As the generations progressed, highly sought after Shiny Pokémon evolved from being so rare that owning one would prompt jealousy among friendship groups to a regular occurrence that could be farmed through a variety of techniques. With a new trademark registration, Nintendo could possibly be bringing back this exclusively elite status by introducing “Ultra Shiny” Pokémon.
The new trademark was spotted by Twitter user Pokexperto, in which Game Freak has registered the Japanese term that translates roughly to “Ultra Shiny.” While Shiny Pokémon don’t offer any particular in-game advantages, they have previously been the height of rarity. Without context to the trademark, this could very well remain the same, but it could be reminiscent of the rarity Shiny Pokémon used to exude.
Nintendo, Creatures Inc. y Game Freak registraron la marca ウルトラシャイニー (Ultra Shiny) pic.twitter.com/T8ohmsKQTJ
— Poké✘Perto (@pokexperto) April 20, 2018
Of course, Shiny Pokémon aren’t exactly easy to obtain in current generations, but it is a significantly easier and more common process than it ever used to be. Odds have decreased from 1 in 18,000 to just 1 in 4,000 via various different methods using in-game mechanics, tools and locations, not to mention Nintendo handing them out for free during special events.
Most recently, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon enabled players to seemingly gain better chances using their wormholes. Players that look out for white wormholes with a rainbow edge supposedly have a better chance at finding a Shiny. Although this has been progressively established by many players, it has yet to be officially confirmed.
Alternatively, this trademark might have nothing to do with the in-game palette swapping and more to do with merchandising, which unsurprisingly happens to generate a lot of money for Pokémon.
KitGuru Says: I’d still much rather see more in-game content than toys and plushies, but each to their own. For now, I’m more interested in the ultra-rare news behind the elusive Pokémon RPG for the Nintendo Switch. Have you caught many Shinies throughout your time with the Pokémon games?