Shiny hunting has always been one of the best challenge in Pokémon games! Catching your favorite Pokémon in its rare, alternate-color form is the best feeling ever, any trainer can agree on that.
In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Shiny hunting is easier than in past games, but it still requires a mix of patience, strategy, and a little luck. Here is everything you need to know to fill your Shiny Dex!
What Are Shiny Pokémon?
Shiny Pokémon are rare variants with alternate color palettes. When they appear, they emit sparkles and a distinct sound, like little chime bells. Some Shiny are drastically different, like Mareep who is literally going to be pink, but others have more subtle changes. A Shiny icon will appear next to their name when you target them (sort of little stars icon).
The odds to get a shiny in Pokémon Legends: Z-A are not too bad:
- Base Shiny odds: 1/4,096 (up from 1/8,192 pre-Gen 6)
- With Shiny Charm: roughly 1/1,365
You can also obtain one guaranteed Shiny Mareep through a specific side quest that you can get early on. It is located right next to the first Wild Zone, making it a perfect starter for Shiny Hunters.
How Shiny Spawns Work
In Legends: Z-A, Pokémon spawn dynamically around you in open zones, and the game keeps track of up to 10 Shiny Pokémon at once. What you need to remember is:
- If you miss a Shiny, it stays in its spot unless more than 10 new shinies spawn elsewhere. So when Shiny number 11 spawns, the oldest shiny will disappear.
- Fast traveling, getting knocked out, or starting a story mission will not make them disappear. This is huge, because it means that you have very little risk of accidentally missing out on one.
- Auto-save can interfere, for example if you capture a nearby Pokémon it may trigger an unwanted save, so be cautious.
- Always make sure you save before catching the Shiny, as failing, especially on those that run away, will make it disappear.
- Always play with sound on to hear the sparkle chime. It is often your first clue that a Shiny is nearby. We recommend you tune down the game music, and keep the effects on max, as the music can often be too loud and hide the sparkle sound.
Top Shiny Hunting Methods
There are a few ways you can increase your luck for Shiny hunting in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Some of those are currently locked to a specific zone, but one of them allows you to do it on any zone you want to.
1. Stair Reset (Wild Zone #3)
- Head to the Wild Zone 3
- Go inside the big building with stairs
- Go up and down the stairs to reset all Pokémon in this zone.
- You can do this while AKF, if you hold the left stick downward to loop the movement automatically.
- Repeat a few times and then go out and walk around the zone to look for shinies.
- Patrol the area regularly to catch any missed shinies.
Pikachu is in this zone, so if you want a Shiny one, it is the perfect location.
2. Bench Time Skip (Wild Zone #12)
Similar to the previous one, this one is also locked to a specific zone, the Wild Zone 12. If you do not see this one on your map, you need to advance the main story until you pass Mission number 14. We also recommend you level up to 34+ for this zone.
- This time, no stairs, but only a bench you can sit on to advance time and reset local spawns.
- Face the bench, hold the left stick down, and spam A to repeat the animation.
This one is a bit less effective as the day and night-exclusive Pokémon spawn less frequently, and cutscenes can not be skipped, so you have to sit through the endless time-switch scene every time. But it is worth it if you want a specific Shiny from this zone.
3. Fast Travel Resets (All Wild Zones)
This last one is by far the best and easiest mechanics you can do to Shiny Hunt in Pokémon Legends: Z-A! It works on ANY Wild Zone, and does not require any specific move:
- Open the map (+)
- Select your target area (so any Wild Zone you can teleport to)
- Press A to fast travel, and check for shinies.
- Each time you Fast Travel to the same zone, the Pokémon inside of it respawn. That means each time to teleport, you get another chance for one or more Shiny in that zone.
- You can repeat it several times in a row for efficient hunting, since if one Shiny appears, it will not directly despawn right after.
Boost Your Odds with the Shiny Charm
The Shiny Charm is unlocked after completing all of Professor Mable’s research and reaching Research Level 50. It triples shiny encounter rates, making your shiny hunting much faster:
- Base odds improve from 1/4,096 to ~1/1,365
- Passive effect: no need to equip it, just have it in your inventory.
Shiny hunting in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is easier than ever with these methods, but it still requires patience and a ton of luck. On top of that, it only works for the Wild Zones. For now, there is no way to target specific roofs or things like that.
However, you should still be able to catch a good amount of Shiny Pokémon with all those new tricks!
And for more guides, tips, information, and more, keep an eye on our latest news!
