Shiny Pokémon

As with all Pokémon games since Pokémon Gold & Silver, Shiny Pokémon make a return in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and like the previous Pokémon Legends: Arceus game, they appear in the overworld. When they are within range, you will hear a noise and see a sparkle, and in this game, there is a persistent sparkling effect around the Pokémon so you will be able to see it even if the Pokémon isn't that different when Shiny.

As before, the Shiny Charm also makes a return, this time as a reward for completing Mable's Pokédex requests up to level 50. This time, however, it gives an additional extra roll making the effective rate for the Shiny Charm 1 in 1,024.38. At present, there are no further methods to boost the odds.

There is another mechanic for the Shiny Pokémon, however. In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the game will save up to 10 Shiny Pokémon in place throughout the city, preventing them from despawning, so if you leave the vicinity and come back without losing the Shiny Pokémon. However, if you scare them away or defeat them, they will disappear. If you have 10 Shiny Pokémon stored in this manner and find another one, the game starts replacing the stored ones starting with the oldest

Pokémon in Hyperspace Lumiose do get stored like this, but only for the duration of that portal. Once you leave Hyperspace Lumiose, the Shiny Pokémon will disappear.

Shiny Pokémon also have an increased catch bonus to the catch rate, offering a *3 Catch Bonus.

In the Mega Dimension DLC, you can improve the odds, but only for when you go into a Hyperspace portal. Using Ansha's donuts, you can sometimes get Sparkling Power as a Flavor Power. This can be focused towards All types or a specific type, but the Flavor Powers you get are random. From there, the power you get will be active when you go into a Wormhole using that Donut. Donuts that are predominantly Sweet are more likely to get Sparkling Power.

There are three different levels of Sparkling Power, and if you have a Sparkling Power Level of 3, you will get a guaranteed Shiny Pokémon in your excursion matching the type of the Sparkling Power. This will be the first Pokémon that spawns in the Hyperspace distortion.

When a shiny spawns within the distortion when you arrive, you will get the "Catch a Shiny Pokémon" task regardless of if you have a Sparkling Power or not.

Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Latias and Latios can appear as Shiny in the special Hyperspace Zones, and are affected by the Sparkling Power that matches their type or is "All types".