How to find shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon is a game series where players have the freedom to make themselves unique.

From the different team compositions players can build around to the attire their avatar can wear in-game, the Pokémon series has come a long way when it comes to customization. This has allowed trainers to flex their style, both fashion-related and in  battle.

Pokémon players love to hunt for rare things, and the rarest thing players can get in the game are shiny Pokémon. These incredibly hard-to-find alternate versions of Pokémon exist in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Here is how to find shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

How to find shiny Pokémon

Shiny Pokémon do not have better stats compared to their normal versions and are just aesthetically different. However, that’s enough to get players excited as the different looks and rarity make them so sought after.

Players can find these Pokémon in the wild naturally but the odds of any wild Pokémon being shiny are extremely low. According to Seribii.net, the chances of finding a shiny Pokémon in the wild is approximately one in every 4,096 encounters, which makes such an event unlikely through the course of the main playthrough.

But there are methods to get that number down.

How to increase shiny rates in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The first method is the most practical — using a Shiny Charm.

This is a key item that makes it easier to have shiny encounters. In specific, just having this item doubles the chances of encountering shiny Pokémon. Instead of it being one in every 4,096 encounters, the Shiny Charm makes it one in every 2,048 encounters. However, acquiring this item will take some work. Players will need to complete the entire Paldea region Pokédex which includes 400 different Pokémon. But the reward is obviously great. ‘

The number can get much lower with the Masuda method. For players wanting to hunt for shiny Pokémon through breeding, look no further. This method works by taking two different Pokémon with different language origins and breeding them. For example, taking a compatible English Pokémon and a Japanese Pokémon will do the trick.

What this does is increase the chances of a shiny offspring from one in 4,096 all the way down to one in 682 and with a Shiny Charm this gets all the way down to one in 512. Shiny hunting through this method is tied for the best way to get shiny Pokémon.

The last method isn’t as easy as the others but it’s worth it. By using the sandwich-making mechanic present in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players can get their wild shiny Pokémon odds down to one in 512 too. But it requires a bit of work.

The big hurdle is obtaining the ingredients needed to get the shiny odds bonus which is Sparkling Power. But to get Sparkling Power, players need to obtain the Herba Mystica ingredients. If players have those and can activate Sparkling Power, then step one is complete. Sparkling Power increases shiny encounters for 30 minutes and while its active, players need to find a Mass Outbreak.

Mass Outbreaks have increased shiny Pokémon encounter odds depending on the number of Pokémon defeated within a single outbreak. Combined with the sandwich, once a player defeats at least 60 Pokémon in a mass outbreak the odds of finding a shiny Pokémon is around one in 512.