How to tell if a Pokémon is shiny in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Hunting shiny Pokémon has become a popular and sometimes grueling task in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Looking out for these uniquely colored creatures takes a lot of time and luck. However, you don’t want to miss out on any shinies you see in the fields and not add them to your collection. Here is how to tell when a Pokémon is shiny in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

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How to tell when a Pokémon is shiny in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Unfortunately, unlike Pokémon Legends: Arceus, shiny Pokémon can sometimes be a little harder to make out from a normal Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. They don’t give off a glimmer in the open world anymore; they only shine when you start a battle with them. With this being said, you need to focus on the colors of the Pokémon you pass in the wild.

Every Pokémon has one shiny form that is consistent whenever you see them in the wild. For example, a shiny Lechonk will always appear as a hot pink version of the Pokémon. Unfortunately, some shiny Pokémon have much harder to notice differences. Depending on the time of day and location, you could think a Pokémon is shiny when they are just standing in the shade, or the game is having a bit of a graphical bug.

If you are ever unsure if a Pokémon is shiny or not, we recommend starting a battle with it. If it is shiny, it will give off a shine at the beginning of the match, letting you know for sure. If you don’t want to jump into a battle, you can bring up your camera by pressing down on the d-pad and get a closer look at the Pokémon before you go in.