It’s already a significant job to catch all of the Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, or any of the video games for that matter, however GameFreak launched one other issue completionists might want to account for beginning in Generation 2 , and it impacts Shiny Pokémon. These are a really uncommon type of Pokémon that function alternate colours of their common, non-shiny varieties. They by no means have any numerical or mechanical variations from their common variations and are solely differentiated based mostly on their coloration and rarity.
Shiny searching has been round since shiny Pokémon had been launched, however the strategies and odds of encountering them all the time change from recreation to recreation. They make a return in Scarlet and Violet, however the open-world format has made searching them barely completely different. If you wish to know easy methods to get the very best odds of discovering these uncommon Pokémon, right here’s all the things you might want to find out about shiny searching.
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Shiny searching fundamentals

Let’s get the fundamentals out of the way in which since even skilled shiny hunters might want to acclimate to a couple variations with Scarlet and Violet. First up, the bottom odds of encountering a shiny in these video games, with no different elements, is 1 out of 4096. So, fairly poor probabilities, however about on par with the previous couple of entries. However, this being an open world the place you possibly can see all of the Pokémon round you on the map means that you could all the time see a shiny from a distance with out battling it first.
Aside from seeing one with your individual eyes, you’ll by no means learn of the placement or existence of a shiny as was the case in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. You’ll should rely by yourself observations to note and catch it your self. If you do spot a shiny, be sure to save earlier than trying to catch it. If one thing goes incorrect and also you lose, by chance knock it out, or it flees, reloading your save will let you’ve one other try at catching it.
You don’t want to fret about utilizing the Let’s Go mechanic the place you let a Pokémon roam round and battle issues by itself, both. Mercifully Scarlet and Violet received’t let a Pokémon auto-battle a shiny. In truth, this could be a helpful option to inform if a Pokémon is shiny since your Pokémon will refuse to battle it.
Shiny locked Pokémon

One very last thing to notice earlier than moving into the true meat of shiny searching is to know that Scarlet and Violet have what are referred to as shiny locked Pokémon. These are Pokémon that, it doesn’t matter what, can’t seem as shiny, so that you shouldn’t even trouble making an attempt to get one to spawn. Here’s which Pokémon are shiny locked:

All three starter Pokémon
Koraidon and Miraidon
All Titan Pokémon
Galarian Meowth
Johtonian Wooper
Snom
Gengar
Chest type Gimmighoul
Ting-Lu
Chien-Pao
Wo-Chien
Chi-Yu

Ways to extend shiny Pokémon spawn charges
As we acknowledged initially, your regular likelihood of encountering a shiny Pokémon is a measly 1/4096. Even for probably the most devoted hunter, that’s far too low should you intend to catch even a number of shiny Pokémon. That’s the place the following pointers come in useful — they will dramatically enhance your odds at discovering them.
Get the Shiny Charm
The Shiny Charm is a returning merchandise that’s made particularly for shiny hunters. It is an important software for anybody significantly intent on grinding out shiny encounters, however is all the time a grind in itself to get. In order to get the Shiny Charm in Scarlet and Violet you’ll first want to finish your Pokédex by catching all 400 species of Pokémon within the recreation. This would require you to do some buying and selling, since there are a handful of version-exclusive Pokémon that rely towards this whole.
Once your Pokédex is full, you possibly can speak to Professor Jacq within the Academy’s biology room and he’ll current you with the Shiny Charm. This is a key merchandise that routinely will increase your odds of encountering a shiny by 3x, bringing it down from 1/4096 to 1/1365. It’s a giant dedication, however the best option to completely improve your possibilities of encountering shiny Pokémon going ahead by a substantial quantity.
Make sandwiches

Sandwiches, as you need to be fairly acquainted with, present numerous buffs relying on the recipe. Certain recipes provide you with a buff referred to as Sparkling Power that can improve the percentages of shiny Pokémon spawning for so long as the buff lasts. The highest degree of Sparkling Power is degree three, which alone can improve your shiny odds to 1/1024. This is already barely higher than the Shiny Charm alone, however requires spending components and solely lasts 30 minutes at a time. Also, Sparkling Powers solely apply to particular Pokémon sorts, so you might be solely actually boosting your odds of discovering a shiny of 1 kind at a time as a substitute of throughout the board.
To make sandwiches with degree three Sparkling Power, you’ll need to incorporate Herba Mystica as an ingredient, which is hard to get because it solely drops from 5 and 6 begin Tera Raids. For a full record of sandwich recipes for every kind, take a look at this superb record put collectively by The Time is Nigh.
The Masuda Method

The Masuda Method has been round for a number of generations at this level, and nonetheless works for Scarlet and Violet. This methodology doesn’t contain working round hoping to discover a wild shiny, however as a substitute exploits some breeding mechanics to create your individual shiny.
Scarlet and Violet have you ever breed Pokémon at picnics to create eggs, which then hatch into new Pokémon. Just breeding any two common Pokémon received’t improve the percentages of the egg hatching a shiny, although. What you might want to do is breed two Pokémon that aren’t solely from two completely different variations of the sport — one from yours and one other traded from the model you don’t personal — but additionally originating from a special nation than you reside in. For instance, to make the Masuda Method work, a participant in America with Pokémon Scarlet may commerce with a Japanese participant who owns Pokémon Violet.
This is hard to arrange, little doubt, however is extremely efficient. With no different elements, the egg you get could have a 1/683 likelihood of being shiny.
Mass Outbreaks

Mass Outbreaks had been launched in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they usually proceed to extend shiny odds in Scarlet and Violet. However, the way in which during which it really works has modified. Mass Outbreaks nonetheless present up in your map, and solely final for a day, or till you’ve caught or knocked out all of the Pokémon within the outbreak. You by no means know the place an outbreak will spawn, nor what Pokémon will populate that outbreak.
Mass Outbreaks themselves have common shiny odds, however clearing them will progressively improve these odds. After clearing out between 30 and 59 Pokémon, the percentages go all the way down to 1/2048. Clearing 60 or extra additional improves your probabilities to 1/1365. This could look like rather a lot, however you are able to do this fairly simply merely letting your Pokémon auto-battle them in Let’s Go mode understanding that they received’t by chance KO a shiny ought to one seem.
Shiny odds breakdown
Those are all of the methods recognized to extend shiny odds, however the method for the way these strategies can work in conjunction is a bit complicated. Thankfully, Anubis on Twitter has accomplished all the mathematics in figuring out what your shiny odds will likely be with every mixture of the above strategies. Here’s a fundamental breakdown from lowest to highest odds:

Normal shiny odds: 1/4096
30-59 Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/2048
60-plus Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/1365
Shiny Charm: 1/1365
Level three Sparkling Power: 1/1024
Shiny Charm + 30-59 Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/1024
Shiny Charm + 60-plus Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/819
30-59 Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak + degree three Sparkling Power: 1/819
60+ Pokémon  cleared in Mass Outbreak + degree three Sparkling Power: 1/683
Masuda Method: 1/683
Shiny Charm + degree three Sparkling Power: 1/683
Shiny Charm + degree three Sparkling Power + 30-59 Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/585
Shiny Charm + degree three Sparkling Power + 60+ Pokémon cleared in Mass Outbreak: 1/512
Shiny Charm + Masuda Method: 1/512

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