Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Event Increases Shiny Encounters for Multiple Pokemon

A new mass outbreak event is now live in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and players can expect to see increased chances of encountering Shiny Pokemon. For this event, The Pokemon Company is highlighting three very different Pokemon: Wiglett, Growlithe, and Swablu. The mass outbreaks will occur in different regions: Wiglett will appear in Paldea, Growlithe in Kitakami, and Swablu at Blueberry Academy. The event will run through Thursday, May 8th at 4:59 p.m. PT, so players have over a week to spend looking for these Shiny versions while encounter rates are increased.

The one thing that all of these Pokemon have in common is that they all have Shiny versions with a gold coloration. Shiny Growlithe’s orange fur is swapped for gold, while Shiny Swablu’s blue body gets the same. Lastly, Shiny Wiglett’s pale white body takes on a gold coloration, while its bright pink nose is replaced by a purple one. All three variants are pretty striking, and their distinctive nature should help them stand out while players are searching through these mass outbreaks.

In theory, this event is available to all Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players, but since Kitakami and Blueberry Academy are only accessible to those with the game’s Expansion Pass, players must own the DLC to take advantage of the increased Shiny encounter rates for both Growlithe and Swablu. That will likely disappoint players that haven’t purchased the DLC, but it’s not uncommon when it comes to these types of events. At the very least, everyone will be able to search for Shiny Wiglett!

During that exact same timeframe, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will also be hosting Tera Raid battles featuring Gimmighoul in its Chest Form. The Pokemon will be appearing in 1 to 5-Star Raids. Gimmighoul will have different Tera types, which could prove something of a challenge when it comes to type matching. However, there is an incentive to participate, as there will be a chance of finding a Shiny Gimmighoul in 5-Star Tera Raids. As noted by The Pokemon Company, the Shiny version of Gimmighoul “doesn’t normally appear during regular gameplay,” so that could provide an extra incentive to challenge these Raid battles.

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At this point, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been out for well over two years, which is a long lifespan for a Pokemon generation. Later this year, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be released on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and we don’t know what that means for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. There’s a chance we could start to see in-game events like mass outbreaks and Tera Raid battles wind down. However, it’s also possible we could see The Pokemon Company continue to support the games until the next full generation is released. The earliest we’ll see that happen is sometime in 2026.

Do you plan on checking out this mass outbreak event in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Which of these Shiny Pokemon are you hoping to find? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!