Is a Shiny Pokemon Better Than a Normal Pokemon?

Since their debut as Rare on the Game Boy Color exclusives Pokémon Gold and Silver, very few things in the Pokémon franchise can compare to the feeling of finding a shiny after hours of hard work. But are the shiny Pokémon really better than the normal ones? Now, to answer that and more, here’s how the Shiny Pokemon compare to the standard ones in all Pokémon games, including the newly released Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Is a Shiny Pokemon Better Than a Normal Pokemon?

To put it bluntly, no. As unfortunately for all who hoped that they would have an edge when compared to the standard ones in the games, the only difference between Shiny Pokémon and the regular ones lies in their color schemes. Meaning that the shines can be considered as simple color variants of the Pokémon and thus share the same stats and movesets.

Whether or not getting a shiny is worth the effort put in varies from trainer to trainer. But a few Shiny Pokémon, such as the White-colored Shiny Salazzle used as the star of this article’s featured image, can help you bring a little more flair to your team. You can check out which Shinies we considered to be the game’s best in Scarlet and Violet in our best Shiny Pokemon worth hunting guide.

If you are planning on going Shiny hunting, we highly recommend that you, first of all, get a Shiny Charm. The charm will increase your chances of getting a shiny by around 3/4. It’s also important to point out that all of the Shiny Pokémon evolutions will also have a different color scheme when compared to the standard ones of its kind, so do not be afraid to evolve your Pokémon.

You can play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet right now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.