There's a New Way to Increase Your Chances of Finding a Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield

There's a new way to increase your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield and all players have to do is fight every Pokemon they see. Yesterday, the Pokemon Company confirmed that players could increase their chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon based on the number of Pokemon from that species they've previously battled. The chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon will double after players fight at least 50 Pokemon of that species. Players will then have triple the odds after 100 battles, four times the odds after 200 battles, five times the odds after 300 battles, and six times the odds after battling a Pokemon species 500 times. Players have a 1 in about 683 chance of catching a Shiny Pokemon after they've battled a Pokemon species 500 times or more.

Shiny Pokemon are the rarest kind of Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield and are highly prized among many Pokemon fans. While there's no mechanical difference or competitive benefit to find a Shiny Pokemon species, players see Shiny Pokemon as a prize due to their rarities. Shiny Pokemon have alternate colors than non-Shiny Pokemon, ranging from slight variations to wildly different color schemes. Players can increase their odds of finding Shiny Pokemon by chaining Pokemon battles (battling and defeating Pokemon of the same species) and by obtaining a Shiny Charm (which increases the odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon) by completing the Pokedex.

Pokemon Sword and Shield also introduced a new variant of Shiny Pokemon - nicknamed "Square Shinies" due to their alternative animation when they appear. Only 1 in every 16 Shiny Pokemon is a Square Shiny Pokemon.

Have you caught any Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield? Let us know in the comment section or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to chat all things Pokemon!