Shiny Here, Shiny There

With all the Pokémon games in existence nowadays, some elements have become common to a number of games. One of those elements is the existence of Shiny Pokémon, the differently-colored variants of otherwise normal Pokémon. In the three series I play (main series, Shuffle, and Go), Shiny Pokémon are present in them all, though admittedly to different extents. Yet with all that, my views on Shiny Pokémon are still the same: it's either a lucky gift or something to be pursued but not actively.

It's fairly obvious that Shiny Pokémon are present for nearly all forms, even those that aren't supposed to be officially present. The odds, though, are rather low, so for me, I don't feel it's worthwhile to pursue them, even with the aid of a Shiny Charm. If both VGC and non-VGC players are of any indication, most teams don't have many Shiny Pokémon anyway, which leads me to think that many players are also practical in regard to this matter. I suppose that's fine, given that more efforts can be better devoted to raising a better team than to obtain a Shiny Pokémon; it's exactly what I would do. The breadth of Shiny Pokémon in the games is still nothing short of astounding and makes it a blessing to have even just one.

In Go, the presence of Shiny Pokémon isn't as extensive, but thanks to game events such as Community Day, they're well-publicized. I had a chance to catch a Shiny Magikarp just a couple of days back, and this is a long-standing Shiny form. Since then there have been many more Shiny forms, including during the time Lugia repaid a visit as a raid boss, which I experienced first-hand. The experience is about the same as the main series, so again, this is something I don't wish to pursue actively either, also taking cues from my Lugia experience. It is likewise very nice when the opportunity just so presents itself.

Shuffle too has its Shiny Pokémon forms, though they're even fewer and more selective. The good thing is that once they're captured, they're yours, so it's totally worth it to capture them when they appear. The last one introduced was Shiny Metagross, and it didn't take much effort to get this one. Like any different form, Shiny Pokémon have their own abilities and Mega effects, as does Shiny Metagross. It's hard to expect that every Pokémon here will have a Shiny form, but it is a remote possibility regardless. Until then, all the Shiny forms are still tantalizing to have.

Shiny Pokémon are still much a part of Pokémon as their normal counterparts, even if they're odd, rare, or both. The fact that they're becoming more pervasive is only a testament to this. However they are obtained, they're still quite nice to have, perhaps enough for any player (including me) to be entertained and to entertain others while making progress within the games.

One year ago: Friendly Plays