‘Impossible’ Non-Shiny Shiny
[Original Text Below] (From ‘deleted’ reddit post, due to not obtaining 50 karma first)
Hello guys? I have a really crazy situation, which in at least one previous reddit the community told someone Shiny Starters are not possible in the game. Now, i had no idea originally about this. I started up a new account just for the fun of it. Knowing I was gonna be home that day, meant it was senseless to walk ten minutes and get pikachu first, so I went for a Charmander, and what did we have? YELLOW CHARMANDER, A SHINY BABY DRAGON. A quick catch later I register the pokémon, and then his Card Slot 8n my inventory is orange. Now, I’ve been confused about it these last couple days, so i tried to look into if this was a bug. Or something else.
Has anyone ever ran into this?
I have my journal entry vs the pokemon in question screenshot, minding that this guy is the first and only of the charmander family the new account has caught so far. Will Link screenshots in a post edit below, since I dont see an upload option here. Edit: https://monsutaapetsu.tumblr.com/post/679897790459052032 Screenshots are now live using a randomly made tumblr.
Update: I also reached out to Niantic Support in-game with the bot, who eventually enabled me to see screenshots. However the game shut down once I asked for Help again post screenshots? -- Reloaded the game, and support chat was retained, with no reply as of an hour and a half later. -- Support has sent their first two replies and I hope to correspond further on This matter.
Logically, they pointed out a detail I hadn't noticed. The CP change from 11 to 12?! Naturally, the guy seemed to have assumed I either traded or transfered the shiny, which really-- really would not be the case and the added details can prove further proof of otherwise. Which further proves my hypothesis / theory that: because this was a starter pokemon, it auto replaced with a non-shiny. (However, the fact that support ‘Marcus’ says “Pokemon cannot disappear from Storage,” is a particular wording that could be taken either way. As in, the second it’s caught it should have been guaranteed into my storage, OR because the ‘storage’ loaded in an orange starter replacement, when it should have clearly loaded a Shiny according to my Journal.) ! Adding more pictures to the gallery below to accommodate the details, as necessary. Also, re-upload of images is simply my removal sensitive information (username/nickname, email address, location) via blocking it out with quadrilaterals.
In summary:
Occurred at the beginning of the game, just prior to username selection (which follows immediate after), so I would have been at most ‘level 1,′ since then I left it at level 4 that day, leveled some yesterday (6, at most), and retained at 8 as of the end of today. (intentionally trying to refrain from capturing too many, even though they are appearing around). This is my first and only charmander on the account (both for that day and as a whole, made on the 25th), because it was caught as a starter Pokemon. Now, I am level 6-8 as of today while writing and updating. Again, I am attempting NOT to level up, to preserve the authenticity. Pokedex will show only one Charmander seen & Caught. (No more have appeared around, all day today either of course). In total, I have caught *NOW* 13 Pokémon, - I shouldn't have any history of transferring either, since I have not bothered candy count @ 3 for Charmander (with no upgrades or transfers) doubly reassures the Pokedex and journal with only one charmander encounter which was captured, -- as, For most all of them is currently at 3 candies (first catch, no pinap berries (leveling 1-7, lacks these), excluding ekans + arbok (8 candies) *edit: & now two metapods (10 candies [weather promo; rain?]). Not yet selected a gym leader, thus nor have i appreciated them in order to decide whom to transfer (again, the candy count and non of them being upgraded should prove this combined with the pokedex). I see a lot of pokemon showing up which i am not currently catching on this account, both to limit my level and to keep the journal log short to preserve the log since high activity would eventually wipe the log or push these old logs out. ---- 10hr 45 minutes later, I have had no word or reply after the two support messages to anything I replied with, as of yet. Also asked about 3-4 hrs ago if signing out would wipe the chat history, as I am hoping not so that I might sign into my 1st/main and collect some of the remnants to the pokemon I avoided all of today. This will probably be today’s last update. -Day Break- Got no reply for all of the day, and made sure to keep the screenshot logs to the replies I made. Since I signed out, to hop on my main, and saw the history stayed, I didn’t sweat the details too much. -Day Break- Checked around 11:50 am, today and found out that just after midnight support responded to me (36 hours later).
In their response they claimed it was a ‘visual’ glitch and are supposedly sending 2 incense in compensation to my account. They also suggested that if I am lucky, I will be able to find another shiny. Funny part is, since this is a new account which I hooked up with a referral code-- my starter inventory is full (365/350 Currently), so I can’t even ‘purchase’ the daily free box. I didn’t really consider these things until I relaxed and let it settle on my mind. However I also chose to bring up if it’s a ‘glitch’ why did it occur during the catch and log this way? Is is really just ‘visual,’ if all the details that go along with it existed (coloration, shiny marker, CP difference). Also, finding it hard to believe that they could ever randomly insert 2 item to your full inventory, whilst also claiming that -pokemon don’t just disappear, -they have no way of modifying your pokemon. Granted, I don’t see this as ‘mod’ of pokemon, rather as a fluke that seemed to have a script set to ‘undo’ itself with an unmarked swap, and my journal is the last remaining shred of proof in an otherwise flawless anti-shiny starter system.
I think most the community would of course never deny the hope for another shiny around the corner, yet there is no replacement for a SHINY STARTER. A Yellow Charmander baby would have been adorable. The way I play, I simply prefer to NOT evolve a shiny, unless I have a second of said Shiny. The baby form, like the other starters and honourable mentions, doesn’t appear willy-nilly. Whilst a black Charizard is somewhat anticipated in the future thanks to the high frequency of Y raids and encounter rewards. Also, only now as of today have I reached Level 10, and screenshot when for reassurances.
-Day Break- Didn’t see any more replies lately (that day), and Today (April Fools), the chat history wiped much to my disappointment. Not sure if it’s worth it, to send another message asking if I ever got a reply. After-all, it seems that this situation won’t be going any further from here. However, I enjoyed the surplus of Dittos to go around (& hitting lvl 11). Thanks for baring peer witness to my impeccable circumstances! (edits to follow adding in the full screenshot log, and if I can figure out how to make spoiler code, I’ll place them in a reasonable order in accordance to the story’s sequence.)
First 9 Pokémon, only added a Pikachu to them since, so far.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemongo/comments/tpo1hc/shiny_starter_rumored_to_be_impossible/