LGPE Shiny Hunting Guide
Introduction to Shiny PokémonFor newer players, shiny Pokémon are recolored Pokémon that get a sparkling animation when they appear. They are sought after for their rarity in games and valued highly by the dedicated Pokémon collectors. This makes them a special commodity in any Pokémon game, and Pokémon: Let's Go is no different from the rest. Before diving headfirst into serious shiny hunting techniques, let's take a look at the chances of getting a shiny Pokémon throughout a regular playthrough. Since Generation VI, the base rate of finding a shiny Pokémon in the wild is 1/4096. Because multiple Pokémon can spawn simultaneously, this slightly increases the odds to X/4096, with X being the number of Pokémon visible on-screen. With all this being said, if you encounter 1000 Pokémon, it does not mean that your chances are gradually lowered in any way; the chance for each regular encounter will always be 1/4096. This is also the case for gifts and Alolan trades. However, there are multiple ways to manipulate your shiny chances, and we will dive right into them. Before starting your shiny hunt, it is worth talking to the Fortune Teller in Celadon City if you wish to choose your target's nature before hunting. What Pokémon to Avoid Using This MethodUnfortunately, before getting started, it is important to note that there are a few roadblocks in the way when trying to complete the Pokédex with Shiny Pokémon. Firstly, both Pikachu and Eevee are shiny locked as starters, which means you have a 0% chance of getting a shiny starter no matter how many resets you do. This does not mean that a player cannot get a shiny Pikachu or Eevee in the game; in fact, they are quite common. However, it will have to be a regular one. Another Pokémon that does not follow the regular methods of shiny hunting is Mewtwo, which makes it significantly harder to hunt. Mewtwo is a static encounter, which means that you will have to reset over and over again until it is shiny. This could take as few as 40 resets or as many as 4000, as unfortunately, it will be staying at full odds. It's also important to know that all three legendary birds (Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres) are static encounters when first met. These Pokémon, like Mewtwo, also require resetting in order to find a shiny. The advantage of these encounters is that once a shiny has been stumbled upon, a player has infinite opportunities to catch them without a flee chance until they are out of Poké Balls. FlyingOnce you have completed the game, you are able to fly on the back of certain Pokémon and encounter flying Pokémon while also being able to see the grounded Pokémon on the route you are currently on. This may seem small, but with the extra Pokémon in view due to you having access to flying and grounded encounters, it raises the value of X in X/4096. Shiny CharmOnce the Pokédex is complete, you are able to go to Celadon City to receive a Shiny Charm. It is important to note that completing the Pokédex does not technically require Mew, Meltan, and Melmetal. The item still may be a grind to get, but it is really useful when beginning serious shiny hunts, as it lowers the base rate of finding a shiny from 1/4096 to 1/1365. Although the chance of randomly encountering a shiny Pokémon is still quite low, this significantly improves those odds. The Shiny Charm works well with the flying technique, as the rate will be X/1365, with lots of potential Pokémon on screen to up the odds. LuresIf you do not wish to go through the lengths of getting the Shiny Charm, there are other ways of boosting your Shiny odds. A very simple way of boosting shiny odds is with Lures. They are commonly sold in Poké Marts and can double the base odds of finding shiny Pokémon to 1/2048. This works the same regardless of which Lure is used. However, if you combine the Lure with the Shiny Charm, the odds are further dropped to 1/1024, which are some of the best odds for random encounters. The added benefit of having Lures active is that more Pokémon will spawn in the area, giving you a higher X value. When using Lures, a choice that you have to make is whether to force encounters or to stand still. There are benefits to both, as forcing encounters and fleeing changes the Pokémon that you are encountering more often, making the Pokémon more likely to be Shiny. The benefits of standing still is that the Lure will last a much longer time and there is little effort involved. Catch CombosCatch Combos are by far the best way to manipulate shiny odds in Pokémon: Let's Go. Each Catch Combo threshold has a different shiny spawn rate, with a Catch Combo of 31+ creating the best odds possible to find a shiny in the game. The Catch Combo has to be on one Pokémon, though, and it will reset if you happen to catch another Pokémon or have a Pokémon flee. Moreover, user Anubis discovered that the bonus from the Catch Combo only applies to the next spawn of the same species. Therefore, idling for shinies only uses the base shiny rates and does not benefit from the chain length bonus. If you want to continue to receive the Catch Combo bonus, you need to capture the Pokémon to keep the chain going so that the bonus is reapplied to the next spawn. When getting combos on rare Pokémon, it is important to note that Pokémon GO Park encounters do indeed count towards that Pokémon's chain. This allows you to be able to hit a Catch Combo of 31+ of a rare Pokémon a lot more quickly if you have access to these encounters from Pokémon GO. For now, let's take a look at how to keep a chain going. How to Keep a ChainWhat Breaks a Chain
What Keeps a Chain
Catch Combo Values
Shiny Hunting SpotsLocation is critical when it comes to hunting shiny Pokémon, as the number of potential Pokémon spawning up is very important. This makes Routes with long grassy areas and caves great spots to shiny hunt. Another aspect you must take into consideration is the difficulty of catching the Pokémon, as you will need to get to a Catch Combo of at least 31 in order to get the best odds. A good idea when shiny hunting is to do it on a Pokémon you have already caught 100 of, as that will make the difficulty of the catch go down a color (i.e. Red > Orange > Yellow > Green). A good example of this would be a player who has caught 100 Graveler going to Cerulean Cave in order to shiny hunt Graveler, even though it would be much easier to get a 31 chain of Geodude in Mt. Moon. Popular Shiny Hunting SpotsEasy
Intermediate
Hard
Closing TipsIf you are looking to shiny hunt thoroughly, it is important to note that most Pokémon are prone to fleeing just after their attack animation plays while the catching ring is still visible. This makes it somewhat easier to predict when you should run to preserve a chain, especially with rare encounters. If you are extremely worried about this yet don't want to pay much attention while shiny hunting, as it can be rather tedious, it may be worth stocking up on Master Balls, which have a small chance of spawning on the top floor of Cerulean Cave. Master Balls are rather rare to find, so it might be worth using the second Joy-Con with a friend or even on your own, as it gives a catch bonus; this doesn't work for water encounters, however. If you're looking to use the Catch Combo + Shiny Charm + Lure technique, you are going to have a 15x better chance to find shiny Pokémon than full odds. However, if you wish to do it without the Shiny Charm, you are looking at a 13x better chance of finding shiny Pokémon than full odds. If you are looking to catch every shiny, it's in your best interest to seek out the Shiny Charm, although having a 13x better chance to catch shiny Pokémon without it isn't all that bad either. Have fun shiny hunting and good luck catching them all! |