Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Best methods and odds for shiny hunting

POKÉMON Scarlet and Violet are out now, and fans are wondering how to get their hands on rare Shiny Pokémon.

Shiny Pokémon are a different colour to normal Pokémon and are exceedingly rare to find.

This makes them prized among Pokémon fans, who call themselves Shiny Hunters.

Here’s everything you need to know about catching Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: How to spot Shiny Pokémon

Game Freak has made it harder than ever before, as Shiny Pokémon will not sparkle as they have done in previous games.

This means that if you want to catch a Shiny Pokémon, you have to notice the colour variation when you see it.

Some Shinies are very subtle and you may not know you have one until you’ve caught it.

When you catch a Shiny Pokémon, a Shiny icon will appear at the bottom of that Pokémon’s card.

Your trainer card will also let you know how many Shiny Pokémon you’ve encountered, but not which ones you have found.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Shiny Pokémon odds

There are various methods you can use to increase your chances of finding a rare Shiny Pokémon.

The base Shiny rate is 1/4096, making them exceedingly hard to encounter.

There are four main ways you can increase these odds, and some of these stack together to give you the lowest possible odds of 1/512.

This is still very rare, but better than your standard chances.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: How to get the Shiny Charm

One method is by getting the Shiny Charm, which you obtain after catching every Pokémon in both Scarlet and Violet.

This means trading, or catching Pokémon in a friend’s game, in order to get all of the version exclusives.

Owning the Shiny Charm triples your chance of finding a Shiny in the overworld to 1/1365.

It also doubles the chance of finding a shiny Pokémon from hatching eggs to 1/2048.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Does the Masuda Method still work?

The Masuda Method is a method of increasing your Shiny odds via breeding.

To do this you need two Pokémon that come from games in different languages.

You can start your game in any language you want, so the Pokémon does not have to come from a different region, but you will need to trade it into your game.

The best Pokémon to use is Ditto, as it breeds with every Pokémon in the game. Otherwise, you have to use a Pokémon in the same egg group.

The Pokémon that hatches from an egg will share the species with the mother, so Ditto also makes this easier as Ditto won’t hatch from the egg no matter the other Pokémon’s gender.

To hatch eggs, you need to set up a picnic with two breedable Pokémon in your party, and feed them any sandwich. Keep checking your basket and you will notice that eggs keep appearing.

You then need to put the eggs in your party and hatch them by walking in the overworld. A Pokémon with the ability Flame Body will speed this up.

Using the Masuda Methods gives you six times the chance to hatch a Shiny Pokémon increasing odds to 1/683.

If you also own the Shiny Charm, the odds will slightly increase to 1/512.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: How do Outbreaks increase Shiny Odds?

One of the best ways to increase your Shiny Odds is by hunting for Pokémon in an Outbreak.

These are noted on your map with the symbol of the Pokémon that will appear in the outbreak.

Defeating Pokémon in an Outbreak increases your odds. Between 30 and 59 Pokémon defeated doubles odds to 1/2048, and defeating over 60 triples odds to 1/1365.

You can defeat Pokémon in an Outbreak quickly by sending out a high-level Pokémon in Let’s Go mode by pressing R.

The odds stack with the Shiny Charm. Owning one will increase 30-59 defeated odds to 1/1024 and over 60 defeated odds to 1/819.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Which Sandwiches increase Shiny Odds?

Certain Sandwiches give you Sparkling Power, which increases your odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon when you eat one.

There is a different Sandwich you need to make, depending on the type of Shiny Pokémon you are hoping to catch.

Sandwiches can be made and eaten at picnics and do not affect the rate of hatching Shiny Pokémon.

All Sandwiches that grant Sparkling Power require a Herba Mystica in order to make them, which are obtained by finishing Titans, or in Tera Raids in the post-game.

This makes it one of the harder methods to use. Here are the sandwiches you need to make depending on the type:

• Fire-type: Salty Herba Mystica, Sweet Herba Mystica and Basil
• Water-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica and Cucumber
• Grass-type: Salty Herba Mystica, Sour Herba Mystica and Lettuce
• Electric-type: Spicy Herba Mystica, Salty Herba Mystica, and Yellow Bell Pepper
• Psychic-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Onion
• Bug-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Cherry Tomatoes
• Dark-type: Salty Herba Mystica, Sweet Herba Mystica, and Smoked fillet
• Dragon-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, Avocado
• Fairy-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Tomato
• Fighting-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Pickle
• Flying-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Proscuitto
• Ghost-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Red Onion
• Ground-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Ham
• Ice-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Klawf Stick
• Normal-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Chorizo
• Poison-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Noodles
• Rock-type: 2x Salty Herba Mystica, and Jalapeno
• Steel-type: Sweet Herba Mystica, Salty Herba Mystica, and Hamburger

Sparkling Power increases your Shiny Odds by four, to 1/1024. It also stacks with Shiny Charm and Outbreak defeats.

Sparkling Power and 30-59 Outbreak defeats increase odds to 1/819, while 60+ defeats will earn you odds of 1/683.

Sparkling Power with Shiny Charm also increases Shiny odds to 1/683.

Combining all three, Sparkling Power with Shiny Charm and 30-59 Outbreak defeats will give you odds of 1/585, and 60+ defeats will give you max odds of 1/512.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.

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