It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

The time we spend on this earth is finite, limited, claustrophobic and constricted spite modern society claiming freedom is what we are born with, and that we can use this freedom to do as we please with our lifespan. This is still true. If one wants to skydive tomorrow, shack up with that neighbor who’s been eyeing them, travel across the world or oceans to find dark secrets, this is the freedom they are granted. The freedom we have has been oversaturated with material items, namely games, television and media that take up our time and bring us enjoyment at the cost of a sedentary lifestyle. Video games are a key player in being sedentary, and garner an impressive market of people who are stimulated just watching others play a game. And in this lies a subset of players who spend their every waking moment doing what most will not: hunting Shiny Pokémon. Hours, days, months, weeks, years and even decades are spent hunting for the beloved color swap of every known Pokémon in the Pokedex for their personal fulfillment. One asks who people spend their years collecting virtual monsters as display pieces when they could be scouring the world for lost arts and the like.

Let’s consider what a Shiny Pokémon isn’t. A Shiny does not offer any increased stats, advantages, special moves or boast greater power. Shinies in particular often have less or equivalent power to their original-colored counterparts.

It is the geography and color that create the illusion of phantasm and awe for collectors, the half-second stop motion of stars and piano riffs that keep the player’s attention on this rare breed. For the world and myself included, the Shiny was born in Generation II of Pokémon beginning with the static Red Gyarados involved in the game’s central plot of forced evolution among Pokémon using radio signals. This conneciton may imply Shiny Pokémon were created through forced mutation, but the theory is not followed up on later in the series.

The charm in Shiny Pokémon comes from the extreme luck involved in finding one and, through trial and error, catching one provided they are not skittish thanks to RNG delightfully screwing with every Pokémon player at various times to ensure the Miltank’s Rollout or a pudgy Chansey dashing into the wind. Finding a Shiny Pokémon between Generation II – V were 1/8192. And yet, we are more likely to find a Shiny Pokémon over 20,000 times higher than we are to win the lottery. Big oof. Finding a Shiny equally became easier due to breeding, which lowers these odds to 1/64 if a parent is a shiny and chain breeding, observe the incredible guide constructed by our friends at Reddit for how Shiny chain breeding works in passing down genetics, moves and the renowned glittery status.

Hunting in Audacity and Tedium

It appears to be fun and games, and yet the process of creating a Shiny baby is as gruesome as the hunt for its parents, and with no set location or time for any Shiny, we find ourselves wasting hours, days and weeks in real time running through virtual grasses hoping for one. With this time spent so diligently, one can fairly assume these Pokémon have some value. This is a subjective topic and only addresses the priorities one has in their time management. Yet, there is some value in claiming one, where some Shinies are more difficult catches than others based on natures and programming. For one’s personal experience, Shiny hunting can be a great escape from the outer life and gives someone a new, productive focus. The journey of finding a Shiny is as important as having found it.

The statement of Shiny value is best summed up in Reddit user Mauxjedi’s response to why Shinies matter to them:

To me, that sort of adds to the immersion of the game, as a trainer I like having that connection to these little monsters, and I think that shiny Pokèmon are even more special, it’s like a personal achievement, something that makes the Pokèmon matter more and makes it more important to you. It’s one of the reasons I’ll never trade one of my hunted Pokèmon, they’re just a little more important. My first one was a shiny Sawk in a random encounter, but I missed that one unfortunately, and my first obtained one was a shiny Ralts!

Mauxjedi, Reddit Post “[talk] Why do YOU shiny hunt?” 2020.

Game Freak has created a subculture through its quirky game mechanics originally intended as a one-off title, which continues to this day as Shiny Pokémon and hunting are present going into Generation IX.We enjoy exclusivity, the warm feeling of having something unique. Collecting shinies for display and for breeding offers us a sense of control and agency over our lives by way of simulation. I remember spending my childhood as a casual gamer, not focused on EV, IV, nor the competitive scene, with the game serving its colorful escapism on a daily basis.

The Shiny and its appearance is designed to bring not shock, but awe as you realize in nanoseconds that the game has finally chosen to show you its rarest secrets from thousands of hidden dice rolls and algorithms. There is a sense of pride, nostalgia and euphoria when the sparkles rush across the screen and the adrenaline begins to build. You must have that Pokèmon at all costs. The Shiny hunt is a personal quest, but also designed for bragging rights and a valuable commodity for players looking to trade them Even eBay sells Shinies to players!

The Hunt and the Home

Beyond all else, Pokèmon streamers, gamers and hunters have a common point that meeting others like them, with similar ambitions, priorities and drive to collect Shiny Pokèmon has created a subcommunity of dedicated people wanting a Pokèdex of their favorite Shiny Mons:

Meeting the whole super supportive community behind Shiny hunting and celebrating when people actually find Shinies, it starts to make sense. Every hunt is its own journey, and you have no idea where it’s going to take you. The excitement never gets old.

Matt “AbsolBlogsPokemon” Brandl

Or, one could hunt for the sake of hunting without investing in people or communities, having the hunt in the background of other pressing matters in life or technology. One may be correct in saying Shiny hunting is a waste of time, yet it is one aspect of the game series that will never go away, and is not up to us to determine how hunters should spend their time. Unless it is your professional job as a streamer, developer or playtester, Shiny Pokèmon hunting is a non-harmful and non-invasive form of self-gratifying, and to hunt this way is a waste of time for those who do not engage in it. Nevertheless, it is a personal fulfillment quest no different than us pursuing our own passions outside of work and family. A Shiny hunt is hyper-situational, with its own path of acquisition and you, the player, lack total agency over where the game will take you on a particular day; you know only that you will, or will not. A far simpler explanation than the world’s events today.

I believe shiny hunting is popular because of the reward that comes from it. As with most things in life, it’s the journey you remember. Anyone can go out, catch a Pokémon in a minute, and forget all about that moment. When you’ve spent 20 hours hunting, you feel all types of emotions – and when that sparkle finally appears, it’s absolutely exhilarating

Reddit user Warcraft101

For me, the Shiny even today brings a sense of wonder as they grow into my favorite forms of Gengar, Gardevoir, Blaziken, Salamence etc. For them, who are bred from birth to have certain natures and moves, the Shiny is equally part of the virtual family I hold close to make sure I can perform at my very best, with a group of Shiny or Alpha Pokèmon at my side to conquer my 32 bit world and uncover its deepest secrets together. For the hunt, it is to include them in my realm and domain of understanding, aided by their gentle hand and strength. The beginning of each of these posts have a tagline I am proud to share, and this one is no different. It is the time spent on our passions that make the passion important, not the result others wish they would see.

Sincerely,

N