This page explains how to Find Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Legends Arceus (PLA).

What are Shiny Pokémon?¶

For the benefit of those new to the Pokémon series, Shiny Pokémon are Pokémon with a different color than usual that also sparkle (or shine) when they first appear. Normally, they are exceptional rare and it’s not uncommon for many trainers to go through entire games without seeing one.

Besides the color and rareness, there’s no difference between Shiny Pokémon and normal Pokémon. So they aren’t stronger than usual, for instance. The main reason you’d want a shiny is because you like the color or for the coolness/rarity factor.

Where to Find Shiny Pokémon¶

Every non-unique Pokémon encounter has a chance to be shiny. This means nearly every Pokémon you encounter in the great Hisuian wilderness. For these Pokémon, the base chance of it being shiny is 1:4096. Which is tiiiiny.

How to Identify a Shiny Pokémon¶

In the wild, when a Shiny Pokémon enters your visual range, stars will briefly appear around it. There will also be an audible cue, in case your eyes aren’t paying attention. Failing that, most Shiny Pokémon have drastically different colors (but not all; hi Gastly).

After obtaining a shiny Pokémon, there will be a sparkle icon to the left of their gender sign. (Or to the far right of their Level if they have no gender.)

How to Find Shiny Pokémon More Easily¶

There are three methods to increase the shiny rate.

1. Increase the Research Level for the desired Pokémon¶

When you reach Research Level 10 (Complete) for a Pokémon, you’ll gain one extra shiny roll. This increases the base odds from 1:4096 to 1:2048.

If you go further and complete all the Research Tasks for a Pokémon, earning a “Perfect” evaluation, you’ll gain two additional shiny rolls, further increasing the rate to 1:1024.

2. Obtain the Shiny Charm¶

Similar to previous games, the Shiny Charm is a must-have for shiny hunters. In this game, the Shiny Charm is a Key Item given to you when you reach Research Level 10 for every Pokémon in the game.

With the Shiny Charm, you’ll gain 3 extra shiny rolls, increasing the shiny rate to 1:819 for a Pokémon with Research Level 10 or 1:585 for a Pokémon with a “Perfect” evaluation.

3. Look for Mass Outbreaks¶

Last but definitely not least…

After progressing through the game, you’ll be alerted to Mass Outbreaks, which are timed events where a certain species of Pokémon spawn very frequently. Up to 4 of these Pokémon will spawn at once, but you can make more appear by catching/fainting them.

Pokémon in Mass Outbreaks have a whopping 25 (whoa) extra shiny rolls, increasing the base rate to 1:158. This rate will slightly increase with the Research Level bonus and Shiny Charm, mentioned above.

(Numbers courtesy of @Sibuna_Switch)