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📝 You can now participate in the second anniversary survey here!

GEN 1 AND 2 SHINY HUNTING GUIDE

-Old-Gen Shiny hunting manual-

The first generation of Pokémon games created a monster-collecting fever throughout the entire world, with the first world-wide entries being Red and Blue, followed by Yellow and all the spinoffs that came out of this pocket-monster craze. Shiny Pokémon existed in their own way in these games, hidden and waiting for the most curious hunters to take on the journey of helping them show their true colours.

Gold, Silver, and Crystal introduced Shiny Pokémon officially for the first time, which is why we are all here in the first place. Adding the Johto region and extra content for Kanto, Generation 2 became some of the most important games for a lot of fans, with a timeless look and feel that made its way into everyone's hearts.

Shiny Pokémon just started their journey in these games, and no one could have guessed all of the things that were left to be seen in the following years. Whether you like Generation 2 or not, one must respect the first spark that started the fire.

Generations 1 and 2

▼ Table of contents ▼

(press to open)

Armaldo icon1. Generation 1.

1.1. Shininess determined by DVs.

Contrary to what it looks like, Shiny Pokémon do exist in Generation 1, at least in a way. There are no Shiny sprites in these games, but that doesn't mean that they're not there, hidden, waiting for someone to see through the lack of different coloration.

As you may already know, IVs influence the stats of a Pokémon; a higher number usually means they are better suited for battle than others of the same species. In Generation 1, DVs take on this role, as IVs as we know them didn't exist until Generation 3. They range from 0 to 15. Another difference with IVs is that the special attack and the special defense share the same DV, "Special".

The most important thing for Shiny hunting, though, is that DVs determine whether a Pokémon is Shiny or not. This means that, even if it cannot be seen in its original game, a Pokémon from Generation 1 can be sent to Generation 2 and turn out to be Shiny. A Pokémon will be shiny only if its DVs match these conditions:

Attack DV Defense, Speed and Special DVs
Must be 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, or 15. Must be 10.

There are 8 shiny DV sets out of the total 65,536 possible DV combinations, essentially resulting in a 1 in 8192 chance of being shiny, the odds we are all used to in the old games. The process of hunting in Generation 1 involves checking the stats, making it stand out over all other types of full-odds hunting. But as cool as this sounds, there are some "limitations".

Due to the games not being able to create true random numbers, wild Pokémon found in tall grass, caves, or surfing cannot have a DV combination that results in a Shiny Pokémon when transferred to Generation 2. On the other hand, these pseudorandom numbers can give Pokémon found while fishing, obtained through gifts, interactable Pokémon (those that appear on the overworld and can be talked to before starting the battle), and in-game traded Pokémon any set of DVs, giving them the usual 1 in 8192 chance of being Shiny. This is one of the few instances in the entire franchise where a Pokémon received through a trade with an NPC can be Shiny. As you can see, even if the hunts are slightly more limited (when it comes to the number of targets) because of this interaction with the random numbers, it still makes for very special situations.

  • Game Corner Pokémon can be purchased with coins, which are obtained through playing on slot machines or exchanging them for money. These Pokémon can be obtained as many times as you want, as long as you have the coins for them. Some examples include Dratini and Porygon.

  • Gifts: Pokémon that are given by an NPC or found as an item Poké Ball. For example, the starters or Eevee.

  • In-game trades: Pokémon that are received through a trade with an NPC in exchange for one of yours. For example, Mr. Mime or Lickitung.

  • Interactable Pokémon: they appear with their own sprite in the overworld and can usually be talked to, starting a battle. For example, the Legendaries.

  • Fishing: any Pokémon that appears in the wild by fishing. For example, Magikarp or Shellder.

1.2. Figuring out Shiny stats.

To know if your Pokémon is Shiny, you will obviously need to find out its DVs. If you have used any IV calculator in the past, you know that the lower the level of your Pokémon, the more imprecise the calculation will be. This is also true for DVs; you may have to level up your target a few times before having the exact stat. But that process takes way too long for a hunt. That's why, with the help of this Generation 1 hunting tool by Blue Moon Falls, you can check the stats faster than with a normal calculator; you will only need to see if your Pokémon stats match any of the possible Shiny ones. You can find all the information on how to use it on the same page.

1.3. Game Corner.

Located in Celadon City, the Game Corner is a casino where coins are obtained by purchasing them in exchange for money or by gambling them in the slots machines. The building is owned by Team Rocket, which also gives it the Rocket Game Corner name.

In the prize corner, you can buy TMs with the coins, but most importantly, Pokémon. These Pokémon are easy and straight-forward to hunt. The list is different depending on the version and language:

Pokémon Red Version (EN) & Pocket Monsters: Red (JP) Pokémon Blue Version (EN) & Pocket Monsters: Green (JP)
Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Coins Level Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Coins Level
Abra Sprite Shiny Abra Sprite 180 9 Abra Sprite Shiny Abra Sprite 120 6
Clefairy Sprite Shiny Clefairy Sprite 500 18 Clefairy Sprite Shiny Clefairy Sprite 750 12
Nidorina Sprite Shiny Nidorina Sprite 1200 17 Nidorino Sprite Shiny Nidorino Sprite 1200 17
Dratini Sprite Shiny Dratini Sprite 2800 18 Pinsir Sprite Shiny Pinsir Sprite 2500 20
Scyther Sprite Shiny Scyther Sprite 5500 25 Dratini Sprite Shiny Dratini Sprite 4600 24
Porygon Sprite Shiny Porygon Sprite 9999 26 Porygon Sprite Shiny Porygon Sprite 6500 18
Pocket Monsters: Yellow (JP) & Pokémon Yellow Version (EN) Pocket Monsters: Blue (JP)
Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Coins Level Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Coins Level
Abra Sprite Shiny Abra Sprite 180 9 Abra Sprite Shiny Abra Sprite 120 6
Vulpix Sprite Shiny Vulpix Sprite 500 18 Pikachu Sprite Shiny Pikachu Sprite 750 12
Wigglytuff Sprite Shiny Wigglytuff Sprite 1200 17 Horsea Sprite Shiny Horsea Sprite 1200 17
Scyther Sprite Shiny Scyther Sprite 2800 18 Clefable Sprite Shiny Clefable Sprite 2500 20
Pinsir Sprite Shiny Pinsir Sprite 5500 25 Dragonair Sprite Shiny Dragonair Sprite 4600 24
Porygon Sprite Shiny Porygon Sprite 9999 26 Porygon Sprite Shiny Porygon Sprite 6500 18

1.4. In-game trades.

Some NPCs will want to trade Pokémon with you, which can also be hunted. Some of the Pokémon may evolve during the trade, so you may not exactly get the same target you were expecting at first. They are different depending on the version and the language.

Pocket Monsters: Red & Pocket Monsters: Green (JP)
You give You get Shiny (Gen 2) Nickname Location
Abra Sprite Mr. Mime Sprite Shiny Mr. Mime Sprite バリバリ
(Baribari)		 Route 2
Nidoran F Sprite Nidoran M Sprite Shiny Nidoran M Sprite チャッピー
(Chappy)		 Underground Path (Routes 5 - 6)
Nidorino Sprite Nidorina Sprite Shiny Nidorina Sprite テリー
(Terry)		 Route 11
Slowbro Sprite Lickitung Sprite Shiny Lickitung Sprite なめぞう
(Namezō)		 Route 18
Poliwhirl Sprite Jynx Sprite Shiny Jynx Sprite まさこ
(Masako)		 Cerulean City
Spearow Sprite Farfetch'd Sprite Shiny Farfetch'd Sprite おしょう
(Oshō)		 Vermilion City
Raichu Sprite Electrode Sprite Shiny Electrode Sprite おマル
(Omaru)		 Pokémon Lab
Venonat Sprite Tangela Sprite Shiny Tangela Sprite リンダ
(Linda)		 Pokémon Lab
Ponyta Sprite Seel Sprite Shiny Seel Sprite パウーン
(Paūn)		 Pokémon Lab
Pocket Monsters: Blue (JP)
You give You get Shiny (Gen 2) Nickname Location
Jigglypuff Sprite Mr. Mime Sprite Shiny Mr. Mime Sprite まさる
(Masaru)		 Route 2
Rattata Sprite Poliwag Sprite Shiny Poliwag Sprite ロモたん
(Romo-tan)		 Underground Path (Routes 5 - 6)
Rhydon Sprite Kangaskhan Sprite Shiny Kangaskhan Sprite ロダン
(Rodan)		 Route 11
Persian Sprite Tauros Sprite Shiny Tauros Sprite ぎゅうた
(Gyūta)		 Route 18
Machoke Sprite Haunter Sprite → Gengar Sprite Shiny Gengar Sprite ゴーすけ
(Ghosuke)		 Cerulean City
Pidgey Sprite Farfetch'd Sprite Shiny Farfetch'd Sprite アッカ
(Akka)		 Vermilion City
Kadabra Sprite Graveler Sprite → Golem Sprite Shiny Golem Sprite さぶろう
(Saburō)		 Pokémon Lab
Seel Sprite Slowpoke Sprite Shiny Slowpoke Sprite オスカル
(Oscar)		 Pokémon Lab
Growlithe Sprite Krabby Sprite Shiny Krabby Sprite オスカル
(Oscar)		 Pokémon Lab
Pokémon Red Version & Pokémon Blue Version (EN)
You give You get Shiny (Gen 2) Nickname Location
Abra Sprite Mr. Mime Sprite Shiny Mr. Mime Sprite MARCEL Route 2
Nidoran M Sprite Nidoran F Sprite Shiny Nidoran F Sprite SPOT Underground Path (Routes 5 - 6)
Nidorino Sprite Nidorina Sprite Shiny Nidorina Sprite TERRY Route 11
Slowbro Sprite Lickitung Sprite Shiny Lickitung Sprite MARC Route 18
Poliwhirl Sprite Jynx Sprite Shiny Jynx Sprite LOLA Cerulean City
Spearow Sprite Farfetch'd Sprite Shiny Farfetch'd Sprite DUX Vermilion City
Raichu Sprite Electrode Sprite Shiny Electrode Sprite DORIS Pokémon Lab
Venonat Sprite Tangela Sprite Shiny Tangela Sprite CRINKLES Pokémon Lab
Ponyta Sprite Seel Sprite Shiny Seel Sprite SAILOR Pokémon Lab
Pocket Monsters: Yellow (JP) & Pokémon Yellow Version (EN)
You give You get Shiny (Gen 2) Nickname Location
Clefairy Sprite Mr. Mime Sprite Shiny Mr. Mime Sprite マイム (Mime)
MILES		 Route 2
Cubone Sprite Machoke Sprite → Machamp Sprite Shiny Machamp Sprite リッキー (Ricky)
RICKY		 Underground Path (Routes 5 - 6)
Lickitung Sprite Dugtrio Sprite Shiny Dugtrio Sprite ぐりお (Gurio)
GURIO		 Route 11
Tangela Sprite Parasect Sprite Shiny Parasect Sprite つんつん(Tsuntsun)
SPIKE		 Route 18
Golduck Sprite Rhydon Sprite Shiny Rhydon Sprite ごんすけ(Gonsuke)
BUFFY		 Pokémon Lab
Growlithe Sprite Dewgong Sprite Shiny Dewgong Sprite セザンヌ(Cezanne)
CEZANNE		 Pokémon Lab
Kangaskhan Sprite Muk Sprite Shiny Muk Sprite ベタぼう (Betabō)
STICKY		 Pokémon Lab

1.5. Gift Pokémon.

Aside from trading, some people may directly gift you a Pokémon, aside from the starters you get at the beginning of the game. These are usually very rare targets that cannot be normally found any other way.

Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Location Notes
Bulbasaur Sprite Shiny Bulbasaur Sprite Professor Oak's Laboratory
Pallet Town		 Red, Green, and Blue omly
Charmander Sprite Shiny Charmander Sprite
Squirtle Sprite Shiny Squirtle Sprite
Pikachu Sprite Shiny Pikachu Sprite Yellow only
Bulbasaur Sprite Shiny Bulbasaur Sprite Cerulean City Yellow only.
Pikachu's friendship must be at least 147
Charmander Sprite Shiny Charmander Sprite Route 24 Yellow only
Squirtle Sprite Shiny Squirtle Sprite Vermilion City Yellow only.
After receiving the Thunder Badge
Eevee Sprite Shiny Eevee Sprite Celadon Mansion rooftop As an item Poké Ball (rooftop room)
Hitmonlee Sprite Shiny Hitmonlee Sprite Fighting Dojo, Saffron City After beating Karate master Koichi.
Can only choose one
Hitmonchan Sprite Shiny Hitmonchan Sprite
Magikarp Sprite Shiny Magikarp Sprite Route 4 Pokémon Center Purchased for 500 money
Lapras Sprite Shiny Lapras Sprite 7th floor of Silph Co. After beating Blue
Omanyte Sprite Shiny Omanyte Sprite Mt. Moon Can choose one fossil after beating a Super Nerd.
Must be revived at Cinnabar Lab on Cinnabar Island
Kabuto Sprite Shiny Kabuto Sprite
Aerodactyl Sprite Shiny Aerodactyl Sprite Pewter Museum of Science Secret area of the lab, accessed by using Cut

1.6. Pokémon found fishing.

Pokémon Red & Blue
Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Location
Old Rod Good Rod Super Rod
Psyduck Sprite Shiny Psyduck Sprite - - Routes 24 and 25
Cerulean City, Cerulean Gym, and Safari Zone
Poliwag Sprite Shiny Poliwag Sprite - All water tiles + Gym statues Pallet Town, Viridan City, and Route 22
Poliwhirl Sprite Shiny Poliwhirl Sprite - - Route 10 and Celadon City
Tentacool Sprite Shiny Tentacool Sprite - - Routes 12, 13, 17, and 18
Pallet Town and Viridian City
Slowpoke Sprite Shiny Slowpoke Sprite - - Route 10, Celadon City, and Safari Zone
Slowbro Sprite Shiny Slowbro Sprite - - Route 23 and Cerulean Cave
Shellder Sprite Shiny Shellder Sprite - - Routes 6, 11, 19, 20, and 21
Vermilion City, Seafoam Islands, and Cinnabar Island
Krabby Sprite Shiny Krabby Sprite - - Routes 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 24, and 25
Cerulean City, Vermilion City, Fuchsia City, and Safari Zone
Kingler Sprite Shiny Kingler Sprite - - Route 23 and Cerulean Cave
Horsea Sprite Shiny Horsea Sprite - - Routes 19, 20, and 21
Seafoam Islands, and Cinnabar Island
Seadra Sprite Shiny Seadra Sprite - - Route 23 and Cerulean Cave
Goldeen Sprite Shiny Goldeen Sprite - All water tiles + Gym statues Routes 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, and 25
Cerulean City, Fuchsia City, Seafoam Islands, and Cinnabar Island
Seaking Sprite Shiny Seaking Sprite - - Route 23, Fuchsia City, and Cerulean Cave
Staryu Sprite Shiny Staryu Sprite - - Routes 19, 20, and 21
Cinnabar Island and Seafoam Islands
Magikarp Sprite Shiny Magikarp Sprite All water tiles + Gym statues - Routes 12, 13, 17, and 18
Fuchsia City
Dratini Sprite Shiny Dratini Sprite - - Safari Zone
Pokémon Yellow
Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Location
Old Rod Good Rod Super Rod
Poliwag Sprite Shiny Poliwag Sprite - All water tiles + Gym statues Routes 22 and 23
Viridian City
Poliwhirl Sprite Shiny Poliwhirl Sprite - - Routes 22 and 23
Tentacool Sprite Shiny Tentacool Sprite - - Routes 11, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21
Pallet Town, Vermilion City, and Cinnabar Island
Tentacruel Sprite Shiny Tentacruel Sprite - - Routes 19, 20, and 21
Shellder Sprite Shiny Shellder Sprite - - Routes 17 and 18
Vermilion City Harbor
Krabby Sprite Shiny Krabby Sprite - - Routes 10 and 25
Seafoam Islands
Kingler Sprite Shiny Kingler Sprite - - Routes 10 and 25
Horsea Sprite Shiny Horsea Sprite - - Routes 10, 11, 12, and 13
Vermilion City
Seadra Sprite Shiny Seadra Sprite - - Routes 12 and 13
Goldeen Sprite Shiny Goldeen Sprite - All water tiles + Gym statues Routes 6 and 24
Cerulean City, Celadon City, Cerulean Cave
Seaking Sprite Shiny Seaking Sprite - - Route 24, Cerulean City, and Cerulean Cave
Staryu Sprite Shiny Staryu Sprite - - Routes 19, 20, and 21
Pallet Town, Vermilion City Harbor, Cinnabar Island, and Seafoam Island
Magikarp Sprite Shiny Magikarp Sprite All water tiles + Gym statues - Fuchsia City and Safari Zone
Gyarados Sprite Shiny Gyarados Sprite - - Fuchsia City
Dratini Sprite Shiny Dratini Sprite - - Safari Zone
Dragonair Sprite Shiny Dragonair Sprite - - Safari Zone

1.7. Interactable Pokémon.

Pokémon that can be found in the overworld. You can interact with them, prompting a battle after a small dialogue. They are usually legendary Pokémon.

Pokémon Shiny (Gen 2) Level Moves Location Notes
Snorlax Sprite Shiny Snorlax Sprite 30 Headbutt (15)
Rest (10)
Amnesia (20) 		Route 12
Route 16		 Requires the Poké Flute.
There are 2 of them in the region
Articuno Sprite Shiny Articuno Sprite 50 Peck (35)
Ice Beam (10) 		Seafoam Islands B4F
Zapdos Sprite Shiny Zapdos Sprite 50 ThunderShock (30)
Drill Peck (20) 		Power Plant
Moltres Sprite Shiny Moltres Sprite 50 Peck (35)
Fire Spin (15) 		Victory Road 2F
Mewtwo Sprite Shiny Mewtwo Sprite 70 Swift (20)
Psychic (10)
Barrier (30)
Recover (20) 		Cerulean Cave B1F After beating the Pokémon League

1.8. Transfering to Generation 2.

On the second floor of every Pokémon Center, there is a machine called the Time Capsule, which will let you send any Pokémon to Generation 2. You will be able to use it after having met Bill in Ecruteak City and letting 24 hours pass. The Time Capsule will work similarly to a Generation 1 trade. The Virtual Console games also have this function.

The Pokémon that come from Generation 1 will be holding an item determined by its catch rate. The full list of items can be found here. There are some more less-known, weird items like the Brick Piece (Machop) or the Polkadot Bow (Jigglypuff) exclusive to this mechanic.

1.9. Transfering to Generation 7.

In order to transfer from Generation 1 or 2 to Generation 7, you will need the Poké Transporter and the Pokémon Bank. Through this journey across generations, your Pokémon will suffer some changes due to the new mechanics added in later games. For example, it will always have its hidden ability if it has one. It will also have 3 random stats set to 31 IVs (don't worry, this will not make the Pokémon non-Shiny). These characteristics are generated out of your control, but there is one thing that you have a "choice" on: nature. Getting the right nature can be important if you decide to get all the ribbons possible with your Shiny.

The nature of the Pokémon will depend on the current experience points it has. It is calculated by dividing the experience by 25 and using the remainder with the following table (this is also known as modulo):

Remainder Nature Remainder Nature
0 Hardy 13 Jolly
1 Lonely 14 Naive
2 Brave 15 Modest
3 Adamant 16 Mild
4 Naughty 17 Quiet
5 Bold 18 Bashful
6 Docile 19 Rash
7 Relaxed 20 Calm
8 Impish 21 Gentle
9 Lax 22 Sassy
10 Timid 23 Careful
11 Hasty 24 Quirky
12 Serious

You can also know the nature without calculating anything, just by checking the last two digits of the experience points.

Last two digits Nature
0 25 50 75 Hardy
1 26 51 76 Lonely
2 27 52 77 Brave
3 28 53 78 Adamant
4 29 54 79 Naughty
5 30 55 80 Bold
6 31 56 81 Docile
7 32 57 82 Relaxed
8 33 58 83 Impish
9 34 59 84 Lax
10 35 60 85 Timid
11 36 61 86 Hasty
12 37 62 87 Serious
13 38 63 88 Jolly
14 39 64 89 Naive
15 40 65 90 Modest
16 41 66 91 Mild
17 42 67 92 Quiet
18 43 68 93 Bashful
19 44 69 94 Rash
20 45 70 95 Calm
21 46 71 96 Gentle
22 47 72 97 Sassy
23 48 73 98 Careful
24 49 74 99 Quirky

The easiest way to obtain the exact amount of experience points that you want is by leaving your Pokémon in the daycare and taking steps, as each of them gives it 1 experience point. The previous tables can also be used to transfer from Generation 2 to 7, although you may have to find other methods to obtain experience.

Armaldo icon2. Generation 2.

Warn Returning mechanics and other important information. Warn
Shininess is still determined by DVs.

2.1. Game Corner.

All of the slot machines in the Game Corner normally have a 1 in 6 chance of entering a special mode that will give you better odds of winning. This mode will be determined when starting the machine and will last until the player quits. But there's a singularity in both Celadon and Goldenrod Game Corners: there's a lucky slot machine that will always have this mode activate.

The game doesn't give any clear indications of which one is the lucky one out of all the ones inside the building, but there are some hints. In the Goldenrod Game Corner, there's an NPC that will talk about the machine he is using yielding a higher amount of coins than any other, indicating the lucky machine. On the other hand, in the Celadon Game Corner, there will be two NPCs mentioning something similar, but none of their machines are the lucky ones.

Goldenrod slot machine
Goldenrod's lucky slot machine.
Celadon slot machine
Celadon's lucky slot machine.

These two machines are always occupied, except in the mornings (04:00–09:59). Talk about the early bird getting the worm. But even then, grinding money in the Pokémon League with an Amulet Coin and buying coins in the Game Corner is faster than gambling.

Pokémon Level Full team Coins Game
Goldenrod
Shiny Abra Sprite 10 (GS)
5 (C)		 Can buy 5 at once
1000 coins (GS)
500 coins (C)		 200 (GS)
100 (C)		 All
Shiny Ekans Sprite 10 Can buy 5 at once
3500 coins		 700 Gold
Shiny Sandshrew Sprite 10 Can buy 5 at once
3500 coins		 700 Silver
Shiny Dratini Sprite 10 Can buy 4 at once
8400 coins		 2100 Gold and Silver
Shiny Cubone Sprite 15 Can buy 5 at once
4000 coins		 800 Crystal
Shiny Wobbuffet Sprite 15 Can buy 5 at once
7500 coins		 1500 Crystal
Celadon
Shiny Mr. Mime Sprite 15 Can buy 3 at once
9999 coins		 3333 Gold and Silver
Shiny Eevee Sprite 15 Can only buy 1 at once 6666 Gold and Silver
Shiny Porygon Sprite 20 (GS)
15 (C)		 Can only buy 1 at once 9999 (GS)
5555 (C)		 All
Shiny Pikachu Sprite 25 Can buy 4 at once
8888 coins		 2222 Crystal
Shiny Larvitar Sprite 40 Can only buy 1 at once 8888 Crystal

2.2. Received and Interactable Pokémon.

Pokémon Level Moves Location Notes
Received Pokémon
Shiny Chikorita Sprite 5 Tackle (35)
Growl (40)		 New Bark Town
(Professor Elm's Lab)		 Starter. Females cannot be shiny
Shiny Cyndaquil Sprite 5 Tackle (35)
Leer (30)
Shiny Totodile Sprite 5 Scratch (35)
Leer (30)
Shiny Spearow Sprite 10 Peck (35)
Growl (40)
Leer (30)		 Goldenrod City Given "temporarily during" a quest.
Can be kept forever.
Nicknamed KENYA
Shiny Eevee Sprite 20 Tackle (35)
Sand-Attack (15)
Growl (40)		 Goldenrod City After meeting Bill in Ecruteak City
Shiny Togepi Sprite 5 Growl (40) Violet City Is given as an egg after beating Falkner
Shiny Shuckle Sprite 15 Constrict (35)
Withdraw (40)
Wrap (20)
Encore (5)		 Cianwood City Given "temporarily during" a quest.
Can be kept forever.
Nicknamed SHUCKIE
Shiny Tyrogue Sprite 10 Tackle (35) Mt. Mortar Given after beating the Karate King
Shiny Dratini Sprite 15 Wrap (20)
Thunder Wave (20)
Twister (20)
Extremespeed (5)		 Dragon's Den Crystal only.
After beating Clair and answering correctly the monk's test
Shiny Dratini Sprite 15 Wrap (20)
Thunder Wave (20)
Twister (20)
Leer (30)		 Dragon's Den Crystal only.
After beating Clair and answering icorrectly the monk's test
Interactable Pokémon
Shiny Koffing Sprite 21 Tackle (35)
Smog (20)
Selfdestruct (5)
Sludge (20)		 Mahogany Town
Rocket's Hideout		 They can knock themselves out.
Shiny Voltorb Sprite 23 Tackle (35)
Smog (20)
Selfdestruct (5)
Sludge (20)
Shiny Geodude Sprite 21 Defense Curl (40)
Rock Throw (15)
Magnitude (30)
Selfdestruct (5)
Shiny Electrode Sprite 21 Screech (40)
SonicBoom (20)
SelfDestruct (5)
Rollout (20)		 It can knock itself out.
Will respawn immediately if you run away
Shiny Lapras Sprite 20 Growl (40)
Slam (20)
Mist (30)
Body Slam (15)		 Union Cave Every Friday on the basement floor.
Need Surf to reach it
Shiny Snorlax Sprite 50 Rest (10)
Snore (15)
Body Slam (15)
Rollout (20)		 Vermilion City Requires EXPN Card from Lavender Town
Shiny Sudowoodo Sprite 20 Rock Throw (15)
Mimic (10)
Flail (15)
Low Kick (20)		 Route 36 Requires Squirtbottle
(obtainable in Goldenrod City after defeating Whitney)

2.3. Legendaries.

Pokémon Level Moves Location Notes
Gold
Shiny Lugia Sprite 70 Recover (20)
Hydro Pump (5)
Rain Dance (5)
Swift (20)		 Whirl Islands Requires the Silver Wing
(obtainable in Pewter City, Kanto)
Shiny Ho-Oh Sprite 40 Sacred Fire (5)
Safeguard (25)
Gust (35)
Recover (20)		 Tin Tower
Shiny Raikou Sprite 40 Leer (30)
ThunderShock (30)
Roar (20)
Quick Attack (30)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Entei Sprite 40 Leer (30)
Ember (25)
Roar (20)
Fire Spin (15)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Suicune Sprite 40 Leer (30)
Water Gun (25)
Roar (20)
Gust (35)		 Roaming the region
Silver
Shiny Lugia Sprite 40 Aeroblast (5)
Safeguard (25)
Gust (35)
Recover (20)		 Whirl Islands
Shiny Ho-Oh Sprite 70 Recover (20)
Fire Blast (5)
Sunny Day (5)
Gust (35)		 Tin Tower Requires the Rainbow Wing
(obtainable in Pewter City, Kanto)
Shiny Raikou Sprite 40 Leer (30)
ThunderShock (30)
Roar (20)
Quick Attack (30)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Entei Sprite 40 Leer (30)
Ember (25)
Roar (20)
Fire Spin (15)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Suicune Sprite 40 Leer (30)
Water Gun (25)
Roar (20)
Gust (35)		 Roaming the region
Crystal
Shiny Lugia Sprite 40 Recover (20)
Hydro Pump (5)
Rain Dance (5)
Gust (35)		 Whirl Islands Requires the Silver Wing
(obtainable in Pewter City, Kanto)
Shiny Ho-Oh Sprite 70 Recover (20)
Fire Blast (5)
Sunny Day (5)
Gust (35)		 Tin Tower Requires the Rainbow Wing
(after catching the legendary beasts and entering the Hall of Fame)
Shiny Raikou Sprite 40 Leer (30)
ThunderShock (30)
Roar (20)
Quick Attack (30)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Entei Sprite 40 Leer (30)
Ember (25)
Roar (20)
Fire Spin (15)		 Roaming the region
Shiny Suicune Sprite 40 Leer (30)
BubbleBeam (20)
Roar (20)
Gust (35)		 Tin Tower
Shiny Celebi Sprite 30 Heal Bell (5)
Safeguard (25)
AncientPower (5)
Future Sight (15)		 Ilex Forest Requires the GS Ball.
Unobtainable legitimately in the original cartridge.
Given in Virtual Console versions

2.4. Pokémon with the 7:1 gender ratio.

Gender in Generation 2 is determined by the attack DV by comparing it with their gender ratio. A Pokémon is female when its attack DV is less than or equal to its gender ratio. If the number is higher, it will be male. Genderless Pokémon don't use this calculation.

Ratio (M:F) Male DVs Female DVs Male chance Female chance
Always male 0-15 - 100% 0%
Always female - 0 - 15 0% 100%
7:1 2 - 15 0 - 1 87.5% 12.5%
3:1 4 - 15 0 - 3 75% 25%
1:1 8 - 15 0 - 7 50% 50%
1:3 12 - 15 0 - 11 25% 75%

As you can see, a species with a 7:1 ratio will never have females with an attack DV higher than 1, which is not enough for the attack DV requirements of a Shiny Pokémon (2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, or 15). This means that the female Pokémon of these species will never be Shiny. These species are:

Shiny Bulbasaur Sprite Shiny Ivysaur Sprite Shiny venusaur Sprite Shiny Charmander Sprite Shiny Charmeleon Sprite Shiny Charizard Sprite Shiny Squirtle Sprite Shiny Wartortle Sprite Shiny Blastoise Sprite Shiny Eevee Sprite Shiny Vaporeon Sprite Shiny Jolteon Sprite Shiny Flareon Sprite Shiny Omanyte Sprite Shiny Omastar Sprite Shiny Kabuto Sprite Shiny Kabutops Sprite Shiny Aerodactyl Sprite Shiny Snorlax Sprite Shiny Chikorita Sprite Shiny Bayleef Sprite Shiny Meganium Sprite Shiny Cyndaquil Sprite Shiny Quilava Sprite Shiny Typhlosion Sprite Shiny Totodile Sprite Shiny Croconaw Sprite Shiny Feraligatr Sprite Shiny Togepi Sprite Shiny Togetic Sprite Shiny Espeon Sprite Shiny Umbreon Sprite

2.5. Shiny Unown letters limitations.

The Unown letter is determined by combining the two center bits of the DVs of an Unown, except HP (which is calculated from the other stats). The group of bits is translated to decimal notation, divided by ten, and finally rounded down to remove the decimal numbers. The resulting number will range between 0 and 25, one number for each Unown letter.

Attack Defense Special Speed
DV 13 2 6 10
Center bits 1101 0010 0110 1010
Combination 10011101
Number 157
Divided by 10 15.7
Rounded down 15
Unown letter Unown P Sprite

Due to the letter mechanic being tied to the DVs, not all letters can be Shiny. More specifically, only Unowns I and V will be able to appear as Shiny. An ironic coincidence if you think about the fact that the Generation 3+ version of DVs are IVs.

The possible Shiny DVs of each form (I and V) will then be:

Form HP Attack Defense Special Speed
Shiny Unown I Sprite 0 2 10 10 10
8 3 10 10 10
0 10 10 10 10
8 11 10 10 10
Shiny Unown V Sprite 0 6 10 10 10
8 7 10 10 10
0 14 10 10 10
8 15 10 10 10

2.6. Wild Pokémon running away.

Only in this generation, a small number of Pokémon have the chance of fleeing from a regular, wid battle. Some kind of Safari Zone wannabes. Either way, this is portrayed in the existence of the Rapid Ball, which has a x4 catch rate when used on a Pokémon that has a chance to run away from battle, if it weren't for the fact that it's not coded correctly. Still, the theory holds up.

Out of all of the following Pokémon that can run away, the Rapid Ball gets a boost only with Magnemite, Grimer, and Tangela.

10% chance to flee
Magnemite Sprite Grimer Sprite Tangela Sprite Mr. Mime Sprite Dratini Sprite Dragonair Sprite Unown Sprite Snubbull Sprite Heracross Sprite
50% chance to flee
Cubone Sprite Quagsire Sprite Teddiursa Sprite Delibird Sprite Phanpy Sprite

There are some other Pokémon that are also programmed to flee, but they can't appear in the wild (Eevee, Porygon, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Togetic, and Umbreon). The best way to stop this Pokémon from fleeing is to use a Jynx with Mean Look and Lovely Kiss, although any fast Pokémon with Mean Look can also work. If you want to know more about what to use against these fleeing Pokémon, check out the Generation 2 section of the Utility Pokémon guide.

2.7. Mass Outbreaks.

Some Pokémon have special appearances where their encounter chance is increased significantly in locations where they are usually found 1% of the time. In order to find an outbreak, you must be called by some specific trainers in your PokéGear. There can only be one swarm per day.

Making one of the trainers call can be a tedious task, but there's an easy way to force the outbreak:

  • Delete all trainers from the contact list that aren't relevant to the swarm.

  • Talk repeatedly with the mother in New Bark Town to toggle daylight savings time on and off. There's a 50% chance to trigger a call every time daylight savings time is changed.

Pokémon Location Trainer call Trainer location Game Percentage
Shiny Marill Sprite Mt. Mortar Hiker Parry Route 45 Gold and Silver 40%
Shiny Yanma Sprite Route 35 Bug Catcher Arnie Route 35 All 30%
Shiny Dunsparce Sprite Dark Cave (Route 31) Hiker Anthony Route 33 All 40%
Shiny Snubbull Sprite Route 38 Schoolboy Chad Route 38 Gold and Silver 30%
Shiny Qwilfish Sprite Route 32 Fisher Ralph Route 32 All 15% (Old Rod)
65% (Good Rod)
100% (Super Rod)
Shiny Remoraid Sprite Route 44 Fisher Wilton Route 44 Gold and Silver 15% (Old Rod)
65% (Good Rod)
100% (Super Rod)

The increased encounter chance of some outbreaks can be taken further by using a repel trick:

Pokémon Repel trick Chance Encounter rate Other Pokémon
Shiny Marill Sprite No repel trick that increases the percentage
Shiny Yanma Sprite Level 13 66.67% 15% 33.33%
Shiny Pidgey Sprite(day only)
Shiny Hoothoot Sprite(night only)
Shiny Dunsparce Sprite Level 3 53.85% 65% 46.15%
Shiny Geodude Sprite
Shiny Dunsparce Sprite Level 4 100% 5% -
Shiny Snubbull Sprite Not worth a 3.33% increase in exchange
of losing Miltank and Tauros
Shiny Qwilfish Sprite Found 100% of the time with Super Rod
Shiny Remoraid Sprite Found 100% of the time with Super Rod

2.8. Gyarados and the egg group diagram.

Breeding eggs with a Shiny parent gives very high odds of finding a Shiny in one of those eggs, up to 1 in 64 (depending on gender ratios), which is dramatically better than any other generation, even with the Masuda method! By passing down the defense and special stats of a Shiny, the chances of getting a Shiny offspring skyrocket.

The easiest way to begin generating eggs with a high Shiny chance is by using the red Gyarados from the Lake of Rage and taking advantage of the egg group feature. Gyarados is part of the Water 2 and Dragon egg groups, so it can breed eggs with multiple Pokémon that are also part of them. The process to breed a Pokémon with Gyarados' Shiny genes would be as follows:

This way, you can hunt a wider variety of Pokémon by connecting them through egg groups. Follow this diagram in order to find out the steps you need to take in order to hunt your target:

Egg group diagram
A big variety of targets!

Some targets are not available, as shown previously. This also includes the Pokémon from the Unknown egg group, but that's because they simply can't breed normally. A Shiny from the Human-like, Mineral, or Amorphous group might be needed in order to increase the Shiny odds through breeding. A Shiny Ditto is also a very useful tool to have if you like egg hunting. If you want to know more information about this method, check out Blue Moon Falls' DV Breeding for Shinies page.

2.9. The Odd Egg.

One of the ways that a player can test and find out more about the new egg mechanics from Johto is with the Odd Egg, a gift egg that contains one of many baby Pokémon and will randomly hatch into one of them. They know the special move Dizzy Punch.

Originally, this gift was obtainable in Japan through the use of the Egg Ticket, given away through the Mobile System GB (similarly to the GS Ball and Celebi event). It could be picked up from the daycare man on Route 34. This system has long ceased its functionality, so it can only be obtained through non-legitimate means in these cartridges. The Virtual Console Japanese release did not add any workarounds.

The international release of the game luckily added a new way to obtain this gift without needing external devices or timed events, which works both in cartridges and Virtual Console. The daycare man will give you the egg even if you don't have the Egg Ticket.

The reason why this egg is important is because it can be hunted, and not only that, it also has an increased chance to get a Shiny. To be more specific, there is a 14% chance to find a Shiny in the international versions and a 50% chance in the Japanese one, due to the way DVs influence this trait. This also means that all Pokémon will be female, except Tyrogue. There are two sets of possible DVs.

SHINY
HP Attack Defense Special Speed
2 10 10 10 10
NON SHINY
HP Attack Defense Special Speed
0 0 0 0 0

There's a 50% chance for the first set of DVs and another 50% for the second in Japanese games. For international versions, the first set will appear 14% of the time, and the second 86%. That is the chance of a Shiny in general with this egg; every species has a different percentage:

Pokémon Shiny Normal % Shiny %
Pichu Sprite Shiny Pichu Sprite 8% 1%
Cleffa Sprite Shiny Cleffa Sprite 16% 3%
Igglybuff Sprite Shiny Igglybuff Sprite 16% 3%
Tyrogue Sprite Shiny Tyrogue Sprite 10% 1%
Smoochum Sprite Shiny Smoochum Sprite 14% 2%
Elekid Sprite Shiny Elekid Sprite 12% 2%
Magby Sprite Shiny Magby Sprite 10% 2%

2.10. Celebi.

As mentioned before, Celebi was originally distributed in Japan through a special event obtainable only through the Mobile System GB, exclusive to Pokémon Crystal. The GS Ball was the key component to this story, a special Poké Ball made of gold and silver that has also appeared multiple times in the anime.

The item was given through the Pokémon News Machine in the Pokémon Communication Center (Goldenrod City). This place was an expanded version of a normal Pokémon Center. After receiving the item, the main task was taking it to Kurt in Azalea Town, who will ask to have it in his possession for a day to analyse it. The next day, he will mention that something strange is going on; the Ilex Forest seems uneasy. The GS Ball will have to be taken to the altar in the forest, where it will be placed, and Celebi will surprise the player with its presence.

This event was intended to be activated in the Goldenrod Pokémon Center on international versions but was never used. Until the Virtual Console version of Crystal came out, which restored the event and let us receive the GS Ball after entering the Hall of Fame. For the Japanese versions, the Communication Center was kept, although the Mobile System GB is no longer needed for the event.

Celebi event 1
Celebi event 2
Celebi event 3

This encounter has been the only legitimate way to hunt a Celebi, as sad as it may sound, so if you were thinking of hunting it in newer games, be prepared for removing Shiny locks or performing glitches.