IN Pokémon, the most coveted varieties are known as Shiny Pokémon, which often have a completely different color palette from their standard counterparts, along with a bit of sparkle animation when they’re dispatched. Although extremely rare under normal conditions, shiny Pokémon have appeared in the Pokémon anime many times—they have even been captured by the protagonists before. Here are ten shiny Pokémon that have appeared in major roles in the anime, along with the plot and context in which they appeared.
12 Dustox
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A shiny Dustox appears in the Diamond and Pearl episode “Crossing Paths”, where Jessie’s Dustox, which she’s had since Hoenn, fell in love with it. The episode’s plot is essentially a remake of the infamous “Bye Bye, Butterfree,” with Jessie and her Dustox replacing Ash and Butterfree, and shiny Dustox replacing Pink Butterfree. However, Jessie is also in a relationship with someone in this episode, which makes it a little different. In the end, though, both Jessie’s Dustox and Shiny Dustox were released so they could be together.
10 Druddigons
Druddagon’s striking shiny form appears in the Black and White era episode appropriately titled “A Pokémon of a Other Color!” In the episode, Ash, Iris, and Cilan run into Clair, the Johto region gymnast, a Dragon-type trainer resembling Iris, who happens to be in the area in search of a rare Pokémon. The episode’s story is interesting in that fighting the Druddagon isn’t the optimal way to deal with it, so Clair must instead use her dragon taming skills to befriend it. It also gets into some storylines with Iris, who first learns of her connection to the Dragon types by helping a wounded Druddagon in a similar way. Clair ends the episode by catching the shiny Druddagon, which will appear later when Clair is seen again.
9 Pikachu
This isn’t just a shiny Pikachu—it’s a shiny Pikachu with a puffy hairstyle. The shiny Pikachu, known as “Boss”, appears in the Sun & Moon episode “A Plethora of Pikachu!”, where it competes with Ash’s Pikachu for the affections of a Pikachu named Curly. Of course, Boss got his name as the leader of a Pikachu troupe belonging to a trainer named Pikala, modeled on the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon’s Pikachu Valley. Ash’s Pikachu eventually earned the Boss’ respect by defeating it in battle. Boss can also use Z-move “Catastropika” in this episode, making for an extremely interesting moment when defeating Team Rocket.
8 crocodiles
A shiny Hawlucha with a dark color appears in episode XY “When light and darkness collide!” Shiny Hawlucha is truly a stage star, and the attack Ash interrupts is part of practice for a play. To make up for that, Ash’s Hawlucha is credited as the hero of the play, pitting the two Hawluchas against each other as rivals. With Hawlucha’s wrestler-inspired design, the dark Hawlucha combo works great. While Ash’s Hawlucha initially had trouble throwing punches into the camera, the two grew to respect each other after going up against Team Rocket and having a glorious battle.
7 Mimikyu
A shiny Mimkyu known by the nickname “Mimikins” appears several times throughout Sun & Moon, but most notably in the first episode “Why not give me a Z ring sometime?” Much of the episode revolves around Team Rocket, who hope to get the Z-Ring and crystal from Acerola and Nanu, two of Alola’s experimental captains. Mimikins really belong to Acerola, but it’s unique for more than just shiny; Mimikins are said to be the ghost of a dead Mimikyu, not just a Ghost-type Pokémon. As a result, it can’t really fight anymore, although it will still try from time to time. Mimikins also have a small ornament in the form of flowers that are pinned to the “ears” of the costume, making Mimikins instantly recognizable.
6 Voltmeter
This shiny Voltorb appeared in the Journeys episode “Mad About Blue!” mainly about two coaches who love everything blue and scramble for it. What’s really remarkable, though, is that the episode opens with Ash and Goh chasing a shiny Voltorb, which has almost disappeared. When it tried to jump over Chloe to escape, Goh managed to hit it with a Poké Ball in mid-air, catching it instantly. While Goh never uses much of his shiny Voltorb, it’s quite noticeable when a protagonist catches the shiny, as it only happens twice.
5 lords
Shiny Guzzlord Appears in “Z-Move Showdown!” of Sun & Moon, taking place shortly after Ash’s win in the Alola League. The twist is that not one but two shiny Guzzlords (and one regular) emerged from Ultra Wormholes, and Ash witnessed the kind of destruction these gluttonous Pokémon can. caused to Alola. Guzzlord’s attack is repelled by Ash and friends, saving him time and allowing him to have one final battle with Professor Kukui to truly prove his status as a champion.
4 Sacred Hearts
How did Ash know the destructive power of Guzzlord? Well, Ash traveled on his own to an alternate universe where Alola was destroyed by one of “Battleing the Beast Inside!” and “Parallel Friendship!” Ash was battling Tapu Koko while training with Pikachu when their combined electric attacks collided with those from the shiny Tapu Koko in another universe, tearing a hole between the dimensions and sending Ash goes to the post-apocalyptic Alola. The shiny Tapu Koko ended up helping Ash and a new friend defeat Guzzlord in charge, then helping Ash return home.
3 noctilucent
Perhaps the most notable shiny Pokémon in the anime was also its first Pokémon: Ash’s Noctowl. Appeared in the episode “Fowl Play!” In the Johto era, a particularly small and intelligent shiny Noctowl was found, which repeatedly caused a researcher in the area to slip. Ash impresses Noctowl by helping it escape from Team Rocket, so it accepts a battle from him and is eventually defeated and captured. Ash’s shiny Noctowl would become a staple on his team all over Johto, and has appeared occasionally since.
2 Gyarado
If Noctowl is the most notable shiner in the entire anime, then Red Gyarados is the most notable character in the entire series. Appearing in “Talkin’ ‘Bout An Evolution” and “Rage of Innocence,” these episodes adapt the Lake of Rage storylines from the Gold and Silver games, seeing Team Rocket attempt to force Pokémon to evolve and evolve. causing Red Gyarados to lose control. Ash and friends team up with the regional champion Lance to defeat Team Rocket and free Gyarados from their experiment. While the player captures it in the game, Lance actually becomes the one to capture the Red Gyarados here, and continues to use it throughout Journeys’ Masters Eight tournament, more than 860 episodes later.
1 Black Rayquaza
Appearing in Pokémon Horizons, the first anime series without Ash as the main character, Black Rayquaza is one of the rarest Pokémon ever seen. Not only is Rayquaza considered elite even among legends, but this particular person was captured by a mysterious trainer named Lucius, or ancient explorer, who had a team full of legends. shiny or ultra-rare phone, currently imprisoned in his ancient Poke Balloons.
There are many more shiny cases Pokémon appears in the anime, but this is one of the most interesting and worth discussing.