Pokemon Sword and Shield Player Hatches Shiny After 2000 Attempts

Pokemon Sword and Shield players on Nintendo Switch are frequently on the hunt for Shiny Pokemon. The elusive creatures can take a lot of work to obtain, a fact evidenced by Reddit user Thevictorrobert. In order to get the Shiny of their dreams, they bred and hatched more than 2000 eggs! The effort paid off however, as they were treated to a Shiny Riolu as a result. The Fighting-type Pokemon debuted in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and typically has a blue coloration with black accents. Fittingly, the Shiny version of Riolu trades in that color for a shimmering gold body, instead!

A video of the Pokemon hatching can be found in the Reddit post embedded below.

After hatching over 2k eggs finally hatched this boy! from r/PokemonSwordAndShield

Shiny Pokemon do not offer any actual advantage over traditionally colored creatures, but they are much more difficult to get. Pokemon players have gone years without ever encountering one in the games, while others have run into them in the wild only to encounter terrible luck. That rarity is a big part of the appeal, and players will spend countless hours searching for them, or trying to hatch them from eggs, as Thevictorrobert did. The grind isn't for everyone, but it can add a fun layer to the game.

When leveled up with high friendship during the day, Riolu evolves into the Fighting/Steel-type Pokemon Lucario. Lucario has long been one of the most popular Pokemon from Gen IV, even appearing as a playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series. It's also a favorite among competitive players, which likely played a role in Thevictorrobert's pursuit. Other Reddit users shared their experiences trying to obtain the Shiny variation, with one saying they were getting frustrated at the 500-egg mark, while another got a Shiny Riolu after hatching just 20. It's all up to chance, but some players will put in the work if it means the opportunity to add one of the rarest Shiny Pokemon to their teams!

Pokemon Sword and Shield is available now, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you a fan of Pokemon Sword and Shield? What's the highest number of eggs you've hatched looking for a Shiny? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!