You Can Farm Shinies In Pokémon Legends: Z-A Without Even Touching The Controller
Unlock Easy Shinies in Pokémon Legends: Z-A With This Mind-Blowing AFK Trick
The world of Pokémon is buzzing with excitement for the next major installment, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Promising a return to the Kalos region and a futuristic reimagining of the iconic Lumiose City, the game is already a hot topic of speculation. For dedicated trainers, however, one question always rises above the rest: "How will we hunt for Shiny Pokémon?" It seems we now have a groundbreaking, almost unbelievable answer. A newly revealed mechanic is set to completely revolutionize the art of Shiny hunting, making it more accessible than ever. Get ready to change everything you thought you knew about finding those rare, alternatively-colored creatures.
A stunning piece of information has emerged: in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Shiny Pokémon will not despawn. This single change has massive implications, but the most exciting one is the potential for a completely passive, "Away From Keyboard" (AFK) farming method. That's right—you may soon be able to find Shinies without even touching your controller. Let's dive deep into what this means, how it works, and why it's the biggest shake-up to Shiny hunting in years.
What Are Shiny Pokémon and Why Are They So Coveted?
For those new to the phenomenon, let's start with the basics. A Shiny Pokémon is a creature with a different color palette than its standard variant. A Charizard, normally orange, is a sleek black when Shiny. A Gyarados, typically blue, becomes a fearsome red. These alternate colorations do not offer any competitive advantage—their stats are the same—but their value lies in their extreme rarity.
The base odds of encountering a Shiny Pokémon in the wild are a staggering 1 in 4096. This incredible rarity makes finding one a moment of pure joy and excitement. It's a badge of honor, a testament to a trainer's dedication and luck. Catching a Shiny is a major accomplishment, and many players dedicate hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to "Shiny hunting," the practice of using various in-game methods to increase their chances of finding these elusive gems. The thrill of the hunt and the bragging rights that come with owning a full team of uniquely colored Pokémon are what drive this passionate community.
A Brief History of Shiny Hunting Methods
The way players hunt for Shinies has evolved dramatically since they were first introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Understanding this evolution helps put the new mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Z-A into perspective.
- The Early Days (Full-Odds Encounters): In the beginning, there was no method. You simply ran around in the grass and hoped for the best, facing the daunting 1 in 8192 odds (the rate before it was halved in Generation VI). Finding a Shiny was a matter of pure, unadulterated luck.
- The Masuda Method: Introduced in Generation IV, this was the first real "method." By breeding two Pokémon from games of different real-world languages, players could increase the odds of hatching a Shiny egg. This is still a popular method today.
- Chaining: Techniques like the Poké Radar (Diamond/Pearl) and Chain Fishing (X/Y) allowed players to encounter the same Pokémon species repeatedly. Successfully building a long "chain" would dramatically increase the Shiny odds for that specific Pokémon.
- The Modern Era (Overworld Shinies): With games like Let's Go, Pikachu & Eevee!, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Scarlet & Violet, players could finally see Shiny Pokémon in the overworld before battling them. This led to new methods like Mass Outbreaks, where a large number of a single species would spawn, and using stat-boosting Sandwiches in Paldea to increase both spawn rates and Shiny odds for a limited time.
While these modern methods made hunting more efficient, they came with a new kind of anxiety: the fear of a Shiny despawning. "Despawning" is when a Pokémon disappears from the map, usually because the player has moved too far away. Countless heartbreaking stories have been shared online of players spotting a Shiny, only for it to vanish before they could reach it.
The Pokémon Legends: Z-A Revolution: Shinies Don't Despawn
This brings us to the monumental change in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The core of the new discovery is that once a Shiny Pokémon spawns in the world, it is "locked." It will not despawn, no matter how far you travel within the area or how much time passes. It will remain in that spot, waiting for you, until you either interact with it (by catching or defeating it) or you completely close the game or leave the map area.
This is a quality-of-life improvement of epic proportions. It completely eliminates the fear of missing a Shiny. You no longer have to frantically race towards that different-colored creature you spotted in the distance. You can take your time, save your game (a crucial step for any Shiny hunter), and approach the encounter with confidence. But the implications of this mechanic go far beyond just reducing stress. It opens the door to a method that feels almost like cheating, yet is seemingly built into the game's design: the AFK farm.
The Ultimate AFK Shiny Farm: How It Works
So, how does a non-despawning Shiny lead to a hands-free farming method? The logic is surprisingly simple and relies on how the game populates the world with Pokémon.
The concept is built around the "rubber band trick," a classic technique used by gamers to automate simple, repetitive actions. By wrapping a rubber band around your controller's left joystick, you can force your character to run in a continuous circle without any input from you.
Here's the breakdown of why this is so effective in Pokémon Legends: Z-A:
- Constant Spawning: As your character runs in a circle within a "Wild Zone" in Lumiose City, the game is constantly cycling through Pokémon spawns. Old, non-Shiny Pokémon will despawn as you move, and new ones will spawn in to take their place.
- The Shiny Lock: The game is continuously rolling the dice for a Shiny with every new Pokémon that appears. The moment a Shiny spawns, the new rule kicks in: it gets locked into the world.
- The Accumulation Effect: While the regular Pokémon continue their cycle of spawning and despawning around your endlessly running character, any Shiny that appears will break that cycle. It will stay put.
- Passive Hunting: You can set your character to run, plug in your console to keep it from dying, and then simply walk away. You can go make dinner, watch a movie, or even leave it running overnight. The game will be doing all the "work" of cycling through thousands of encounters for you.
- The Payoff: When you return hours later, you stop your character, pan the camera around, and search the area. If a Shiny Pokémon spawned at any point while you were away, it will still be there, waiting patiently for you to catch it.
A Speculative Step-by-Step Guide to AFK Shiny Farming in Lumiose City
While we await the game's release for the exact details, here is a theoretical guide on how you might set up your very own automated Shiny factory in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Step 1: Preparation is Key
Before you begin, make sure you're ready. Stock up on a massive supply of different Poké Balls—Ultra Balls for tough catches, and perhaps Timer Balls for long battles. It's also wise to have a Pokémon with a status-inducing move like Spore or Thunder Wave at the front of your party to make catching easier. A Pokémon with the move False Swipe is also invaluable, as it can reduce a target's HP to 1 without knocking it out.
Step 2: Find the Perfect Farming Spot
Scout Lumiose City's integrated "Wild Zones" for an ideal location. You'll want a relatively large, open area with a high density of Pokémon spawns. A spot with a clear line of sight will make it easier to scan for your prize when you return. Avoid areas with aggressive Pokémon that might initiate a battle and interrupt your character's movement.
Step 3: Set Up the "Rubber Band Trick"
Position your character in the center of your chosen spot. Now, take a rubber band and loop it around your left joystick, anchoring it to the controller's other joystick or handle. The goal is to get the stick held in a position that makes your character run in a tight, continuous circle. Make sure your console is plugged into a power source so the battery doesn't die mid-farm.
Step 4: Go AFK and Let the Magic Happen
This is the easy part. Simply walk away! Let the game run for a few hours, or if you're feeling particularly patient, leave it on overnight. The longer you leave it, the more spawns the game will cycle through, and the higher your chance that the 1-in-4096 lottery has hit.
Step 5: Return and Claim Your Shiny Prize
When you come back, carefully remove the rubber band and stop your character. Before moving, SAVE YOUR GAME. This is the golden rule of Shiny hunting. If you accidentally knock out the Shiny or run out of Poké Balls, you can simply restart the game and try again. Once saved, slowly walk around the area, scanning carefully for any Pokémon that looks out of place. That flash of a different color will be your reward!
What Does This Mean for the Pokémon Community?
A change this significant is bound to have a major impact. The reaction from the community will likely be mixed, but the potential benefits are hard to ignore.
The Pros: The most significant advantage is accessibility. Many players love the idea of Shiny Pokémon but simply don't have the hundreds of hours required for traditional hunting. This AFK method allows players with busy schedules—students, parents, working professionals—to participate in the thrill of the hunt. It lowers the barrier to entry and makes a beloved part of the Pokémon experience available to a much wider audience. It also fundamentally removes the frustration of "the one that got away."
The Cons: On the other hand, some hardcore Shiny hunters might argue that this method devalues the experience. For them, the appeal of a Shiny is directly tied to the effort, time, and dedication it took to find it. An automated, passive method could, in their eyes, make Shinies feel less special and less of an accomplishment. There's also the argument that it encourages a less engaged style of play, where the game is running but the player isn't actively participating.
Ultimately, this mechanic seems to be a deliberate design choice by Game Freak to respect the player's time and make the game more enjoyable for everyone, which is a positive direction for the series.
A New Era of Shiny Hunting Awaits
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is poised to deliver a fresh and futuristic take on the Pokémon formula, and its approach to Shiny hunting is a perfect example of that innovation. By making the simple but profound change of not allowing Shinies to despawn, the developers have not only removed a long-standing point of frustration but have also enabled a new, relaxed, and incredibly efficient way to hunt.
Whether you're a seasoned veteran with boxes full of Shinies or a newcomer who has always dreamed of finding one, this new system has something to offer. The age of anxiety-filled, frantic hunts may be over, replaced by a new era of patient, passive, and accessible Shiny farming. Get your rubber bands ready—the hunt in Lumiose City is going to be one for the ages.
The post You Can Farm Shinies In Pokémon Legends: Z-A Without Even Touching The Controller appeared first on Kotaku.
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