The Pokemon franchise has players collecting their favorite creatures to complete the Pokedex. For players with both time and determination, there are shiny Pokemon to be discovered. These differently colored Pokemon are hard to catch, as there is normally a 1/4096 chance of encountering one. There are plenty of awful shinies, and a few that barely look different at all, but there are some worth catching. These are the best shiny Pokemon of each generation.
Generation One – Red, Green, and Blue
Shiny Pokemon weren’t around when the first games were released. Nevertheless, the Kanto critters have since received shiny versions (as well as several regional variants). Gen 1 has quite a few terrible shinies, including Dragonite who is a sickly shade of green and Pikachu who barely changes color.
Charizard is one of the most popular Pokemon of all time, and it also has the best shiny of Gen 1. Its black scales make it truly menacing. Other worthwhile mentions include Vaporeon who looks even more alluring in purple. Green looks horrible on most Pokemon, but shiny Tangella pulls it off so well that it should have been its original color.
Generation Two – Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Gen 2 takes players to the Johto region where 100 more Pokemon were introduced to the roster. Lugia sports one of the best shiny designs of this generation, and its underside and flaps on its back turn pink. Other creatures that benefit from pink recoloring include Ampharos, Heracross, and Celebi. Gen 2 also demonstrates that plenty of Pokemon would look better in gold. This is true for Azumarill whose shiny version looks like a golden easter egg, as well as Noctowl whose shiny version received a lot of attention as one of Ash’s companions.
Generation Three – Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
The Hoenn region introduced 135 new Pokemon to the franchise, along with plenty more shinies to discover. There aren’t too many good ones, in this generation, and shiny Rayquaza easily steals the shows with its black recoloring. Other worthwhile shinies include Metagross, who turns a nice shade of grey, and shiny Sharpedo who gains purple scales. The problem with most of the shinies of this generation is that they are either barely changed, as is the case with Blaziken, or they’ve been turned vomit green, which happens to Groundon.
Generation Four – Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
The Sinnoh region is inspired by the Japanese island Hokkaidō, and it brought 107 new critters, including the electric cat Luxray. It is normally blue with black fur, but its shiny turns its skin yellow, making it the best shiny of the generation. There are also a lot of cute Pokemon that look even cuter when they’re turned pink or purple. This includes Pachirisu, Lopunny, and Honchkrow.
Generation Five – Black, White, Black 2, and White 2
With Gen 5, Game Freak took inspiration from the USA, and Unova is based off New York City. It introduced 156 new Pokemon, which sets the record for the most new creatures in a single generation. There are quite a few good shinies from this generation, including those of the many inanimate object Pokemon. Chandelure steals the show, as its shiny form has its blue flames turn bright orange. The best shiny from Gen V goes to Virizion. It’s normally green, but its shiny form turns it pretty pink. Almost too cute to be true.
Generation Six – X and Y
Pokemon X and Y were the first games in the franchise to appear on the 3DS. As such, new 3D sprites had to be made for the entire roster. The reaction to some of the new sprites was mixed, though we did get a few great shinies out of it. It’s a two-way tie for the best shiny of Gen 6, and the title goes to the two legendaries, Yveltal and Xerneas, who turn an elegant white. White seems to be the best color for the generation because there are plenty of other Pokemon that benefit from it. This includes Fennekin, Gogoat, and Trevenant.
Generation Seven – Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon
Gen 7 was the last to appear on the 3DS, and it brought massive changes to the franchise. The chibi art style was ditched for more accurately scaled characters, and gym leader battles were replaced with island challenges. While white was the best shiny color in X and Y, this time around black stands out the most. Palossand is the best Gen 7 shiny, and this is because it turns black, making it look truly haunted. Other Pokemon with great black shinies include Decidueye, Pheromosa, and Oricorio.
Generation Eight – Sword and Shield
With the Nintendo Switch out, Game Freak could do a lot more with Pokemon. Gen 8 triggered some controversy due to the choice to not include the entire Pokedex at launch, though there were 81 new Pokemon to discover. Sirfetch’d is a usually neglected Pokemon, but it happens to have the best shiny of Gen 8. By simply turning its feathers gold, it becomes a critter worth catching. If you’re looking for more gold Pokemon, grab the shiny version of Cufant.
Generation Nine – Scarlet and Violet
Scarlet and Violet are set in the Paldea region where players can attend school and venture down three separate storylines. There are also the mysterious Paradox Pokemon to discover which come from the past and future. Some of the Paradox Poekmon have amazing shinies, including Iron Bundle and Iron Thorns, which both become metallic silver. Revavroom is the standout shiny Pokemon of the generation. This Pokemon looks like a car engine, and its shiny form turns its silver parts gold.
You can look forward to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC dropping soon, with the first half, titled The Teal Mask, slated for a September 13 launch. The DLC takes players to Kitakami and it will feature new Pokemon including the trio consisting of Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti.
