One of the rarest and most sought-after collectibles in the Pokémon franchise are Shiny Pokémon. Shinies are just Pokémon with an alternate color scheme, as well as a specific little animation that occurs when they appear in battle, but they're exceptionally difficult to get.
Only around one of every few thousand Pokémon the player comes across are Shiny, with each Shiny sometimes taking days of real time to find. Those who dedicate themselves to the hunt often take the hard path without improving their odds at all, but there are ways of getting these off-color creatures faster. The methods differ from generation to generation, so each has a unique system of hunting for aspiring Shiny collectors to try out.
8 Generation I: Virtual Console Stat Checking Reveals Hidden Shinies
While Shiny Pokémon weren't introduced until Generation II, in the 3DS virtual console versions of the games it's still possible to find an off-colored creature.
In Pokémon Gold and Silver, Shininess is determined by a Pokémon's DVs, a group of stats determining values present in the first two generations of Pokémon. If at least 4 DVs have a value of 10, that Pokémon will be Shiny. As a result, Pokémon in the Virtual Console Game Boy games can be Shiny if transferred to the Pokémon Bank. All that's needed is to check the stats of a newly caught Pokémon against the values that creature should have at that level. Once they match, the hunt is over.
7 Generation II: The Odd Egg's Odds Are Absurdly Good
Other than the Red Gyarados in the Lake of Rage, the best way to Shiny hunt in the game is by far the Odd Egg given to the player by the daycare man in Pokémon Crystal.
In the international versions of the game, this egg can hatch into one of seven baby Pokémon — with a whopping 14% Shiny rate. In the Japanese version, this chance is increased to a mind-boggling 50%. If an aspiring hunter wants to add a Shiny to their team quickly, the Odd Egg is a fantastic place to start.
6 Generation III: Random Encounters And Soft Resetting Are Traditional Methods
Surprisingly enough, the third generation of Pokémon games is the only generation not to have any way of increasing the chance of getting a legitimate Shiny. Players have to go about hunting the old-fashioned way: resetting or running around until their desired critter appears in a whirl of stars.
Trainers will need to be cognizant of their game's battery, however, as a dead battery makes the soft-resetting method nearly impossible. Replacing said battery will allow the hunt to begin anew, but it will also wipe the game's save file, so trade any wanted Pokémon away first.
5 Generation IV: The Cute Charm Glitch Makes Shiny Pokémon Common
Like Generation II, the Sinnoh games don't have any official way to increase the odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon. However, through the use of some ID manipulation, it's possible to get Shiny Pokémon at ridiculous rates. By using RNG and timing to get the correct Trainer ID and Secret ID, as well as a Pokémon with the ability Cute Charm, the game narrows down the possible different personality values wild Pokémon can have.
This narrowed number of Pokémon have around a 21% of being Shiny in every wild encounter. If pulled off properly, a player can reap the rewards and fill box after box with Shiny Pokémon. Be warned that this may make Shiny hunting less exciting and rewarding, so it's recommended not to Cute Charm hunt for too long.
4 Generation V: The Masuda Method Makes Its Debut
Introduced in Generation V, the Masuda Method is one of the most popular ways to nab a Shiny, and for good reason. It ups the Shiny rate for Eggs by a ton, all the way from 1/8192 to 1/1638, and since it deals with Eggs, the method can be used with any breedable Pokémon.
The Masuda Method is pulled off by breeding two Pokémon from different real-world countries together. Doing so results in a drastic odds increase. By breeding Eggs as quickly as possible, having a Pokémon with the Flame Body Ability at the front of the party to shorten hatch time, and running around until all of the Eggs hatched, Generation V players nabbed Shinies faster than ever.
3 Generation VI: Chain Fishing Is Almost Like A Mini-Game
One of the coolest methods of Shiny hunting — and a method unique to Generation VI — chain fishing can get Shiny odds up to as high as 1%. To chain fish, a player has to stand in the same spot and fish continuously, reeling up a Pokémon every time. With each encounter the shiny rate will slowly increase, but if the player happens to pull up nothing or move the streak ends.
If there's a Water-type Pokémon that a hunter wants to acquire in Pokémon X and Y or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, giving chain fishing a go can be a fun and immersive way to obtain it as fast as possible.
2 Generation VII: SOS Calling & The Ultra Wormhole Introduce New Options
A new mechanic introduced in the seventh generation, SOS calling was a cool new way to up immersion as well as a great way to Shiny hunt. If a wild Pokémon was weakened in battle, it had a chance of calling for help at the end of the turn. This could call in another wild Pokémon to make the battle a 2-on-1 fight. If the player keeps their weakened Pokémon alive, uses an Adrenaline Orb to increase the call rate, and knocks out all of the Pokémon that show up to help, it's possible to get Shiny Pokémon incredibly quickly in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Every time a new critter shows up, the Shiny rate increases up to 1 in 1024.
In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon there was yet another feature, the Ultra Wormhole, that doled out Shinies much more rapidly. There's a staggering 1-in-3 chance to find a Shiny in one of the non-legendary, top tier Ultra Wormhole exits. Jumping in one of these will net the player a Shiny in no time. However, the pool of potential Pokémon to encounter in an Ultra Wormhole is quite small, which makes SOS calling the best way to find the majority of the game's beasts.
1 Generation VIII: The Masuda Method Makes Its Return
While Pokémon Sword and Shield implemented a method wherein defeating a large number of the same Pokémon would increase the odds of finding a Shiny version, two major problems emerged. Firstly, the amount that the odds were improved was far too minor for the effort that players were expected to put in. This effect wasn't even guaranteed; defeating 500 Pokémon just so the chances had the possibility to be better simply wasn't good enough.
Secondly, the feature was bugged and didn't work properly. Instead, the Masuda Method reigned once again as the best and fastest way to generate alternate-colored critters.
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