How do I catch a "shiny" Pokemon

I was curious as to know in what Pokemon installments can I catch a shiny Pokemon and how. Can anyone tell me?

Solution 1:

Shiny Pokémon can be encountered in any core-series game from Gold and Silver onward. "Shinies" are Pokémon that have an alternate coloration from others in its species.

What is a Shiny

Whenever a Pokémon is generated by the game, there is a slight, fixed random chance that it will be shiny. This chance can be raised in certain circumstances; see the remaining sections.

"Generated" means:

• At the start of a wild encounter
  • This includes fixed-location Legendaries, such as Regigigas; however, their overworld sprites will still display their normal coloration
  • Roaming Legendiaries, such as Entei, are only generated once*
• When an NPC gives you a Pokémon as a gift, or trades it to you
• When you receive an egg
  • While the values that determine shininess are set when the egg is received, there is no way to tell it is shiny until it hatches

Pokémon retain their shiny status through evolution and form changes. However, the exact coloration may be different (e.g., Shiny Charmander is yellow, Shiny Charizard is black).

Shiny Pokémon are indicated by a sparkling animation when they appear in battle, and a star or sparkle symbol on their status screen.

Each Pokémon form has precisely one alternate shiny coloration, and they differ only by color.

Charizard, Shiny Charizard

What is Not a Shiny

Shiny Pokémon are not to be confused with form differences or gender differences, which a handful of species have, and sometimes look very similar to shinies. Each form will have its own shiny variation, as well. For instance, Shellos has two forms, which differ both in color and head design.

West Shellos, Shiny West Shellos

East Shellos, Shiny East Shellos

Additionally, the N64 Stadium games will give slight alternate coloration to Pokémon with certain nicknames. These are not shinies, and in fact, Stadium 2 features both shinies (called "Color Pokémon") and these nickname-variations concurrently.

Finally, though all games have programming for shiny versions of all Pokémon, there are a few instances where a Pokémon will never be shiny, which are noted below.

Generation I - Red, Green, Blue, Yellow (Game Boy)

There is no direct support for shiny Pokémon in these games.

However, for compatibility reasons, the data that Generation II uses to determine shininess is also available in Generation I. Therefore, it could be said that Generation I does have Shinies, they just don't appear as such until they are traded forward. See the next section for why this is.

Generation II - Gold, Silver, Crystal (Game Boy Color)

The chance for wild encounters and NPC gifts being shiny is 0.012%.

To preserve backward compatibility with Generation I, this information is encoded in part of the Pokémon's hidden statistical information, called Individual Values (IVs). This means that Generation I Pokémon, when traded to Generation II, also have a 0.012% chance of being shiny, and shiny Pokémon remain shiny across trades, even to Generation I.

Increased Rates

Pokémon hatched from eggs inherit IVs from their parents, meaning the chances can be skewed as high as 1.56% in certain circumstances.

The Crystal-exclusive Odd Egg has an increased chance of producing a shiny: 14% internationally, 50% in the Japanese version.

Guaranteed Encounters

Each game has a single Pokémon that is always shiny: a Gyarados in the middle of the Lake of Rage, encountered as part of the story.

Excluded Pokémon

Due to the way IVs are used for multiple things in these games, a few shinies are impossible:

• Certain Pokémon cannot be female and also shiny.
• Unown cannot be any form besides I and V, and also be shiny.

Generation III - Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance)

The chance for wild encounters, NPC gifts, and hatched eggs being shiny is 0.012%.

The data structure was overhauled in Ruby and Sapphire, separating battle statistics from shininess. The shiny calculation has thus been revamped, producing the same probability without being tied to gameplay-altering statistics.

Generation IV - Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver (DS)

The chance for wild encounters, NPC gifts, and hatched eggs being shiny is still 0.012%.

Increased Rates

New is the so-called "Masuda method" (named after the developer who hinted at it to players): if two Pokémon are originally from two different real-world countries and can breed, the probability of their eggs producing shiny Pokémon is raised to 0.061%.

The post-game of Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum gives the player the Poké Radar item, which is used to create special shaking-grass encounters. Chaining these encounters together increases the probability that one of those grass patches will sparkle, guaranteeing a shiny encounter there. The probability rises as high as 0.5%, after a 40-length chain. Unfortunately, this item isn't available in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Guaranteed Encounters

As HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes of Gold, Silver, and Crystal, they also have a fixed encounter with a shiny Gyarados. Unlike the original version, though, if you defeat it, it will reappear after you beat Lance.

Generation V - Black, White, Black 2, White 2 (DSi)

The chance for wild encounters, NPC gifts, and hatched eggs being shiny is once again 0.012%.

Increased Rates

The Masuda method probability has risen to 0.073%.

In Black 2 and White 2 only, if you manage to catch all non-event Pokémon in the National Pokédex, you will receive the Shiny Charm, which automatically raises all shiny probabilities by 0.024%.

Guaranteed Encounters

Black 2 and White 2 have two guaranteed shinies:

• Defeating Benga in Black Tower or White Treehollow results in a being gifted a shiny Gible (in Black 2) or Dratini (in White 2).
• Seeing all Pokémon in the New Unova Pokédex (aside from Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect) allows access to the Nature Preserve area, which contains a fixed shiny Haxorus encounter.

Excluded Pokémon

Three Pokémon are unable to be shiny:

• Victini (requires an event-only item to access)
• Reshiram
• Zekrom

Generation VI - X and Y (3DS)

The chance for wild encounters, NPC gifts, and hatched eggs being shiny has risen to 0.024%.

Increased Rates

If you stand in the same spot and continually use a fishing rod, and get a hit every time, the rate apparently increases (the exact rate is not yet known).

The Friend Safari, a post-game venue, has a higher chance of shiny encounters (estimated to be 0.195%). However, it is not affected by the Shiny Charm (below).

The following return from previous generations. Bulbapedia hypothesizes that the rates are simply double from their earlier rates, but this appears to not be 100% proven.

• Masuda method (estimated probability of 0.146%)
• Poké Radar (again as a post-game reward, the exact rate is not yet known)
• Shiny Charm (again as a National Pokédex reward, estimated to increase probabilities by 0.073%)

Excluded Pokémon

• Xerneas
• Yveltal
• Zygarde
• The special Cosplay Pikachu

Summary

Gen.    | Base  | Masuda| Extra
        |   %   |   %   | Chances
--------|-------|-------|-------
I (GB)  | N/A   | N/A   | 
II (GBC)| .012  | N/A   | = 100%: Story Gyarados
                          = 14%: Odd Egg (C)
III(GBA)| .012  | N/A   | 
IV (DS) | .012  | .061  | = up to 0.5%: Radar (D/P/P)
                          = 100%: Story Gyarados (HG/SS)
V (DSi) | .012  | .073  | = 100%: Prize Gible (B2)
                          = 100%: Prize Dratini (W2)
                          = 100%: Prize Haxorus (B2/W2)
                          + 0.024%: Shiny Charm (B2/W2)
VI (3DS)| .024  | .146* | = up to ??%: Fishing
                          = 0.195%: Friend Safari
                          + 0.073%: Shiny Charm (except for Friend Safari) 
 * estimated

* I'm unsure of the details on when Roaming Pokémon are generated. If anyone has additional information, please comment!

Solution 2:

Shiny Pokemon have existed in the series since Generation II (Gold/Silver/Crystal). While Shiny Pokemon were originally based off of their IVs ("Individual Values") in Generation II, they are now based on a hidden number called the "Pokemon ID" or PID. Since Generation II, they have had a one in 8192 (one in 4096 since Gen VI) chance upon encounter to exist (determined at encounter-time). Methods exist to increase the chance of getting a shiny Pokemon:

• Manipulate and determine the RNG seed of generation III (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald), IV (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum) and V (Black/White/Black 2/White 2) games to help aid in hatching Shiny Pokemon from eggs or encountering them in the wild,
• The Poke Radar in Generation IV and VI can be "chained" to increase the odds beyond their 1/8192 base.
• In Generation VI (X/Y), a similar method can be used while fishing, called "chain fishing".
• Also since Gen VI, Pokemon encountered in Hordes or in a Friend Safari while that friend is online have a slightly increased chance of being shiny.
• Since Generation V, the reward for catching every Pokemon in the National Pokedex is the "Shiny Charm", which increases the chance of any Pokemon, encountered or hatched, to be shiny.
• While breeding, the chance of the offspring being shiny is higher if both parents have a different language of origin. This method is referred to as the "Masuda Method" in reference to Game Freak's Junichi Masuda, who officially revealed it.

They are, in the end, just a differently-colored Pokemon, however. You catch them the same way you do any other 'Mon - with a Pokeball (or better) and some luck.

Solution 3:

They started appearing in Gold and Silver and have appeared in all games after.

They are randomly appearing pokemon (with some exceptions: red Gyrados in rage lake being one) and you catch them like any other wild pokemon.

Solution 4:

You can find shiny pokemon in generation 2 and onwards. The odds of encountering a shiny is 1/8192. It is unlikely that you will encounter a shiny, but it is possible.