For most fans of the Pokemon franchise, the ultimate prize is finding Shiny Pokemon out in the wild. Shiny Pokemon are mechanically identical versions to their normal counterparts, but have a different color pattern and sometimes even a new look. These pocket monsters can be a great source of pride for most players or a way to brag and boast at the very least.

Thankfully, the tradition continues in Nintendo's incredibly successful Switch versions, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. As expected, actually finding a shiny Pokemon is incredibly rare. Game Freak even added a system to prevent players from continually restarting the game in the hopes of finding a shiny starter Pokemon.

RELATED: Pokemon Sword and Shield Have a New Form of Shiny Pokemon

While naturally finding a shiny Pokemon is an intentionally very rare occurrence, there is a special item in the game that can dramatically increase the odds in the players favor. Here's how to acquire the Shiny Charm.

Pokemon Sword and Shield Shiny Obstagoon

What is it?

Under normal circumstances, the chance of finding a shiny Pokemon just by playing is incredibly rare with odds as low as 1/4096. Worse yet, there's no way to distinguish if a Pokemon is shiny before battling with it. Some players have found alternative ways to trigger and capture shiny Pokemon, such as a farming method through the raid system, though it's likely not what Nintendo intended for the game and will likely be patched out at some point.

However, once a special item called the Shiny Charm is acquired, the odds dramatically increase to 1/1365.33. The odds are still not in the player's favor, but it's quite the boost.

How to get it?

While the Shiny Charm is incredibly valuable to Pokemon hunters, getting it isn't easy. The only way to obtain the Shiny Charm is by completing all 400 entries of the Galar Region Pokedex. What makes this task even more daunting is that each version of the game has its own exclusive Pokemon like Sirfetch'd in the Sword version or Galarian Ponyta in Shield. Players will need to find a trading partner in order to acquire the missing creatures.

With all 400 Pokemon registered in the PokeDex, head to Circhester and head to the right to enter Hotel Ionia. Players should look for a building with a number of flags surrounding it. Take an elevator up to the next floor and enter a room to the far left to find a man dressed as a doctor. In fact, this NPC is also the person who gives players the Catching Charm. After verifying that all 400 Pokemon have been registered, he'll then hand over the Shiny charm.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now on Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Sword and Shield: How to Catch Shiny Pokemon

Source: iMore