No, you cannot shiny hunt Koraidon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
As a longtime Pokémon shiny hunter and fan, I was crestfallen to learn that the majestic box legendaries of Generation 9 – Koraidon and Miraidon – are shiny-locked. Despite extensive testing by the community and data mining of the games‘ code, there is unfortunately no way to obtain these mystic lizards in shiny variant in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet at this time.
What Does "Shiny Locked" Mean in Pokémon?
In the Pokémon game code, certain Pokémon have a "shiny lock" that prevents them from being randomly generated in shiny form. Their models and sprite variations don‘t even exist in the game‘s data. Typically, legendary Pokémon are the most common targets of shiny locks, likely to preserve their story importance.
Over 75% of all legendaries have been locked at some point. For example, the Swords of Justice – Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion – were locked in Black/White then later unlocked in Ultra Sun/Moon. So while initially disappointing, hope remains for Koraidon and Miraidon!
Thorough Community Testing
Dataminers thoroughly combed through Pokémon SV‘s code looking for any shred of evidence of shiny assets. Modders like Anubis tried forcing shininess both in-game and via hacking. Collectively thousands of soft resets have been attempted. All proof points to one sobering conclusion – no shiny Koraidon or Miraidon to find.
Yet.
Why Lock These Legendaries?
We can only speculate as to Game Freak and Nintendo‘s intent here, but similarities exist with past locked Pokémon:
Mythical Importance
As the box legends of the brand new Paldea region, Koraidon and Miraidon have deep ties to the land‘s history and mythology. Their models are uniquely animated compared to all other rideable Pokémon. Clearly GF wants to establish their reverence.
Competitive Viability
Unlike wandering legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon are obtained early and used extensively. Competitive players cannot be expected to grind thousands of resets for optimal natures. Their accessibility enables diverse strategic movesets.
| Koraidon Base Stats | Miraidon Base Stats |
| HP: 100 | HP: 100 |
| Attack: 145 | Attack: 125 |
| Defense: 115 | Defense: 100 |
| Sp. Atk: 85 | Sp. Atk: 125 |
| Sp. Def: 100 | Sp. Def: 90 |
| Total: 645 | Total: 640 |
Ongoing Mystery
GF could simply be maintaining Koraidon and Miraidon‘s mystique within early months of the games‘ release. Perhaps they intend to unlock shiny versions as special distributions down the road? The anticipation keeps fans engaged!
Attempts to Bypass The Lock
Some dedicated shiny hunters have resorted to exploiting RNG manipulations in the games‘ raid dens where Koraidon and Miraidon can be briefly spotted. Others have tried console hacking and modding applications to model swaps.
However, these methods either lack proof or controversially modify locked code. Currently no ethical ways exist enter battle with a shiny Koraidon or Miraidon. But the technical prowess of the community cannot be underestimated, so hope remains!
Potential Future Events
Vocal fan feedback has historically prompted Game Freak to unlock legendaries. Just one year after release, both Zacian and Zamazenta became shiny eligible through distribution events in Pokémon Sword/Shield.
I speculate downloadable updates in late 2023 could unlock Koraidon and Miraidon. Or Scarlet and Violet sequels may enable shinies as plot importance fades. Precedent gives us much to anticipate!
In conclusion, while the mystical cover legend‘s shiny locking seems an intentionaldesign choice by Game Freak, all hope isn‘t lost. As a passionate gamer closelyfollowing this franchise for over 20 years, I predict eventual events or distribu-tions. Continued fan requests are key! Let‘s keep the polite pressure up and lookforward to the future of Pokémon SV!
