Terminology of Shiny Pokémon

"Pokémon Gallery: Encounter with Shiny Pokémon" by Ken Sugimori, which depicts a Pokémon Trainer encountering a Shiny Charizard

The terminology of Shiny Pokémon explains how different terms for Shiny Pokémon have been used in Pokémon media.

Overview

The term "Shiny Pokémon" was first created by fans based on the sparkling sound effect and animation at the start of an encounter with one in the games. Eventually, this term fell into official usage in Generation IV, used on promotional material promoting Shiny event Pokémon.

In the core series games

Generation II

In the Japanese version of the Generation II games, the terms 「ノーマル」 (normal) and 「レア」 (rare) are found in the game data, referring to the non-Shiny and Shiny palettes, respectively.

This is seen in the palette editor from the hidden debug menu stored in the data of those games. However, this debug menu has not been localized into English or other languages, where graphical glitches appear as a result of attempting to use Japanese text without the required character encoding.

Generation III

In Generation III games, the easy chat system includes the option "Alt. Color" (Japanese: いろちがい color variation).

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

The Berry Program Update demo disc that provides a Shiny Zigzagoon refers to it as a "special rare-colored Pokémon".

Generation IV

Pokémon Platinum

In Pokémon Platinum, some Shiny Milotic were distributed from Wonder Cards:

• The Japanese 2008 TCG World Championships Milotic was described as a 「いろちがいの きんの ミロカロス」(color variation gold Milotic).
• The US Video Game Championships 2009 Milotic and UK Video Game Championships 2009 Milotic were described as "Wow! Shiny Milotic!"

This is the first use of the word "Shiny" (referring to Shiny Pokémon) in an English game. However, this text was retrieved with the Wonder Card, and is not otherwise included in Pokémon Platinum's game data.

Generation V

Pokémon Black and White

In Pokémon Black and White, the word "Shiny" (Japanese: いろちがい color variation) is used when a female Ace Trainer mentions Shiny Pokémon, and a male Ace Trainer mentions Shiny Krokorok. They are both located at the same house in Nimbasa City.

This is the first use of this word in English (referring to Shiny Pokémon) seen in normal gameplay, instead of received from a Wonder Card.

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the Shiny Charm was introduced. The word "Shiny" is also seen in the item description: "A shiny charm said to increase the chance of finding a Shiny Pokémon."

In Japanese, the Shiny Charm item name 「ひかるおまもり」 (Shining Charm) uses the word 「ひかる」 (Shining). Conversely, the item description uses the term 「いろちがいの ポケモン」 (color variation Pokémon) instead.

Generation VI onwards

From Generation VI onwards, Shiny Charm's Japanese description consistently uses the term 「ひかる ポケモン」 (Shining Pokémon) instead of 「いろちがい」 like before.

In the side series games

Pokémon Stadium 2

In Pokémon Stadium 2, they are named Color Pokémon (Japanese: いろちがい color variation). In the PC, there are the options "Group Color Pokémon" and "Cancel Color Pokémon". They are used to display a list of Shiny Pokémon or all Pokémon, respectively.

In the guidebooks

Early explanation about Shiny Pokémon
(Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex)

Pokémon Gold & Silver: Prima's Official Strategy Guide

In Pokémon Gold & Silver: Prima's Official Strategy Guide, they are called "colored Pokémon", although the book acknowledges that they are also commonly called "Shiny Pokémon".

Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex

In Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex, they are known as specially colored Pokémon. For instance:

• "The most famous example of a specially colored Pokémon, the Red Gyarados in the Lake of Rage, exhibits the classic attributes of specially colored Pokémon—it shines before it attacks, and it has special markings next to its gender when stored in Bill's PC." (page 9)

In the anime

The word "Shiny" was first used in the anime in Working on a Right Move!, which aired in English on December 11, 2010. In the episode Barry exclaims that Ash's Noctowl is a weird Shiny color.

In the TCG

The word "Shining"(Japanese: ひかる shining) is used for the Shining Pokémon from the Trading Card Game. For instance, the Shining Gyarados (Japanese: ひかるギャラドス Shining Gyarados) card. This predates the use of "Shiny" in the video games.

On websites

Pokémon.com

The Shiny Pokémon were named "rare" on Pokémon.com during Generation II

Nintendo.co.jp

On Nintendo.co.jp, there is a Generation II-era artwork by Ken Sugimori, titled 「光るポケモンとの遭遇」 (Meeting a Shining Pokémon). It depicts Ethan encountering a Shiny Charizard.

Another Japanese webpage about Pokémon Stadium 2 on Nintendo.co.jp also refers to Shiny Pokémon with the word 「光る」 (shining).

Trivia

• In Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, the word "shiny" only appears once in the game dialogue: "A shiny new BICYCLE!" when interacting with bicycles at the Miracle Cycle.