By Emily
Shiny Pokemon from the original generation weren’t exactly blessed with a lot of good shiny colors compared to other generations. Some were lucky enough to have a good shiny form, and they are naturally the most popular shiny Pokemon of the group.
Ninetails’ shiny form is very popular due to its silver coloration. The shiny color makes it look more like the mythical nine-tailed kitsune which the Pokemon is based off of. Silver shiny Pokemon are in general very rare among all the generations, which might also lend to the popularity of shiny Ninetails. Eevee also has the luck of having a silver shiny form but it seems to have a slight bit of blue mixed in, which makes it look more like tarnished silver. Shiny Eevee is so popular that it had its own event during the national Video Game Qualifiers for many countries all around the world. However, the popularity doesn’t stop with the color. Since Eevee can evolve into one of seven Pokemon, one shiny Eevee can lead to quite a number of other popular Pokemon in their shiny form.
Possibly the most popular shiny Pokemon from this generation is the Black Charizard. The shiny Charizard form is a wild deviant from the normal color variations of shiny starter Pokemon, and it makes Charizard look more like a Dragon type than a Fire type. The unique color of the Pokemon makes it stand out in this generation and it is a difficult shiny Pokemon to compete against. Despite its popularity, this Pokemon has had no event distribution in the past.
The red spikes on Sandslash and the cobalt blue of Nidoking give both Pokemon unique shiny forms which are sometimes overlooked. Both colors are very different from the regular Pokemon colors, and unlike many other shiny Pokemon these two have a color combination that makes the Pokemon look better than the normal coloration.
Gyarados owes a lot of its popularity due to the fact that it is the only shiny Pokemon that is guaranteed to be encountered. Thanks to Gold, Silver, and Crystal, along with the remakes Heart Gold and Soul Silver, this Pokemon is one of the most well-known shiny among this generation and also the most common.
Some final Pokemon also deserve an honorable mention. Even though they have shiny coloration that is on par with some of the earlier Pokemon, they just don’t have enough popularity to be talked about in detail. Venomoth, Butterfree, and Ponyta, along with Rhyhorn and Magneton, fall into this category. The wide range of colors may make them look a little stranger or tougher than normal, which is never bad and is important in making them unique. Their popularity may not be as great, but they are definitely some of the great shiny Pokemon to come this generation.
We had a sampling of what shiny Pokemon were in the second generation, but it wasn’t always easy to find a Pokemon in those games. But with easier methods to breed, hatch, and trade internationally for shinies, people have been able to get their favorite shiny Pokemon with less effort than before. Naturally, whatever is most popular to trade for or what appears in every collection tends to be the better shiny Pokemon of any generation you choose. Which explains why so many collectors at one point search for a shiny Charizard.