There aren’t many things in life rarer than a shiny Pokémon. Functionally identical to their regular counterparts they may be, but shiny variants – palette swaps of each critter’s standard color scheme – are often considered by many Trainers, veteran and rookie alike, to be the real endgame of any individual pair of games. Last year’s Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! took that hunt to the next level by introducing mechanics directly intended to help potential Pokémon Masters truly Catch ‘Em All, but even with that extra help, just encountering a shiny involves a great deal of luck.
But have no fear as, from today, Nintendo and Game Freak are providing some additional means with which to bolster your chances.
Confirmed via a trailer, a new mobile app – Pokémon Pass – is now available for free on both iOS and Android devices and promises to shower you with digital rewards simply by participating in certain events. The quantity and frequency of such occasions have yet to be confirmed, but Game Freak has already revealed one such campaign in celebration of its release. From May 11th to June 23rd, anyone with access to the app can visit Target stores around the US in order to pick up a special treat.
Depending on which version of Let’s Go you own, either a shiny Pikachu or Eevee will be yours for the taking simply by using the app to scan a QR code present in-store. Whether this particular promotion extends to anywhere outside North America isn’t clear, but similar giveaways in the past have traditionally reached almost every continent, so we’ll be keeping close tabs on any potential developments.
It’s worth noting in the interim, however, that anyone with the app, regardless of location, can use Pokémon Pass now to receive a special sticker celebrating the imminent release of Detective Pikachu.