Shiny Pikachu Guide: Is The Shiny Version of Pokemon’s Posterboy Worth Hunting?

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Callum Marshall

Callum is POK Universe's Managing Editor and a long-time-fan of the Pokémon series. He's a Gen-One kid at heart with a huge bias towards the first three generations. However, after reengaging with Pokémon XY, he has caught up with the pack and has absorbed all there is to know with regards to Pokémon, including some very interesting fan-made ROM Hacks!

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Whether you have a fascination with first edition books, limited edition bobbleheads, or extremely elusive trading cards, you will know that the world has an obsession with owning the rarest things on the planet. Having these items in your possession makes you stand a little taller and most importantly, it gives you all the bragging rights when talking shop with your pals. Well, this phenomenon is just as apparent within the wonderful world of Pokemon.

Throughout the Pokemon franchise, there is a wide array of Pokemon that are known for their rare and elusive nature. Pokemon that only appear once within the game, Pokemon that can only be encountered in very specific circumstances, and Pokemon that can only be obtained through special events. These are all incredible gets for a Pokemon aficionado. However, there are no Pokemon rarer than shiny Pikachu.

So with that in mind, we have researched so you don’t have to and we have created a series of guides. Guides that will help you understand everything there is to know about shiny versions of particular Pokemon. In this guide, we take a look at the Pokemon Poster child, Pikachu.

Breaking down all there is to know about the shiny version of the electric mouse Pokemon and giving you insight into which way is best to catch this Pokemon. Without further delay, here is our shiny Pikachu guide.

What is Pikachu?

Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokemon that was first introduced in the first generation in the series. This Pokemon was not initially a starter in Pokemon Red and Blue but was quickly made the star of the show, being given its own game in Pokemon Yellow acting as the sole starter Pokemon.

Pikachu in terms of appearance is a mouse-like creature with a yellow body, black-tipped ears, and a tail that resembles a lightning bolt that is brown at the base. Then the creature also has red cheeks where Pikachu generates electricity for its thunderbolt attack.

Pikachu weighs approximately six kilos, is 0.6 meters tall, and comes in both male and female gender variants. Pikachu is number twenty-five in the Pokedex, has a medium to fast growth rate, and has a 35.2% catch rate.

What is a Shiny Pokemon?

A shiny Pokemon is a rare variant of an existing Pokemon that shows up during encounters a fraction of the time. These Pokemon are the same as their standard counterparts in terms of their base stats, move sets, and general design. However, they will often be visually different from their standard form with the key difference being that the shiny version will use a different color palette or a much more deep/pale version of the existing color palette.

You can spot a shiny Pokemon in the more modern games through their battle animation. When they enter a battle, a sparkle animation will play, showing that this Pokemon is a rare variant of the original. These Pokemon appear 1 in every 8192 encounters in the older Pokemon titles. However, in more modern games, this figure has been lowered to 4036/1.

What is a Shiny Pikachu?

A shiny Pikachu is the rare counterpart of the normal Pikachu. In terms of visual differences from the original design, this shiny is rather subtle when it comes to setting itself apart. This Pikachu has a much deeper color palette when compared to the original Pikachu.

This means that the creature has a deep golden yellow/faint orange hue. Other than this though, there is little to distinguish a shiny Pikachu from that of a normal one. Which is all the more reason to keep an eye out for the sparkle animation.

How Many Different Shiny Pikachu are There?

Pikachu has been around since the birth of the Pokemon franchise. Plus, Pikachu has been the mascot leading the line for the series all this time. It’s only natural that the franchise would add a series of Pikachu models that are slightly different from the norm. Here is a list of all the different Pikachu variants that you can acquire legally within the Pokemon Series:

Standard Shiny Pikachu: The generic Pikachu model that has existed since the first game in the series.

Shiny Cosplay Pikachu (illegal): There are a few illegitimate cosplay Pikachu shinies knocking around online. However, the truth is that this version of Pikachu cannot be shiny. So if you see one, it is likely due to a hack.

Shiny Partner Pikachu: This is a version of Pikachu that could only be obtained by buying Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu. This Pokemon would be your starter Pokemon in this game and varies from the normal Pikachu thanks to a handful of unique moves. This could be acquired as a guaranteed shiny thanks to an exclusive event hosted by Target in 2018.

Shiny Pikachu in a cap: This is a version of Pikachu that could only be obtained by attending the screening for the Pokemon 2017 movie and acquiring a QR code to claim this version. While this Pokemon does not have a shiny model, it can be acquired with a shiny star marker and it will show the shiny sparkle animation in battle.

How Rare is a Shiny Pikachu?

How rare a shiny Pokemon is dependent on how rare the Pokemon is to encounter and how hard the Pokemon is to catch. Pikachu is a relatively easy Pokemon to catch with the Pokemon being available in the vast majority of games to be captured naturally through an encounter. Plus, the catch rate of this Pokemon is reasonable, meaning that it isn’t all that tricky to capture. So to capture a shiny Pikachu, we would say it is one of the more straightforward Pokemon on the roster.

However, taking into account the different Pikachu variants, these are much more tricky to get your hands on. Thanks to the nature of restarting the game and being awarded your starter Pokemon time and time again, getting a partner Pikachu is a frustration-filled task. However, thanks to the fact that you can try an infinite amount of times, it is rather simple to get if you are patient.

Then with regards to the Pikachu in a cap model. This is actually the rarest shiny Pokemon in the entire Pokemon franchise. The reason is that only those that attended the Pokemon 2017 movie were given a QR code for this Pokemon. Then only a fraction of these players managed to get a shiny version of this Pokemon. A Pokemon that is now unobtainable. Meaning that if you happen to have one, you are one of the very select few that got their hands on one, so cherish it.

How to Catch a Shiny Pikachu?

Thanks to the fact that Pikachu is roaming around in just about every Pokemon game ever made, the process is a pretty simple one. Pick your desired shiny method, encounter a Pikachu and rinse and repeat until you get the sparkle animation that you desire.

It’s a time-consuming, repetitive, and often tedious pastime, but the reward makes it all worthwhile. There is no special way to capture a Pikachu. However, there are several techniques that one can use to get their hands on a shiny Pikachu faster. Here are some shiny hunting tips that may come in handy:

Breeding

Here is the thing about Pokemon breeding. You need to walk around with those eggs to make them hatch and that can be time-consuming. However, the good news is that if you go down this route, the odds of getting a shiny are cut in half to around 4000/1.

Masuda Method

Then to expand on the point above, if the player acquires two Pokemon that are from two different real-world regions. Such as Europe and North America for example. The chances of hatching a shiny version of this Pokemon drop to 600/1.

Dexnav hunting

Another option is Dexnav hunting which was a feature exclusive to Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. This allowed players to chain encounters and gradually bring the odds of capturing a shiny down to very respectable odds. The only caveat is that all Pokemon have to be encountered through the Dexnav and you have to K.O every Pokemon you face.

Catch/Battle Combos

These are features that belong to Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee and Pokemon Sword/Shield, respectively. This allowed players to drop their odds through either catching or battling the same Pokemon in Succession. It’s a little less easy to manage than the Dexnav but if you do things right, you can hit odds as low as 1/270.

Shiny Charm

Then lastly, you can make use of the shiny charm, a held item that cuts the odds of receiving a shiny Pokemon encounter by 66%. Dropping the odds to about 1/2732. This item can be stacked with other components in this list to brings odds down even further.

FAQs

Can You Catch A Shiny Pikachu in Pokemon Go?

Yes, of course. Any Pokemon that appears in Pokemon GO has a shiny counterpart. However, the sad news is that unlike the traditional games out there, there is no way to truly chain battles, lower the odds or region breed to obtain shinies.

Sadly, the only way is to engage in every battle and hope that the Pokemon in question is shiny. The best way to give yourself an optimal chance of capturing shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO is by using incense to attract more Pokemon to your area and then going to populated areas where more Pokemon will show up naturally.

It is also worth noting that some Pikachu shiny variants in Pokemon GO are rarer than others. In Pokemon Go, there are several costumes Pikachu’s to collect and the rarest of the bunch are witch Pikachu, Party Pikachu, and Fragment Pikachu which each show up in Pokemon GO about 15% of the time you encounter a Pikachu. Then combine that with the odds of that being shiny and you are set for quite a long hunt.