It feels like we were waiting to revisit Sinnoh for years. And it’s the first time Game Freak has outsourced something like this, so yeah. But either way, shiny hunting in Sinnoh has never looked so good. If you’re not sure which shinies to go after in your new gen 4 playthroughs, we’ve got a bunch of suggestions to get you started.
15. Probopass
Probopass has a bit of a niche fanbase, and I get it. It’s an unusual-looking Pokémon with a big mustache – and people like that. I, on the other hand, do not. Especially when the shiny version makes Probopass look more like a human than ever before. It keeps all of the same colors except for its body, which becomes something more resembling of flesh. I don’t know about you, but a floating big-nosed mustachioed head is not what comes to mind whenever I think “Pokémon”. That being said, it’s got a pretty cool and unique design that deserves a mention, even if it’s only at the bottom of our ranking.
14. Drapion
Both Drapion and Toxicroak eluded me back in the Gen IV days. I distinctly remember spending a ludicrous amount of time in the Safari Zone trying to get my hands on them, but I was obviously unsuccessful. I would have really liked to hunt for a shiny Drapion, too. So it’s a bit annoying that I’ve had to wait until SWSH to breed one. It’s not like the shiny is anything crazy, either. It’s just pink. It’s a nice shade of pink, though.
13. Rampardos
I was a Diamond fanboy back in the day. So I was lucky enough to have Rampardos as my version exclusive. It’s just as well, too, because Bastiodon is one ugly-looking Pokémon. That holds true for the shiny variants though. Pearl’s Bastiodon gets the slightest color change, while there’s actually a noticeable difference in Rampardos. Rather than having the blue accents on its body, the shiny version has pink. It’s one of those small changes that could honestly be a gender variant as opposed to a shiny, which tends to be a good thing. It’s not outlandish, but it is noticeably different.
12. Lickilicky
It seems like I can’t go a day without writing about Lickilicky in some capacity. I tried my best to keep it off this list, but there was just no other alternative. Shiny Lickilicky is yellow instead of pink. And I’ll admit that the color change makes this Pokémon far less problematic looking. But the fact that it still licks living creatures against their will remains the same.
11. Staraptor
Regular Staraptor is a Pokémon representation of me during my emo phase. Shiny Staraptor is a Pokémon representation of my friends during their emo phases. The only difference worth talking about between the two is the change from a red fringe to a blue one. It’s a small color swap that doesn’t really do all that much for the design. But it’s too on-theme to not give Staraptor an entry on this list somewhere.
10. Skuntank
I never liked Skuntank. And I don’t think any of you can hold that against me. I mean, it’s just a skunk. That sucks. There’s no denying that it has a pretty kick-ass shiny, though. It’s like somebody took it and just dunked it in a bath of red dye, which is a hilarious mental image. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never going to hunt for one of these things on principle alone. But it is one of the better-looking shinies to get your hands on if you’ve got time to kill in Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl.
9. Tangrowth
Shiny Tangrowth is green. Not just any green, though. It’s the same shade of green as shiny Espeon, which makes both of these Pokémon look like aliens. Well, Tangrowth looks more like a big chunk of bud. Realistically though, it can pass as both. Regardless of whether you want to think of Tangrowth as an alien or as a perfectly legal natural substance, it’s still a great-looking shiny that puts a lot of Gen IV’s designs to shame.
8. Gallade
Gallade is my favorite Pokémon of all time. So only putting it at number eight hurts. I just can’t deny that there are far better-looking shinies out there, though. Shiny Gallade, like shiny Gardevoir, just turns blue instead of green. This change isn’t anything too special. But since both are two of my favorite Pokémon, we get Gallade right here in my ranking.
7. Pachirisu
Pachirisu is the best Pikachu clone in the entire series, and it isn’t even close. In fact, I prefer Pachirisu to Pikachu. The opportunity to use one again, along with the hopes that it gets an evolution, is single-handedly what had me excited for the remakes. Pachirisu is an adorable little electric squirrel. What’s not to love? That’s not even mentioning the fact that it somehow managed to win the VGC Master Division Championship back in the day. Shiny Pachirisu has a perfect color change, too. Switching the blue for pink. Like Rampardos, this could easily just be a gender variant. But this shiny design makes it an infinitely cuter Pokémon to the point where I actually want to go and hunt one now.
6. Roserade
There are two color combinations that I have a bit of a thing for when it comes to Pokémon designs. One is red and black, like Groudon, and the other is purple and black, like shiny Roserade. The purple and black changes are super subtle, too. It’s only the colors of the Pokémon’s roses that switch. But it works unbelievably well. It’s not just that this design looks cool, either. Purple and black are colors that are more reminiscent of poison than red and black, which works with the ninja theme that Roserade has going on brilliantly. Out of all the shiny Pokémon in Gen IV, this is perhaps the best looking shiny that changes the least, and that stands for something.
5. Luxray
Luxray is a bit of a fan-favorite Pokémon, and rightfully so. It’s got a strong and simple design that embodies everything a Pokémon should be – a fighting animal. There’s no sentient object nonsense with it. The shiny version of Luxray is also the perfect example of what a shiny Pokémon should be, too. It’s a skin color change to gold, which if shiny Pokémon had to all be one color, it would be that. Shiny Luxray is strong, gorgeous, and exemplifies everything that Game Freak got right in DPP.
4. Drifblim
Drifblim is a sleeper hit of a shiny for me. Before researching for this list, I had no idea what it looked like. That’s a surprise, too. Because immediately after seeing it, I put it on my shiny hunting list. Rather than the likes of Roserade that have subtle design changes, Drifblim isn’t afraid to flaunt its stuff. It turns into this obnoxiously loud yellow and blue color scheme, and I love it. It’s a color combination that shouldn’t work, but does. Although maybe I just have no taste and this shiny Pokémon looks awful? Either possibility is reasonable, to be honest.
3. Giratina
Giratina and Drifblim have almost identical shiny color palettes. I don’t know if that was intentional, but it means that I have the same reasons for liking them both so much. Giratina beats out Drifblim purely because it’s a legendary. Oh, and it’s the Pokémon equivalent of Lucifer. So there’s that. Again, it’s just the combination of that pale mustard yellow and vibrant blue that immediately catches your attention. That’s not always a good thing for shiny Pokémon to do, but it certainly is in this case.
2. Lopunny
Okay, how do I write this entry without immediately being put on a watchlist? Shiny Lopunny is…. A good-looking Pokémon. The pink accents make it look like a living UGG boot, which now that I say it out loud may have been an intentional design decision. It’s one of the more unique shinies out there, in that it’s clearly an alternate color palette, but it’s not obnoxious. This shiny stands out and grabs your attention without being too loud. Like Giratina or Drifblim. Plus, it’s Lopunny, and if you know, you know.
1. Honchkrow
I will never be convinced that it was not an intentional decision for Game Freak to design shiny Honchkrow to look like a pimp. It’s far too coincidental for that to be the case. The feathered hat, the white scarf, and the purple coat are color-for-color adaptations of the stereotypical pimp look that you see in the movies. All Honchkrow needs is a cane. Being real with you, it wouldn’t even matter if this shiny design sucked. Honchkrow gets the number one spot automatically based on the sheer audacity of the design team to do something so bold and brave.
