Shiny Pokemon don’t have special effects or powers, but they are a collector’s treasure. There is a 1 in 4096 chance of them appearing in place of a Normal Pokemon, so it’s more about bragging rights. After all, it’s shiny, and it looks nice on your Pokedex.
Some are more difficult to find in spite of the 1 in 4096 chance because their spawn areas might be more limited. They can be quite elusive, but if you focus on getting the rarest first, you will have an easier time. Let’s see what the rarest Shiny Pokemon are in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Tauros – Special Breed
Tauros is a new Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet which has a Shiny Pokemon that isn’t really that different appearance-wise, compared to the normal one. Basically, the colors of the face and the mane swap colors, but that’s it. The colors aren’t too distinct either, so it doesn’t really make much of a difference.
You can find Tauros hanging around in herds of five. The location is usually around the East or West Provinces of Paldea. It is more difficult to find as they have different Breeds of Tauros in the game. The most difficult Breeds of Tauros to come across in the game are the Shiny Aqua And Blaze Breeds.
Wattrel
Wattrel is a new Pokemon which is an Electic Type. The Shiny version of it has lighter colors, such as the feathers on the head and the wings. It becomes slightly purple in color, and smoother in form. The feet are colored a darker orange. These are the differences you will have to watch out for if you are looking for the Shiny version of Wattrel.
You can find Wattrel on the coast surrounding the southern parts of Paldea. They are usually found only in the daytime. Be careful as Wattrel will fly away as soon as you get close to them. When it gets too high in the air, it will despawn.
The forms of Tatsugiri are in three bright colors, and this causes a place for error. The Shiny version of the Stretch form and the normal Curly form are both orange in color. However, the trick is to recognize the yellow stripes on the Shiny one. As the Pokemon is rather small, it is hard to distinguish them from a distance, which makes it rare to find.
You can find this Pokemon in Lake Casseroya, on the northwest side of Paldea. They are usually swimming in the lake. The Curly form is the easiest to find among the three – Curly, Droopy, and Stretchy. If you do get lucky and find the Shiny version of Tatsugiri, there is something to take note of. It will be able to use its Memento attack even in the wild, so beware while fighting it.
Iron Valiant
This is often considered to be the strongest Paradox Pokemon of Violet, and it’s understandable that it is a rare find. Iron Valiant is the Paradox form of Gardevoir, and is a Fairy/Fighting Type Pokemon. It has no evolutions as it is a Paradox Pokemon, and the Shiny version is extremely rare to come across.
The Shiny Pokemon can only be found in Area Zero. It will begin to spawn only after you have completed The Way Home and finished the main story quest. Make sure to check out inside the hidden cave that is northeast of Research Station 3 in Area Zero.
Roaring Moon
Like the Iron Valiant, the Roaring Moon is the strongest Paradox Pokemon of Scarlet. It is the Paradox form of Salamence, and is a Dragon/Dark Type Pokemon. It has similar qualities to its counterpart in Pokemon Violet.
If you want to get the Shiny version of Roaring Moon, you might need to use Encounter powers or a sandwich. It can be found only in Area Zero, in the hidden cave biome. Note that you will need to have completed The Way Home and finished the main story quest of Pokemon Scarlet first. Additionally, it is one of the rarest Shiny Pokemon to find as a lot of Dragon and Dark Type Pokemon can spawn in this area, such as Gible, Gabite, Weavile, Murkrow, and the Hydreigon line.
Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly
These are the starter Pokemon of Scarlet and Violet, which means that they cannot be found in the wild. They can only be bred during picnics, which is why getting a Shiny version of them is so rare. When a Shiny version of a Pokemon cannot be found in the wild, it is known to be Shiny-locked, and that’s what these Pokemon are.
To breed them during picnics, you will need to have a compatible Pokemon in your party. All you need to do is choose two Pokemon in the same Egg group of opposing genders and start a picnic. After waiting for some time, you will get Eggs in your picnic basket, where you have a chance to get Shiny Pokemon.
Lycanroc was a Pokemon that you could only get in special events before, but now, in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, you can get them in the wild. They spawn and are available only within five minutes of dusk falling in the game. The Dusk Form of the Lycanroc is especially rare as Rockruff with Own Tempo spawns at the same time in the wild.
You can find them in the mountainous areas of North Province (Area One). An alternate way to get your hands on the Lycanroc is to catch some Tera Rockruff and evolve it instead. You will be able to find lots of them in the dark, but getting the Shiny version of the Dusk Lycanroc will take a while.
Dudunsparce – Three Segment
Dunsparce has a new evolution called Dudunsparce, and they’re pretty easy to catch and breed. They have two cosmetic forms which makes hunting for a Shiny difficult. The Three Segment version is especially difficult as it has a one percent chance of appearing during an evolution.
Additionally, you can’t find the Three Segment Dudunsparce in the wild, so you will need to evolve them from Shiny Dunsparce. Make sure to use a lot of Egg and Sparkling power sandwiches. These Pokemon are found all around the map, in the grass, forest, cave, and lake biomes, but you need to keep an eye out. They have a tendency to dig into the ground for a quick escape.
Maushold – Family of Three
Maushold is one of the rarest Shiny Pokemon to find, and its forms are more difficult to distinguish. The Family of Three Maushold is even more elusive, and so is the Shiny form of it. The odds of getting one seem really low when you consider that there is a 1 in a 100 chance of evolving it from Tandemaus.
They can’t be found in the wild, so you need to get some Shiny Tandemaus and begin evolving them. You might be stuck here for a long while, but it will hopefully be worth it. You can find Tandemaus in the South Province (Area Two) near Mesagoza as well as South Province (Area three) near Artazon.
Authentic Sinistea
You can find Sinistea in the far southwest corner of Paldea, near Alfornada, but Authentic Sinistea is extremely rare to come across. When you are looking for a Shiny version of the Authentic Sinistea, the odds are even lower, and close to impossible.
Additionally, neither Outbreaks nor Encounter Power can affect the spawn rate of Authentic Sinistea. Using these items might be counterproductive as they will only increase the amounts of Phony Sinistea. It’s quite easy to mess them up, as the Phony ones only have a little mark on them.
You will need to get very lucky if you want to get your hands on an Authentic Sinistea. The Pokemon is small and hard to spot in the first place, so good luck getting a Shiny one.
So there you have it, the list of the rarest Shiny Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet. Let us know if you think there are any more Pokemon that you are having a hard time with, that deserve to be on this list. They might be rare, but they’re grind-worthy. You can get them all with a little bit of luck on your side, and a lot of Sandwiches, Encounter Powers, and Outbreaks. Happy Shiny hunting!
