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Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletterIf you're lucky enough, there's a small chance you'll get a shiny version of one of the starters upon beginning your journey in Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed. It's a lottery, and even though the odds are slim, winning it has led players to a prison of their own making by resetting the Switch version over and over and over to finally get a win.
The two games arrived on Nintendo system on February 26, less than two weeks ago, and there are people who've spent most of that time trapped in Professor Oak's laboratory, playing through the initial dialog ad nauseum. Their hope is to eventually land on a shiny pocket monster when it comes time to pick their starting companion, and to be fair to the truly diehard, they're succeeding.
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Sadly, one member of the community stumbled on a shiny Squirtle, easily the most pleasing to the eye, with his green shell, and reset out of impulse. "I'm going to cry," they posted. I would too, absolutely hard luck, and absolutely a mistake I'd be prone to. Muscle memory is hard to negate.
Shinies were introduced back in Silver and Gold, as particularly rare versions of the monsters we know and love. They have an alternate color scheme, and the only way to get them is by finding and catching them - you can't grow or evolve one. Hence, dedicated trainers take it upon themselves to find them at any and every opportunity.
Even if the process is maddening. "It has been 40 hours," another player posts. "Am still at Oaks. I wanna get out and starting to doubt myself." Whether you consider this worthwhile is very much up to you.
Pokemon and Palworld clones are officially out of hand, as fans react to "lawsuitmaxxing" new game Pickmon and its "straight up rip-offs" of iconic 'mons like Charizard
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ NewsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch Platforms Nintendo
Anthony McGlynnSocial Links NavigationContributing WriterAnthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.
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Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen Switch releases have an easy way to reset your game, which is either amazing or terrible news
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