Pokemoncan be very competitive, with fans learning the ins-and-outs of various monsters to figure out who are the best choices for battle. However, the series' main narrative repeatedly comes back to the idea that any trainer and their Pokemon can thrive so long as they form a strong bond.Each monster is unique among its species thanks to stat distributions, abilities, natures, and more, and a confluence of factors leads to millions of potential stories being told in any given title.Pokemon ScarletandVioletwill no doubt continue this trend.
While a lot of differences are hidden to casual fans, making it a surprise when one Pidgey survives an attack because it happened to get enough EVs in Defense, probably the most blatant example is shiny Pokemon. Starting withGeneration 2, every monster receives an alternate color palette that has a rare chance of appearing in the wild. It’s nothing more than an aesthetic difference, but many have taken to “shiny hunting” for the bragging rights. Recent games have begun to integrate more shiny Pokemon into their worlds, soScarletandVioletshould give them further prevalence among dedicated NPCs.
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Shiny Battles in Pokemon Games
The mythical “Red Gyarados” is a poster child for shiny Pokemon, appearing as a guaranteed encounter inGold,Silver, andCrystal’s Lake of Rage as a result of Team Rocket tampering with nature in the area. It was intended to introduce the idea of shiny Pokemon, and plays a substantial role in the plot. Defeating or catching Red Gyarados provides players with the Red Scale they cantrade for an Exp. Share, and doing so garners the attention of Indigo League Champion Lance. He recruits the player to help take out a secret Team Rocket base shortly thereafter.
Red Gyarados isn’t only important in the games it appears; this shiny becomes an icon to trainers around the world.Pokemon DiamondandPearlkick off with players and their rival Barry watching a news report about Red Gyarados that inspires them to explore Lake Verity. Meanwhile, Trial Captain Lana from the Alola region makes reference to catching a red Gyarados as one of her many jests.
Despite the idea of shiny Pokemon apparently being in the public consciousness, there aren’t many characters who own one beyond (potentially) the player character.FireRedandLeafGreen’s Trainer Tower battle facilityfeatures a handful of generic NPCs with shiny Pokemon, and a Sightseer inPokemon Sun,Moon, and theirUltrasequels uses a shiny Exeggcute when battled at Seafolk Village after the Elite Four.
Shiny Prominence Has Been Growing in Pokemon Games
While few NPCs have personally used shinies in battle, the alternate-colored critters have become more common over time. Generation 5 introduced the idea of"shiny locked" Pokemon, often Legendaries such as Reshiram and Zekrom who could not be shiny no matter how many times a player resets the battle. Yet, it also has a number of free shiny giveaways, including a Haxorus in Unova’s Nature Preserve, as well as Gible or Dratini (inBlack 2andWhite 2version, respectively) if players defeat Alder’s grandson Benga in the Black Tower or White Treehollow.
Generation 6 reduced the base shiny encounter rate to 1/4096, and it can go even lower using items like the Shiny Charm. Game Freak has also introduced numerous ways of hunting for shiny Pokemon, includingXandY’s Friend Safari system orSunandMoon’s SOS battles.Pokemon Legends: Arceuseven features a required shiny encounterakin to Red Gyarados by asking players to find a Ponyta with blue flames for one resident of Jubilife Village.
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Shiny Pokemon have also played prominent roles in auxiliary media and spin-offs.Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time,Darkness, andSkyuse shiny Celebi as part of their main plot, and the same Gen 2 Mythical Pokemon plays a role in the latest anime movieSecrets of the Jungle. This isn’t the first time Ash Ketchum has encountered shiny Pokemon in films, as 2010’sZoroark: Master of Illusionsincluded a trio of shiny Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.
Niantic’s mobile gamePokemon GOhas centered numerous events around shiny variants, such asLunar New Year celebrations featuring red-hued shinies like Minccino. DeNA’sPokemon Masters EXhas also begun introducing important NPCs who form Sync Pairs with shiny monsters. The game’s second anniversary featured Steven Stone and a shiny Rayquaza (the black-hued dragon also partnering with Nobunaga inPokemon Conquest). More recently, the “Curious Tea Party” event added Professor Sonia with a shiny Tsareena, and “A Golden Future” added Gym Leader Morty with a shiny Ho-Oh.
How Scarlet and Violet Could Include More Shinies
The story event featuring Morty inPokemon Masters EXis an interesting blueprint. Since his first appearance inGoldandSilver, the Gym Leader has been said to research the Legendary Pokemon of Ecruteak City, and inCrystalversion he partners with Eusine - whose obsession is similarly meeting Suicune.Masters EXbuilds on this character beat and the fact that Gen 2 rival Silver previously partnered with Ho-Oh in the mobile game to weave a narrative in which Morty lives out his dream with a shiny variant of the Legendary.
Because shiny Pokemon are a known quantity in these games, it would make sense for Game Freak to engrain them further into the fabric of thePokemonworld. While they should maintain a special rarity, trainers who show their dedication to the craft by working in places like Gyms or the Pokemon League could stand to use shiny monsters befitting their personalities. At the very least, it would make sense forPokemon ScarletandViolet’s Champion to have a shiny ace as their stand-out gimmick akin to Diantha’s Mega Gardevoir or Leon’s Gigantamax Charizard.
Perhaps the best way to lean into the idea would be introducing trainers whose personalities revolve around the pursuit of these rare Pokemon.The latest iteration of the anime,Pokemon Journeys, introduced Shane Seeker; a collector who uses shiny Psyduck as his main partner and seeks to fill an entire Pokedex with just shinies. A rival or Gym Leader inScarletandVioletcould fit the same niche, or Game Freak could provide deeper commentary on shiny hunting culture by turning the pursuit of rarity above all else into the ideology of a villainous organization. There are many possibilities, but it would be fun to see the developer lean harder into this mechanic regardless of what form it takes.
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