5 best shinies introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Some Pokemon in the Scarlet and Violet games are known for their battle prowess, while others are beloved simply for how amazing they look.

Shiny hunting is one of the community's favorite activities. Each shiny Pokemon they acquire is a coveted possession that comes after a lot of searching around.

Game Freak treats its ever-increasing playerbase to some excellent Pokemon designs in the Generation IX games. And as a cherry on the cake, it gives some of them the shiny versions that stand out like never before.

What is even more amazing is that they introduce a mechanic called Sandwich-making, through which shiny hunting becomes relatively easier.

This article lists the five best shiny designs that debuted in the Scarlet and Violet games based on the design of the original Pokemon and the narrative connection to their special forms.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

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Cetitan, Lechonk, and 3 other excellent shiny Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet

1) Cetitan

Cetitan's shiny version looks just as amazing as its regular variant looks bad. The evolved form of Cetoddle, it is an Ice-type pocket monster whose design is based on a narwhal that has evolved to live in the snowy mountains of Paldea.

The normal version of Cetitan has a white-colored body with pink accents around its eyes and tail. Its mouth opens up in a particularly weird way, giving it quite a sinister look.

Shiny Cetitan, however, gets a big upgrade in terms of looks. It has a glossy black body with a white front portion. The texture of its body is accentuated with orange around the eyes and on the tail. The black and white make for a good combination against the snowy white backdrop it is found in.

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2) Lechonk

Lechonk became one of the Pokemon community's favorite monsters from the very moment it was released. It is a silly little pig that is black with a brown face. It has a perpetually disappointed face, which probably gives it such relatability among adult players who find respite in the game.

Shiny Lechonk gets the pig narrative on-point. It turns pink like a regular real-life pig. What really brings up Lechonk's shiny game is the fact that its face still remains brown, to resemble it having dipped its pink face in mud. Fans cannot help but gush over how cute the little pig Pokemon is.

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3) Rellor

Pokemon developers are known for drawing inspiration from real-life creatures for their monster designs. The dung beetle has finally seen its turn arrive with Rellor. It's often seen upside down with a smug look on its face.

The regular version is colored like a dung beetle and it carries around a brown ball, resembling what could very well be a ball of Pokemon feces. Although by official accounts it is a mud ball made of dirt and sand put together by psychic energy.

Rellor's shiny version really shines. While the bug itself doesn't change much, the ball becomes entirely gold. The material change is likely to be a true indication of its psychic powers, which turns literal dirt into gold. Its evolved form Rabsca is also a very interesting looking Pokemon.

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4) Skeledirge

Skeledirge evolves from the Fire-type starter of the Paldea region, Fuecoco. There is nothing about its design that is not pitch perfect. It is a deadly looking, fire-breathing, quadrapedal crocodile whose inner fire is seeping out from the sides of its mouth.

As if that was not enough, there is also a cute little fiery bird at the end of Skeledirge's snout, much like the birds that nonchalantly sit on fearsome crocodiles in the real world.

Normal Skeledirge is red, white, and black with violet accents and a violet mouth, which is cool, but quite typical for Fire-types. The shiny version is 10 steps ahead with a hot pink replacing the red. What is spectacular is that even in this color that is not conventionally associated with scary things, Shiny Skeledirge manages to look just as deadly.

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5) Roaring Moon

Roaring Moon is a Dragon/Dark-type Paradox pocket monster that can be caught after the player finishes the Victory Road, Starfell Street, and Path of Legends in the games.

It is anyway one of the rarest spawns in the game, which means finding a shiny for it is a feather to add to the cap of any trainer. Roaring Moon is based on Salamence and the regular version follows a similar color scheme to its inspiration.

Shiny Roaring Moon has a mint-green body with crimson wings. It has a white head with yellow accents and spikes on its body. Overall, it is one of the most glorious looking creatures in the Generation IX games.