As an avid Pokémon shiny collector boasting over 500 across various generations, I‘ve got the full insider scoop on every single species regretfully locked out of sparkling in Gen 9.
After digging into the data and experiencing major disappointment myself failing to reset for a flashy Fuecoco, I‘ve compiled the complete list so fellow hunters can set their sights on actual attainable targets. Buckle up for the comprehensive intel!
What Exactly Are Shiny Locks?
For the uninformed, a shiny lock refers to when a Pokémon is programmed so it has 0% chance of appearing shiny through any normal means. No soft resetting over and over until your eyes bleed out will make them sparkle—they‘re categorically shiny-less!
These metaphorical locks snap shut on certain species to preserve canonical designs, promote future events, avoid imbalanced competitive metas per Game Freak. But for us collectors, it‘s basically a big middle finger crushing our dreams!
The Infuriating Reality for Shiny Hunters
As someone with countless hours poured into hatching eggs, chaining random encounters, and exploiting manipulation glitches all for those 1 in 4,096 odds, having iconic targets like starters and legendaries ripped away stings.
Previous games enabled us to grind infinitely for shinies of virtually any breedable Pokémon, meaning anything was possible with enough dedication. Every playthrough could feel truly unique if blessed by the RNG gods!
But now, no amount of effort will ever let my Sprigatito glisten gold. And my lustrous cyan Koraidon I envisioned surfing around Paldea? Straight fantasy thanks to the unsympathetic developers!
On one hand, the locks make some sense for maintaining iconic looks and debuting special events later. But as someone treasuring my Ultra Wormhole pink Origin Giratina since 2018 knowing those odds, stripping away that possibility really dampers the motivational spark that kept postgames feeling rewarding instead of routine.
So Which Poor Suckers Got Locked Down Exactly?
Through combing databases and collective findings of reputable data miners, the following Pokémon are currently impossible to encounter shiny in Gen 9 games:
Starters & Evolutions
My longtime shiny hunting staples, the beloved starters, got slammed by the locks right out the gate. Such a tragedy!
| Pokemon | Type |
|---|---|
| Sprigatito | Grass |
| Florange | Grass/Dark |
| Meowscarada | Grass/Dark |
| Fuecoco | Fire |
| Crocalor | Fire/Ghost |
| Skeledirge | Fire/Ghost |
| Quaxly | Water |
| Quaxwell | Water/Fighting |
| Quaquaval | Water/Fighting |
As you can see, all stages of the starter lines cannot shine. A native Paldean kid dreaming of a blue-flamed Crocalor subverting expectations through imagery and color? Game Freak says nope!
Legendaries
Continuing traditions since Gen 5, the main legendary mascots and plot-centric Mythicals also got hit by the restrictive locks:
| Pokemon | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Koraidon | Fighting/Dragon | Noble steed of the past |
| Miraidon | Electric/Dragon | Mechanical beast of the future |
| Chi-Yu | Dark/Flying | Terrellian ruin sentinel |
| Ting-Lu | Dark/Ground | Reviving floodguard Titan |
| Chien-Pao | Dark/Ice | Glacier-wall lookout Titan |
| Wo-Chien | Dark/Fire | Blazing fortress vanguard Titan |
So all paranormal titans originating from the various Terrellian ruins are devoid of alternate hues too. At least the Dimensional Pokémon like Dialga can still randomly shine!
Titan Pokémon
Further dashing collectors‘ hopes are the aloof Titan Pokémon unable to dynamax but channeling innate elemental energies:
| Pokemon | Type |
|---|---|
| Bombirdier | Flying/Dark |
| Orthworm | Steel/Poison |
| Great Tusk | Ground/Fighting |
| Iron Treads | Steel/Dragon |
| Klawf | Rock/Dark |
| Tatsugiri | Water/Dragon |
Lore suggests these giants are the last surviving members of ancient extinguished species. So their uniqueness likely prompted the shiny exclusion to avoid diminishing their inimitable status.
Still, I yearn to parade around a glittering green Great Tusk one day should the injustice get amended!
Traded Pokémon
Adding insult to injury, even Pokémon obtained through in-game trades with NPCs remain shiny locked post-swap.
| Pokemon | Type | Obtained From |
|---|---|---|
| Haunter » Gengar | Ghost/Poison | NPC in Levincia |
| Wooper | Water/Ground | NPC in Cascarrafa |
I‘ll never forget the fateful day I got a square sparkling Gastly in Pokémon Pearl, evolved it into Haunter, then traded it expecting a beautiful blue Gengar only to be sorely disappointed. And now the SV Gengar trade seems programmed to further bait-and-switch false hopes!
At least the Paldean Wooper you swap for packs a Rare Candy to soften the blow of its greyed-out shine. Still, it stings!
A Light in the Darkness: Not All is Lost!
While the aforementioned entries staying locked blows harder than a Regieleki Thunderbolt for us collectors, we aren‘t fully barred from bringing fabulous flashes of iridescence into Paldea.
Per my colleague data miners, brand new species like Fidough and Cyclizar can shine. Even epic legendaries roaming after-game like actual Dragons remain eligible for sparkle status!
So I implore my fellow comrades, do not abandon the valiant shiny hunt outright! Some real gems remain scattered across Paldea for us to one day flaunt, and maybe through online events we can unlock the barred ones later.
For now, simply redirect your sights from the locked losers onto the legit prizes destiny may randomly bless you with someday! It ain‘t over till the Wooper sparkles, or something.
Or if you‘re technically savvy, get to glitch hacking so we can overthrow those oppressive shiny locks for good! Unsheaths Rusty Sword and Cracked Shield Who‘s with me?!!
Parting Words For New Gen 9 Shiny Hunters
As you venture forth into Victory Road after the Pokémon League, I hope this complete shiny lock guide gives clarity on what encore hunting goals to set (or sadly discard) during postgame. Never forget us passionate collectors suffering from each restrictive new implementation!
May luck one day have Game Freak repeal this injustice so all can bask in diverse colors, but until then, rage against the machine by chasing whatever legal shines you can! Just beware chipping away at mountains that won‘t glitter regardless.
And if you have your own insights into shiny hunting beyond my advice here today, feel free to share in the comments. Now go out there and reclaim the lost shades however possible for all of us! The shiny grind never ends!
