One of the biggest joys of any Pokémon game is coming across a creature in the wild that has different coloring than usual. These so-called Shiny Pokémon don't have increased stats, but they are fun to show off and work towards collecting. Fortunately, with Scarlet and Violet, there are more ways to get Shinies than ever before. We'll discuss how to increase your Shiny odds by going over Sandwiches, breeding, the Shiny Charm, and much more.
SPOILER WARNING: This page is full of images and information that spoils parts of Scarlet and Violet.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Shiny Rate
Within Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, your base chances of encountering a Shiny Pokémon are 1/4096. Fortunately, there are ways to increase your Shiny chances like capturing or defeating a certain number of Pokémon in a Mass Outbreak (MO), or by obtaining the Shiny Charm. As far as we currently know, you can increase your chances all the way to 1/512.44. Here's a quick breakdown of how different factors increase your Shiny rate in the wild. We'll dive into more detail further on this page.
| Category | Shiny rate |
|---|---|
| Base Shiny Rate | 1/4096 |
| 30 MO Pokemon caught/defeated | 1/2048.25 |
| 60+ MO Pokemon caught /defeated | 1/1365.67 |
| Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/1024.38 |
| 30 MO + Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/819.60 |
| 60 MO + Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/683.08 |
| Shiny Charm | 1/1365.67 |
| Shiny Charm + 30 MO | 1/1024.38 |
| Shiny Charm + 60 MO | 1/819.60 |
| Shiny Charm + Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/683.08 |
| Shiny Charm + 30 MO + Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/585.57 |
| Shiny Charm + 60 MO + Sparkling Power Lv 3 | 1/512.44 |
Are starters Shiny locked?
Yes, unfortunately the starter Pokémon that you choose at the start of the game cannot be Shiny, so don't waste your time restarting your game over and over again. However, you can eventually breed your starter in hopes of getting a Shiny version that way. We'll go into breeding further in this article.
How to get the Shiny Charm
The Shiny Charm permanently increases your chances of encountering a Shiny once you've acquired it from 1/5096 to 1/1365.67. You can also do a few other things to increase the Shiny Rate further, but this is a huge start. To get it, you need to complete the Pokédex by catching every Pokémon that is available in both Scarlet and Violet. Next, open your Pokédex and press the X button to claim all rewards for catching various numbers of Pokémon. Then go and talk to Jacq at the Academy and he will give you the Shiny Charm. He's located in the Biology room.
Are Shiny Pokémon visible in the overworld?
Yes, Shiny Pokémon appear Shiny in the Scarlet and Violet's overworld. However, unlike Legends: Arceus which made sparkles appear in the distance so you were very aware that a Pokémon was shiny, the Shiny Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet only sparkle after you interact with them going into battle. Because of this, you need to keep your eyes peeled for any Pokémon around you that are a different color than usual.
This, of course, is tricky for Shiny Pokémon like Pikachu or Blissey who are only a slightly different color from normal. When in doubt, engage a Pokémon to see if it sparkles. It's worth noting that you shouldn't get too far from a Shiny Pokémon after spotting one or else it could despawn and not come back.
Turn off autosave
Scarlet and Violet have Auto Saves on by default, but fortunately, you can go into the settings and turn this off. That way, if you come upon a Shiny Pokémon, you can go manually save and then enter the battle. If something goes wrong, like you accidentally defeat it, then you can reload your last save and the Shiny will still be there.
Mass Outbreaks and Auto-battles
Mass Outbreaks were introduced with Legends: Arceus and describe a limited-time event where many of the same species of Pokémon spawn in a small area of the map. Because so many spawn at once, your chances of finding a Shiny Pokémon among them increase dramatically.
According to @Sibuna_Switch on Twitter, if you catch or defeat 30-59 Pokémon within a Mass Outbreak, your chances of seeing a Shiny jump from 1/4096 to 1/2048.25. This Shiny rate jumps up once again to 1/1365.67 if you catch or defeat 60+ Pokémon in a Mass Outbreak. This doesn't even count the additional rate bumps you can get if you have the Shiny Charm or have applied Sandwich effects.
Good morning! Here are your Pokémon Scarlet/Violet shiny rates for version 1.0.1. pic.twitter.com/ahkdeyUf24November 17, 2022
If you're in the middle of a Mass Outbreak and don't see any Shinies then start defeating the Pokémon around you using auto-battling to get new spawns to quickly appear. If you're lucky, at least one of the new spawns will be Shiny. Thankfully, Scarlet and Violet are designed in such a way that your Pokémon cannot auto-battle a Shiny Pokémon, so if your team member refuses to auto-battle a Pokémon it could be Shiny.
How to find a Mass Outbreak
To find Mass Outbreaks, simply open your map and look for a Pokémon icon with a red symbol pulsing behind it. If you haven't encountered a specific Pokémon before then a Mass Outbreak for it will appear as a question mark symbol on the map. Head to that location and see what is mass spawning.
Shiny Pokémon in Tera Raid Battles
When players interact with Shiny crystals poking out of the ground, they can be transported into a Tera Raid Battle and the Pokémon you're fighting can be Shiny.
As stated previously, it's better to turn off auto-saves and manually save before jumping into a den. That way, you can reload your last save, invite friends to fight the den with you, and go after the same Shiny Pokémon together. Just don't go far from the den after reloading or it might change who's inside.
Breeding Shinies at picnics
| Condition | Shiny Rate |
|---|---|
| Base Shiny Rate | 1/4096 |
| Shiny Charm | 1/2048 |
| Masuda Method | 1/683.08 |
| Shiny Charm + Masuda Method | 1/512.44 |
As usual, it is possible to breed a Shiny Pokémon. But unlike previous Pokémon games, Scarlet and Violet do not have nurseries or daycares. In order to breed Pokémon, you need to go on a picnic with two compatible Pokémon on your team.
While picnicking with two breedable Pokémon, Eggs will appear in the picnic basket on the ground, so just hang out for a while and let them spawn. If you want more information, check out our guide on picnicking, Eggs, and Breeding in Scarlet and Violet.
You can only hold a total of 10 Eggs at a time, so you'll want to leave the picnic area, run around in the overworld to get them all to hatch, and then return to the picnic area to gather more Eggs. Doing this will allow you to get far more Eggs than ever before in any previous Pokémon games.
Masuda Method & Ditto
The Masuda Method (named after its creator, Junichi Masuda) refers to the fact that breeding Pokémon from different nationalities increases the chances of them producing Shiny offspring. For instance, if you get a Pikachu from someone in France and you breed it with a Pikachu you caught in the US, the Egg's Shiny chances go up.
Since Ditto can breed with the most Pokémon of any other creature, it's a good idea to catch one as soon as possible if you want to breed for Shinies. Better yet, try to trade a Ditto with a Ditto from someone from another country and you'll be all set.
Where to catch Ditto
Ditto can be caught in the West Province Areas Two and Three. However, Ditto disguise themselves in Scarlet and Violet's wild areas to look like other Pokémon. So you'll need to head to the areas where Ditto spawns and then just start battling species until one reveals itself as a Ditto. Look at the name rather than the look of a Pokémon to determine if it's Ditto since they will look identical and won't have the silly Ditto face from the anime.
Sandwiches and meals
You can eat various foods during picnics that give you certain stats perks, but some will be more helpful than others when it comes to Shiny hunting. Craft the right foods for your needs to increase your odds.
Sandwiches with Egg Power are most important for Shiny breeding since they increase the number of Eggs that will appear. Meanwhile, foods with Sparkling Power make it so you're more likely to encounter a Shiny Pokémon out in the overworld.
Now, if you're looking for a specific type of Shiny Pokémon, then eating food with Encounter Power for that Pokémon type will help it spawn more often in areas where it spawns already. For instance, if you go to a place that Gastly spawns after eating food with Encounter Power for Ghost types, you'll see a lot more Gastly in the area than usual. Run around and perform auto-battles to see if any are Shiny.
Meal Power Effects
- Egg Power: More likely to find Pokémon Eggs.
- Catching Power: More likely catches will succeed.
- Exp. Point Power: More Exp. Points gained.
- Item Drop Power: More materials found after battle.
- Raid Power: More rewards from Tera Raid Battles.
- Title Power: More likely to find Pokémon with titles.
- Sparkling Power: More likely to find Shiny Pokémon.
- Humungo Power: More likely to find large Pokémon.
- Teensy Power: More likely to find small Pokémon.
- Encounter Power: More likely to find certain types.
Endgame Shiny Herba Mystica sandwiches and ingredients
Once you beat the main game and become champion, you'll want to start diving into Tera Raid Battles more seriously than before. That's because you'll gain access to 5 Star Raids and higher, which drop Herba Mystica once defeated. These ingredients are important for building secret sandwiches that increase Shiny chances for specific types, effectively making a mass outbreak for that type. Here are all of the ingredients you need for each type:
| Sandwhich type boost | Ingredient | Herba Mystica |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Chorizo | Salty x2 |
| Fire | Basil | Sweet x1, Salty x1 |
| Water | Cucumber | Salty x2 |
| Grass | Lettuce | Salty x1, Sour x1 |
| Electric | Yellow Bell Pepper | Saltyx1, Spicy x1 |
| Ice | Klawf Stick | Salty x2 |
| Fighting | Pickles | Salty x2 |
| Poison | Noodles | Salty x2 |
| Ground | Ham | Salty x2 |
| Flying | Prosciutto | Salty x2 |
| Psychic | White Onion | Salty x2 |
| Bug | Cherry Tomato | Salty x2 |
| Rock | Jalapeno | Salty x2 |
| Ghost | Red Onion | Sweet x1, Salty x1 |
| Dark | Smoked Fillet | Sweet x1, Salty x1 |
| Dragon | Avocado | Salty x2 |
| Steel | Hamburger | Sweet x1, Salty x1 |
| Fairy | Tomatoes | Salty x2 |
Multiplayer Shiny hunting
You can go Shiny hunting when visiting someone else's game in Scarlet and Violet. However, if a Shiny does appear in the overworld, only one person will be able to catch it. Additionally, if one person interacts with it but then tries to run away, the Shiny will disappear.
What every new Shiny Pokémon looks like
In case you're curious, Professor Rex on YouTube has already uploaded a video of every new Shiny Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. As you can imagine there are plenty of spoilers here so don't watch if you don't want anything revealed that you don't want to see yet.
Are Paradox Pokémon Shiny locked?
No, Paradox Pokémon are not Shiny locked! So you can actually catch Paradox Pokémon with different colors than usual.
What are Paradox Pokémon?
They are considered past or future forms of a particular species that were first introduced with Scarlet and Violet. Scarlet holds Past Forms while Violet has Future Forms.
Happy hunting
Pokémon games are magical in that they continue to be fun to play even after you beat the main story. For me, one of the greatest pulls is finding Shiny Pokémon or breeding them. There are so many ways to increase you chances of getting a Shiny in Scarlet and Violet that you can easily spend hundreds of hours in the process.
While there are no guarantees that you will ever catch a Shiny, many people have already stated that they've caught a handful in their first play through. So keep at it and perhaps you'll eventually get some.
