When playingPokémongames, there are few ventures more well-known than shiny hunting. Introduced in the second generation ofPokémongames, these are rare spawns that have different coloring than their standard counterparts. In modern games, shiny Pokémon have a spawn rate of around 1/4,096 or 0.024%, which is already up from their spawn rate of 0.012% in Generation 2. Theshiny Pokemon spawn rate can be increased through various in-game methods, such as chain fishing and breeding methods.
Shiny Pokémon are not created equal, though. As with any design program, there is a wide variance in how they look. Some of them look cool, sleek, or extra cute. However, not all of them do. Some look downright silly. Still, all shiny Pokémon are unique and rare on some level. There is a home for every shiny Pokémon out there somewhere. There are just more homes for cool-looking shiny Pokémon like the ones below.
10 Most Important Shiny Pokémon and Their Trainers in the Anime
Shiny Pokémon are incredibly rare in the Pokémon anime, but there are a few that have played critical roles in the story in the past.
10Ponyta
Pokédex #0077
It’s hard to deny that Ponyta is one of the best shiny Pokémon designs. Its re-color isn’t just attractive in the scheme, it also has an underlying implication. Blue flames are typically hotter than orange ones, sochanging the Ponyta’s flames from the standard orange color to blue implies that this Ponyta burns hotter than the average.
Unfortunately, GameFreak didn’t keep the blue flame theme when Ponyta evolves into Rapidash. Shiny Rapidash has gray-purple flames instead of blue ones, so players who like Ponyta’s shiny color scheme shouldn’t let it evolve.
9Rayquaza
Pokédex #0384
When it comes to the ultra-sleek shinies, it’s impossible to make a list without mentioning Rayquaza. The black-gold-red color scheme makes shiny Rayquaza look both regal and futuristic at the same time. It’s the perfect upgrade to the standard green-gold-red that Rayquaza usually sports. Rayquaza is one of therarest Legendary Pokémon in the series, and has long been a fan-favorite, so its fitting that its shiny color scheme is so enticing.
Aside from making Rayquaza look more sleek, it also gives it the appearance of a predator. The black body color makes Rayquaza look more menacing and threatening. Black is a fitting primary color for Rayquaza as the Sky High Pokémon;the dark coloration makes it look like a constellation in the night sky.
8Umbreon
Pokédex #0197
Shiny Umbreon is one of the coolest looking re-colors inPokémonhistory and one of the most well-known. When a shiny Eevee evolves into Umbreon, the original black and gold color scheme is replaced with a black and blue one. The blue rings give Umbreon a greater air of mystery, which makes it look that much cooler when it’s on the field.
Additionally, Umbreon is the Moonlight Pokémon. The black and blue theme makes it look like the sky on the night of a full moon. Even though the black and gold scheme looks great too,the black and blue one looks even more like moonlight.
7Milotic
Pokédex #0350
When it comes to beautiful Pokémon, it doesn’t get much better than Milotic. Fans of this beautiful Pokémon will be glad to know that its shiny variation is just as beautiful as its standard coloration. Shiny Milotic has a lavender and gold color scheme instead of the usual pink and blue.
Milotic is one of the most popular Pokémon, and its shiny variation is highly sought-after. The Tender Pokémon was introduced in Generation 3, and aside from its sleek design, is notable because it evolves from Feebas, a typically mundane Pokémon. It’s a strikingly elegant new form for the evolution line, and only made more interesting by the recoloration when shiny.
6Jirachi
Pokédex #0385
When it comes to Pokémon with lucky color schemes, look no further than Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon. It’s said that Jirachi awakens every 1,000 years for seven days and grants wishes while awake. Jirachi was featured in the Pokémon movie,Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker.
When it comes to wishing for things, it’s always important to have a little luck on one’s side to ensure someone gets what they want without any negatives. Jirachi’s shiny color scheme replaces the teal papers on its head with red ones, retaining the primary gold color.Red and gold are lucky colors in many cultures, making this the perfect color scheme for a Pokémon whose life revolves around wishes.
5Glameow
Pokédex #0431
It might be a bit of a dark horse pick, but Glameow’s shiny variation is absolutely adorable. Its standard coloration looks very natural and sleek. However, the shiny coloration replaces the gray-blue primary color with a vibrant purple.
Glameow’s name comes from the word “glamor.” Gray-blue might be sleek, but it doesn’t exude a glamorous aura.The purple coloration of the shiny variation ups the glamor factor, giving Glameow more of the runway model design it deserves.
4Gardevoir
Pokédex #0282
Gardevoir is one of the most popular Pokémon for mostly good reasons. Its design is iconic, and its lore implies that it is both intelligent and emotionally aware, making it unique among non-Legendary Pokémon. Gardevoir is typically pastel green and white and has a touch of pale red on the horn on its chest. However, when it is shiny, the coloration looks a bit more blue and washed out.
The standard green Gardevoir coloration is very approachable. However, the washed-out blue ofthe shiny variation makes it look very sleek. Instead of looking warm, like it wants a hug, the shiny Gardevoir looks like it has some really poignant things to say.
3Charizard
Pokédex #0006
There are few Pokémon asubiquitously famous as Charizard, even among the starter Pokémon. Perhaps only Pikachu is more well-known among the general public. What many uninitiated don’t know is thatCharizard’s shiny form is just as cool as its standard coloration. When a player evolves a shiny Charmeleon, they get an imposing, black Charizard. Not only is Charizard one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time, but its black variation gives it a unique flair that exudes power.Shiny starter Pokémon, such as the black Charizard, are highly sought-after by collectors everywhere.
The best part of Charizard’s shiny coloration is the callback to the origin of its name. Charizard is a fire-breathing lizard and its name is based on the word “char.” Char is black, just like the shiny coloration of Charizard. Unlike the normal Charizard, which evokes images of a burning wildfire, the shiny one makes people think of a burned wasteland. It gives Charizard a more powerful appearance than its normal orange hue by evoking the word “burned” in the past tense instead of “burning” in the present progressive tense.
2Greninja
Pokédex #0658
When it comes to popular Pokémon, Greninja is one of the most popular in the competitive scene. Its unique blend of cool design, great move pool, and high stat values make it perfect for players who need a little boost. Greninja also has one of the most well-known and sought-after shiny variations. Unlike the normal blue and gray primary colors that Greninja sports,the shiny variation has black and white or black and gray coloring.
In real life, ninjas did not wear the iconic all-black costumes people associate with them in the modern day. The idea that ninjas wore all-black was propagated by Kabuki Theater productions featuring ninjas. However, in today’s world, it would be hard to say the word “ninja” without evoking a mental image of a person in all black wielding throwing stars. Giving Greninja a solid black primary color gives it a more stereotypical ninja look and helps identify it with its namesake.
1Gyarados
Pokédex #0130
The most iconic and well-known shiny Pokémon in the history of the franchise is likely Gyarados. Most people will simply refer to shiny Gyarados as “red Gyarados” since its coloration is red instead of blue. However, this moniker also comes from the fact that the games specifically call it the “red Gyarados.” Red Gyarados was first introduced inPokémon Gold,Silver, andCrystal. In these games, it acts as a guaranteed shiny spawn, waiting for the player to catch it in the Lake of Rage. It is the first shiny Pokémon that most long-time players encounter and, while not rare,it represents an important pillar of manyPokémonplayers' journeys and childhoods.
Red Gyarados is not onlya canon Pokémon that exists in the games and the anime; it also has specific lore regarding how it became red instead of blue. The lore for red Gyarados is that it evolved faster than other Gyarados. Since it evolved so fast,the Pokémon did not have time to undergo the physical color changefrom the red scales present on Magikarp to the blue scales that should be present on Gyarados. Players ofPokémongames will recognize red Gyarados from a mile away, and the nostalgia of its origins makes it the perfect shiny Pokémon.
