With Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl having been out for about two weeks now, most fans that picked up the remake have completed it and moved onto the post-game. Some players have started EV training their Pokemon while others have started shiny hunting or are in the process of completing the National Dex.
Unfortunately, however, one fan that has logged in over 120 hours on Pokemon Shining Pearl has yet to receive their starter Pokemon. This isn’t due to an issue with the game but rather the player’s determination in trying to begin the game with a shiny starter Pokemon.
A user on Reddit by the name of SnatchesODerp has taken a screenshot of their friends list. There, it could be observed that one of the user’s friends has garnered over 120 hours in Pokemon Shining Pearl. According to SnatchesODerp, the friend has yet to acquire a starter Pokemon due to the fact that they’ve been trying to acquire shiny Chimchar. Essentially, after the user chooses Chimchar and throws it into battle, if it isn’t shiny, they restart their game and try again.
My buddy's been hunting a shiny Chimchar since release. He still hasn't found one... from PokemonBDSP
Thankfully, players can save at a certain point so they don’t have to start Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl completely over. There is a point where users are able to save before a cinematic with Barry occurs. They can then restart from this point if the shiny starter has not been acquired yet. With 120 hours, it appears as though the user has been quite unlucky with their attempts.
Although some players go through with this shiny hunting method, as stated in the Reddit thread, there are easier methods that the player could use. With 120 hours recorded, many have asked why the player hasn’t tried getting the shiny starter later in the game. Hatching eggs in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl or utilizing the Masuda method have all proven to have higher rates of producing a shiny Pokemon.
It’s possible the player is well aware of other shiny hunting methods but simply wants to start the game with a shiny Pokemon. Still, with 120 hours, and supposedly only 1000 resets, it will be some time before the user manages to get their hand on a shiny Chimchar. Chances are that doesn't matter to most players. Shiny Pokemon have been progressively gaining popularity and although difficult to acquire, some fans have been persistent and even create an entire team of just shiny Pokemon.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now for Nintendo Switch.