One Pokemon Legends: Z-A Critter is Shiny Locked Early

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So, I’ve been playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A and found something interesting – you can’t find a shiny Mareep right away! It turns out the game locks shinies for Mareep until you finish one of the first side quests. Luckily, it doesn’t take long at all to unlock shiny hunting for Mareep once you get that quest done, but it’s good to know going in. Most other Pokemon in the game can be shiny from the start, though.

Mareep, often called the Wool Pokemon, was first introduced in the Pokemon Gold and Silver games. This Electric-type Pokemon looks like a sheep and can be found in the Johto region. Mareep evolves into Flaaffy, and then into Ampharos, as it gains levels. The rare Shiny version of Mareep has pink wool instead of yellow, and a slightly darker blue body. Players are guaranteed to find a Shiny Mareep during a specific side quest (number 17) in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, where it’s waiting on a rooftop.

Unlocking Shiny Mareep in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Requires a Few Steps

So, I found out something kinda frustrating about Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Apparently, you can’t find a Shiny Mareep right off the bat like you can with most Pokemon. This gamer, Anubis, figured it out and posted about it on Twitter. They used some dev tools to prove that all the Mareep in the first Wild Zone are locked to their normal colors until you finish Side Mission 17, which is literally called “A Shiny Mareep?”! It’s a bit annoying, but at least we know now, right?

Although you can catch the Shiny Mareep in Side Mission 17 by lowering its health and using a Poke Ball, catching it isn’t necessary for other Shiny Mareep to start appearing in the game. The developers also initially stated that Fletchling and Bunnelby, which appear during the tutorial in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, were unable to be found in their Shiny forms. However, it was later confirmed that both of these Pokemon can be Shiny after you complete the tutorial sections where they appear.

Finding Shiny Pokémon is typically very difficult in most games, with a roughly 0.02% chance of encountering one – about 1 in 4,096. However, Pokémon Legends: Z-A makes it a bit easier by providing both sound and visual cues when a Shiny Pokémon appears. While still rare, you can improve your chances of finding a Shiny Pokémon by getting the Shiny Charm, but this requires completing the game’s Pokédex and winning 1,000 battles.

While you might occasionally miss a Shiny while hunting in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, getting a Shiny Mareep is surprisingly easy compared to finding other Shiny Pokemon in the game’s open areas. It’s still unclear if future Pokemon games will continue to make certain Shiny Pokemon more readily available through early quests.

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2025-11-04 02:34