Ever since the release of Pokemon for the GameBoy in 1996, speed runners and streamers have been finding new ways to test their skills and random number generator (RNG) luck with increasingly complex challenges. One such challenge consists of getting all 151 original Shiny Pokemon from the Kanto region in less than 24 hours, and a group of determined players have achieved this highly valued goal.
Twitch streamer Nomeyy and content creation trio NerdOut were the hosts for this gaming venture, endeavoring to collectively capture the rarest colorful Shiny Pokemon varieties across the entire franchise. The almost impossible nature of this task is therefore very demanding, but all 151 were caught successfully and with time to spare.
To counter the semi-random nature of Shiny Pokemon appearances, hosts Nomeyy and NerdOut invited over 180 streamers to join their potentially record-breaking attempt and improve the overall chance of finding the elusive Shinies in time. Nomeyy and NerdOut's stream saw plenty of knowledgeable workarounds and hours of grinding from experienced players, such as using specific breeding strategies to reduce the Shiny appearance rate down to 1 in 64. The effort did not go to waste, as the final Shiny was obtained by Nomeyy's partner Jack with a blue-colored Shiny Mew from Pokemon GO.
The demanding difficulty is mostly due to rare instances of finding a Shiny Pokemon in the first place. Beginning from Generation 2, the chance of seeing a Shiny Pokemon is 1 in every 8192 attempts. Hours of level grinding and repeated visits to Kanto regions are necessary just for the chance to find a single color-swapped Pokemon, but the combined effort of all stream participants meant that all 151 Shiny Pokemon were captured in just over 16 hours. With a rough average of 9 Shinies obtained every hour, there has been some discussion for this achievement being a certified Guinness World Record.
Despite later Pokemon generations containing certain workarounds and special items to improve the spawn rate, sometimes a combination of bad luck and hardware issues can ruin a Shiny Pokemon hunt. Thankfully there were no major game-ending moments for the collection of streamers who attempted the run, but the RNG success rate means future attempts at beating the record could vary greatly.
The origin of Shiny Pokemon comes with immense lore in nearly every game released, a result of complex chance evolutions and a self-imposed quest for many fans since their first official appearance. Regardless of the record attempt's certifiable status, it is certain that more Pokemon challenge streams will be appearing in the future as a testament to the franchise's long-lasting legacy and nostalgia.
Pokemon GO is out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.