Highlights

  • While the Auto-Battle feature in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet prevents engaging with shinies, synchronized Pokemon have no such limitations and will automatically defeat any such creatures.
  • This was recently confirmed by one Reddit user, who accidentally defeated a shiny Milcery instead of catching it.
  • Synchronized Pokemon that can be controlled directly are a new feature in The Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Using the Synchro Machine in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can ruin shiny hunting, as recently confirmed by one unfortunate player. The Synchro Machine is one of the many features that debuted as part of the newly released Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Among other things, the second half of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero expansion introduces a new area and story quest to Game Freak's RPGs. Once the player progresses far enough into the story, they will gain access to the Synchro Machine that—true to its name—allows them to synchronize with any of their caught pocket monsters, essentially turning them into playable characters. All of this was already revealed as part of the official Synchro Machine explanation provided by the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet team ahead of The Indigo Disk's debut.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Shaymin Gen 4 starters Update 3_0_0 tagline screenshot edit
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And while synchronized creatures can be used to fight wild Pokemon, much like the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Auto-Battling feature, only the latter is a safe option while shiny hunting. This was recently confirmed by Reddit user LeStruggler, who went on to see how their synchronized Gholdengo would react to a shiny Milcery, only to see it instantly dispatch of the rare creature like it was just an ordinary Pokemon.

Reflecting on this unpleasant discovery, LeStruggler called the behavior "pretty egregious," positing that there's no reason for quick battles with synchronized Pokemon to work differently from normal Auto-Battling. For clarity, it is impossible to initiate a regular Auto-Battle with wild shinies in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet; trying to do so will simply see the trainer's Pokemon shake their head and back off. Since the Synchro Machine doesn't make any fundamental changes to how exploration works beyond allowing the player to control their Pokemon directly, it would be natural to wrongly assume that quick battles work the same.

It is pretty egregious, and I have no doubt some of the more casual or younger audience is going to (rightfully) assume it works like auto-battling and kill a shiny.

Some of the fans reacting to this discovery pointed out another way wherein the Synchro Machine could potentially ruin shiny hunting: leading players into scenarios that end with shiny Pokemon despawning. Specifically, synchronized creatures can get quite far away from the protagonist, far enough so that it might be possible to encounter a shiny that will despawn as soon as the player switches the control over to the protagonist and attempts to trek back to it.

Granted, this particular theory has yet to be empirically confirmed. Be that as it may, anyone hoping to embark on a shiny hunt in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should do so while steering clear of the Synchro Machine and its synchronization feature.