5 Rarest Shinies In All Pokemon Games

Highlights

Shinies in Gen 1 games were incredibly rare, as they were actually Pokemon with perfect IVs, transferred to Gen 2 to reveal.
Event Pikachus in Pokemon GO are some of the rarest shinies, only available for a limited time, making them hard to find.
Obtaining a shiny Spinda with the same pattern as another is virtually impossible due to over four billion unique combinations.

As a seasoned Pokemon trainer with over 20 years of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the hunt for rare shinies has always been a thrilling and elusive quest. From the elusive Pikachus donning hats in Pokemon GO to the almost mythical shiny Manaphy hidden within the confines of Pokemon Ranger, each new challenge only serves to fuel my determination.

As a dedicated Pokémon fan, I’ve noticed that while the odds of finding a shiny Pokémon remain consistent across games (1/8192 in earlier versions and 1/4096 in more recent ones), some shinies seem harder to catch than others. This could be due to most encounters being “shiny-locked,” or perhaps because certain Pokémon are just rarer in the wild.

Gladly, there are various strategies I’ve stumbled upon to boost the chances of encountering a rare, sparkling Pokémon (though some of these techniques might seem a bit out-of-the-ordinary). Here’s a rundown of a few notoriously elusive Pokémon and why they’re such a challenge to find in their shiny form.

Keep in mind, this article will not touch on any of the shiny-locked Pokemon.

5 Pikachus With Hats From Pokemon GO

These Event Pokemon Are Rarer Than You Think

Among the many beloved characters in Pokemon GO, Pikachu stands out as one of the fan favorites. Over time, various Pikachu have been introduced for special events, donning diverse costumes or headgear. These outfits could be based on the hats of main Pokemon characters or different game regions, or they might serve to advertise something, like the Detective Pikachu costume.

As a devoted Pokémon GO enthusiast, let me share my observation: The limited-time Event Pikachus in Pokémon GO are among the scarcest, not just within the game but across the entire Pokémon universe. These special Pikachus appear only during specific periods, and once they’re gone, they’re truly gone. It’s uncommon for the game to reintroduce older Event Pikachus, so if you happen to miss one during its event, your chances of finding it become slim indeed.

4 Any Pokemon In The Generation 1 Games

Shinies Weren’t Really A Thing

Shiny Pokémon didn’t appear in Generation 1 of the Pokémon series; instead, developers referred to them as “rare Pokémon.” These rare Pokémon were essentially those with perfect stats, known as Individual Values (IVs). However, achieving perfect IVs was quite challenging during that time. Since the concept of IV training wasn’t introduced yet, players could only find Pokémon with perfect IVs naturally rather than improving them through training.

To determine if your Pokémon was shiny from the first generation, you had to move it to a second-generation game. In this new game, the Pokémon would either appear as a shiny or not. Since perfect IVs were required for a Pokémon to be shiny in the first generation, any Pokémon from the first game is relatively scarce. Moreover, players had to transfer their Pokémon to the second-generation game, and there was a chance that they might have lost some shinies if they didn’t move them across.

3 Shiny Team Mystic Lapras

One Single Chance Ever

In April of 2023, gamers were given the opportunity to finish the quest titled “A Mystic Hero.” During this quest, Blanche from Team Mystic requested assistance. Upon successfully completing the quest, participants had a chance to capture her distinctive Lapras dressed in a Team Mystic outfit. Unfortunately, each account could only complete the quest once, and there was just one encounter with the Lapras, making it difficult for players to hunt for shiny versions of this character.

As a dedicated Pokemon trainer with years of experience under my belt, I can attest to the thrill and excitement that comes with catching a rare shiny Pokemon. The week-long event from April 13th to April 17th, 2023, was one such moment that I’ll never forget. With only a single opportunity to obtain this elusive shiny Lapras, I knew I had to be on my toes and make every second count.

2 Shiny Manaphy

The Pokemon Ranger Egg

To acquire a radiant Manaphy, players must put in considerable effort due to its scarcity, even within the game “Pokemon Legends: Arceus.” Manaphy is one of the rarest Pokemon overall. Players can only obtain Manaphy by following a specific method. To get a Shiny Manaphy, they initially needed to own either “Pokemon Diamond & Pearl” or “Pokemon Platinum.” After acquiring these games, they would also need an unused copy of the game “Pokemon Ranger,” which was essential for obtaining Manaphy.

In each copy of Pokemon Ranger, you could distribute just one Manaphy, so if you acquired the Pokemon from a disc, you wouldn’t get another chance to do so. Upon completing the game, the Manaphy Egg can be moved to Generation 4 games. If you’re incredibly fortunate, you might hatch a shiny Manaphy there. However, since the egg could only be obtained once, it was almost impossible for players to achieve this.

1 Shiny Spinda (At Least Two Identical Ones)

There Are Over Four Billion Patterns

In the third generation of Pokemon games, Spinda is a Normal-Type Pokemon. Each Spinda in existence is believed to have its own distinct pattern of spots. The unsteady movements of this creature make it appear as if it’s dancing. Interestingly, all other Pokedex entries state that no two Spindas are identical, except for the one in Pokemon Y where it mentions the probability of finding two identical Spindas is less than one in four billion.

In essence, this indicates that it’s almost unheard of for two players to own a Shiny Spinda with identical patterns due to incredibly low odds. Given these minuscule chances, one could argue that it is technically the rarest possible Shiny Pokémon in existence. Players can feel confident that their unique Shiny Spinda might be the only one like it worldwide.

2024-08-01 07:33