Pokemon Sword & Shield players have expressed their surprise after one fan got some “incredible luck” while Shiny hunting for the first time.
Shiny hunting is a popular pastime for Pokemon fans, as they’re the ultimate bragging rights; they come in alternate colors which makes them perfect for showing off a player’s skill and dedication to the game.
They’re not easy to find, and some fans will put in hundreds of hours hunting down the extremely rare Shiny variations of their favorite Pokemon. But one player was lucky enough to find one after just a few encounters.
Pokemon fan has lucky encounter with Shiny Dratini
In a thread on the Pokemon Sword & Shield subreddit, user MellowRed shared a video of their encounter with a Shiny Dratini, explaining in the title: “Decided to Shiny hunt for the first time… Found after only 16 encounters!”
Dratini is a Dragon-type Pokemon that evolves into Dragonair and Dragonite, and was introduced way back in Gen 1. The Shiny version comes with a baby pink hue instead of its traditional pale blue exterior.
The post on Reddit has over 5,000 upvotes and plenty of comments of congratulation from players impressed that they were able to find a Shiny so soon into their hunt, pointing out their “incredible luck” in the game.
“That’s so great, I’ve been hunting that pink noodle down for an eternity now,” wrote one player. Another complained, “And here I am Shiny hunting a single mon for 40+ hours.”
A third wrote: “Beginner’s luck has never been so real. But that’s so exciting! Congrats!”
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Some Reddit users pointed out in the thread that Shiny hunting will only get more difficult from this point on, with one player joking: “This is how it starts… the slip into insanity only quickens from here.”
Another warned: “Don’t let this first hunt taint your view of how ‘easy’ Shiny hunting is. It can be f***ing brutal.”
Not everyone is so lucky when it comes to catching Shiny Pokemon. In November, a fan’s Joy-Con drift left their attempt in shambles, and in December, a player’s Shiny Legendary encounter ended in tragedy.
For the latest Pokemon Sword & Shield news, leaks and guides make sure to check out our dedicated Pokemon hub.