokémon, you’re more likely to see a shiny version of it in the wild.^{[9]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 2048 (level 10), 1 in 1024 (max level)
6
Hatch the Odd Egg. Dobbs notes that in Pokémon Crystal, the Odd Egg is an item you can receive that eventually hatches into a baby Pokémon. Any Pokémon hatched from the egg has an increased chance of being shiny!^{[10]
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Expert Source

Ethan Dobbs
Pokémon Expert

Expert Interview}
- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 7
7
Make Sparkling Power sandwiches. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet added picnics and sandwich-making that you can eat to get bonuses in-game. The Sparkling Power sandwich increases your odds of encountering shiny Pokémon for about 30 minutes.^{[11]
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- New Shiny Odds: 1 in 2048 (level 1), 1 in 1365 (level 2), 1 in 1024 (level 3)
- When you’re making the sandwich, always include tomato, onion, green bell pepper, and hamburger, and at least 2 Herba Mysticas of any kind. The remaining 2 ingredients depend on the type of Pokémon you want to catch.
  - Normal: 2 Tofu
  - Fire: 2 Red Bell Pepper
  - Water: 2 Cucumber
  - Electric: 2 Yellow Bell Peppers
  - Grass: 2 Lettuce
  - Ice: 2 Klawf Sticks
  - Fighting: 2 Pickles
  - Poison: 2 Green Bell Peppers
  - Ground: 2 Ham
  - Flying: 2 Prosciutto
  - Psychic: 2 Onion
  - Bug: 2 Cherry Tomato
  - Rock: 2 Bacon
  - Ghost: 2 Red Onion
  - Dragon: 2 Avocado
  - Dark: 2 Smoked Filet
  - Steel: 2 Hamburger
  - Fairy: 2 Tomato

Section 6 of 8:

Guaranteed Shiny Pokémon

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1
Pokémon Gold, Silver, & Crystal: Gyarados When you reach Mahogany Town in any of the Generation 2 games, an NPC will let you know a Gyarados is causing problems at the Lake of Rage. Once you surf on the lake and find the Gyarados, it’s always guaranteed to be a shiny with bright red coloration.^{[12]
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- You also encounter shiny Gyarados in the remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver
2
Pokémon Black 2 & White 2: Gible, Dratini, and Haxorus While getting Gible and Dratini depends on which game you’re playing, you can get shiny Haxorus in both versions.^{[13]
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- Shiny Gible: After defeating Benga in Black City in Black 2, visit him at Alder’s in Floccesy Town. He will gift you a shiny Gible.
- Shiny Dratini: After defeating Benga at the White Forest’s main attraction in White 2, visit him at Alder’s in Floccesy Town. He will gift you a shiny Dratini.
- Shiny Haxorus: After seeing every Pokémon in the Unova Pokedex, take the License you receive to the airport in Mistralton City. At the Nature Preserve, you’ll encounter a shiny Haxorus.
After you finish the Lord of the Woods chapter in the game and catch a Ponyta in the wild, the “A Peculiar Ponyta” side quest unlocks. An NPC will tell you that a unique Ponyta has appeared in Horseshoe Plains. The shiny Ponyta will appear in the area for you to catch.^{[14]
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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet DLC: Munchlax and Blitzle If you have The Teal Mask or The Indigo Disk DLC for Scarlet and Violet, you always have the opportunity to receive a shiny Pokémon as a gift. The DLC you have determines which Pokémon you get.^{[15]
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- Shiny Munchlax: In The Teal Mask, you’ll receive Shiny Munchlax after finishing the hardest level of Ogre Oustin’ at Kitakami Hall.
- Shiny Blitzle: In The Indigo Disk, Cyrano will offer you the Blitzle as a trade at the Blueberry Academy after you unlock battles with the secret League Boss.
A special shiny Mareep is available by completing a special mission called “A Shiny Mareep?” near Wild Zone 1. After you complete the Main mission 8 called “Reaching Rank V,” look near the northeast corner of Wild Zone 1 for the mission. After talking to an NPC surrounded by Mareep, you can find the shiny one on top of a nearby building.^{[16]
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Section 7 of 8:

Unobtainable Shiny Pokémon

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Some shiny Pokémon are locked and unavailable in games. Even though each Pokémon has a shiny form, some of them just aren’t available to catch in the game. While some shinies have only been available through special in-game events, the following Pokémon have never been available in their shiny form:^{[17]
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- Victini
- Hoopa
- Volcanion
- Cosmog
- Cosmoem
- Magearna
- Marshadow
- Kubfu
- Urshifu
- Zarude
- Glastrier
- Spectrier
- Calyrex
- Walking Wake
- Iron Leaves
- Okidogi
- Munkidori
- Fexandipiti
- Ogerpon
- Gouging Fire
- Raging Bolt
- Iron Boulder
- Iron Crown
- Terapagos
- Pecharunt
- Cosplay Pikachu
- Pikachu in a cap
- Partner Pikachu
- Partner Eevee
- Spiky-eared Pichu
- Ash Greninja
- Vivillon (Poké Ball Pattern)
- Floette (Eternal Flower)
- Ursaluna (Bloodstone form)

Section 8 of 8:

Shiny Pokémon FAQ

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1
What are shiny Pokémon? Shiny Pokémon have an alternate color scheme from the normal version. Sometimes the colors are completely different, but other shinies may have slight color changes.
2
How can you tell if a Pokémon is shiny? Shiny Pokémon will appear in a different color when you enter a battle or when you look at it in your party. Whenever a shiny appears, a sparkle animation will appear above its head, and a short sound will play.
- In newer open-world games, Shiny Pokémon will appear with their alternate color scheme in the overworld.
- In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, a shiny Pokémon will show sparkles above its head and make a sound when you see it.
3
Can a normal Pokémon become shiny? No, a normal Pokémon will stay its regular colors and can never turn into a shiny. Similarly, a shiny Pokémon will never go back to its normal coloration.
- When a shiny Pokémon evolves, the evolved form will also be shiny.

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Tips

Save your game before battling a Legendary or picking a starter. If you don’t get a shiny Pokémon, just restart your game and try again.

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