A simple method for finding shiny variants of Larvitar and Bagon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has been discovered, with the below video by YouTuber Sukuruto introducing the method drawing attention online.

If you want to try it for yourself, first head to the cave near the watchtower in East Province (Area Three). To prepare, enter the cave and have a picnic in front of the NPC that’s standing in the route on the right side. Eat a sandwich to activate the relevant Encounter Power (either Rock or Dragon depending on the Pokémon you’re searching for) and Sparkling Power.

Next, check the Pokémon that begin popping out of the walls. If there isn’t a shiny, begin another picnic to reset the Pokémon that spawn. Simply continue doing this until a shiny Pokémon appears.

Just to be safe, it’s also probably best to save your progress if you see a shiny. Additionally, your Pokémon won’t attack a shiny Pokémon when using Let’s Go, so it’s a safe way to quickly clear out the area of surrounding Pokémon.

A method for shiny hunting that involves using picnics was previously discovered (Polygon), but to be efficient, players need to go to an outbreak and find a shiny before the outbreak ends. Outbreaks also spread Pokémon out evenly across an area, so it takes some effort to check if shiny spawned or not.

With this method in the cave, using picnics to reset spawns is the same. However, there’s no need for an outbreak and checking for a shiny is as simple as looking at the Pokémon that appear in front of you. While the Pokémon it can be used for is limited, it also doesn’t take much work.

As of now, this method has been confirmed for catching Larvitar and Bagon. However, it might also be applicable for other Pokémon that appear in caves.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-12-13 13:59 JST)