Shiny Pokémon are a valuable commodity in the Pokémon franchise. These Pokémon are extremely rare forms of standard Pokémon. Shiny Pokémon have different coloration than regular Pokémon have, and the new appearance, in combination with its rarity, makes hunting these Shiny Pokémon a valuable activity for collectors to enjoy. However, each Pokémon game has a brief list of Pokémon that are “shiny-locked.” This means that no matter what you do, you cannot get a shiny form of this Pokémon from within the specific game without using alternate tools.
To avoid wasting your time in your shiny hunting endeavors, you should know which Shiny Pokémon in the game is unavailable to hunt for. Follow this guide to learn all the Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet that are shiny locked.
The starter Pokémon
Starter Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the first trio of shiny-locked Pokémon in the game. More surprising is the fact that most of the time, Starter Pokémon are available to shiny hunt. To shiny hunt these creatures, players typically reset the game, as Pokémon can potentially be shiny when you choose them.
However, the three Pokémon you can choose in Scarlet and Violet, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, are unavailable to shiny hunt. This means resetting continuously for days on end is not worth it in this game. You won’t be receiving your shiny light blue Quaxly at the start.
This doesn’t mean you cannot get a shiny starter Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. Specifically, the shiny-locked Pokémon are the three starters you can choose at the beginning of the game. You can still get your shiny starters by breeding them, so don’t lose all hope.
Gimmighouls
Gimmighouls are encounters you can find across the region of Paldea. These mimic-like Pokémon are found in towers across the region. When you climb a tower, you can come across a Gimmighoul in a chest. However, as these are not wild Pokémon, you cannot find a Gimmighoul by finding them in the open world.
Unfortunately, unlike the starters, Gimmighouls also cannot breed despite not being a legendary Pokémon. This means there isn’t a true and legitimate way to get a shiny Gimmighoul as of this writing.
All legendary Pokémon
Legendaries in newer Pokémon games tend to be shiny-locked, and this is no different in Scarlet and Violet. The box legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon, are shiny-locked in the game. In addition, the Four Treasures of Ruin, TIng-Lu, Chien-Pao, Wo-Chien, and Chi-Yu are shiny-locked as well. These Pokémon of legends won’t be available to obtain as shiny without the use of hacks or other tools.
NPC Pokémon
Any Pokémon you can receive from an NPC, whether it be from a trade or a gift, also will not be obtainable as a shiny. These tend to be standard Pokémon you can shiny hunt in a regular way. It’s just not a good idea to shiny hunt for these Pokémon through NPCs.
