Summary

• Shiny Pokémon in the anime are rare and often owned by powerful trainers like Lance.
• Notable Shiny Pokémon include Winona's Swellow, Acerola's Mimikyu, and Lillie's Magearna.
• Trainers like Ash, Steven Stone, and Gladion also own impactful Shiny Pokémon like Noctowl and Gyarados.

Shiny Pokémon are highly coveted, both in the games and in the Pokémon anime. Their appearances in the anime are quite rare, and they often have a major role to play in at least one episode when they show up.

Many Shiny Pokémon are also owned by powerful trainers, as a symbol of how far above the average trainer they are. Shiny Pokémon in the possession of a trainer are more likely to show up repeatedly, and often appear time and time again under their ownership, even if their appearances can sometimes be hundreds of episodes apart. As a result, it's not too hard to declare which shiny Pokémon are the most impactful in the anime, as that often aligns with the importance of their trainers. Here are 10 of the biggest instances of Shiny Pokémon appearing in the anime, along with their notable trainers.

Winona's Shiny Swellow Gave Ash a Challenge

First Appearance: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, "Sky High Gym Battle!"

Winona is a Gym Leader in the Hoenn region, who awards the Feather Badge when defeated. Ash challenged her for his sixth gym badge there, and defeated her first Pokémon, a Pelipper, with Pikachu in a double KO. That's when Winona surprised everyone by calling out her Swellow, which just so happened to be Shiny. Winona's Swellow proceeded to take out Ash's Grovyle with ease, and then Ash called out his own Swellow, setting up an aerial battle.

Winona's Swellow was a difficult opponent, able to use the extremely fast move Aerial Ace, speeding around Ash's Swellow. Ash's Swellow took quite a beating, but was able to recover and perform an unorthodox attack on the ground, kicking up dust that revealed the direction Winona's Swellow was coming from. Ash used this to predict its location and take it out, finally winning him the Feather Badge.

Ash Helped Clair Catch Her Shiny Druddigon

First Appearance: Pokémon Black and White, "A Pokémon of a Different Color!"

Clair is a Gym Leader from the Johto region, who awards the Rising Badge when defeated. However, at the time of her gym battle with Ash, she had no Shiny Pokémon. Instead, Ash ran into her in the Decolores Islands, near Unova, where she was actively searching for a Shiny Druddigon, a Dragon-type Pokémon, based on rumors of a sighting in the area. Ash and his companions agree to help Clair hunt for the Shiny Pokémon.

The shared task gave Clair a chance to get to know Ash's Dragon-loving friend, Iris, as their Dragonite had a contentious meeting in the episode's start. They discover Team Rocket trying to capture the Shiny Druddigon and defeat them, allowing Clair to approach the rare Pokémon. Druddigon turned out to be injured, so Iris helped to heal it with a berry, endearing the group to it. Clair initially says she won't capture the Druddigon after all, but when Druddigon insists, Clair happily catches her first Shiny Pokémon.

Acerola's Shiny Mimikyu is Very Special

First Appearance: Pokémon Sun & Moon, "Why Not Give Me A Z-Ring Sometime?"

Acerola is a trial captain in the Alola region, somewhat analagous to a Gym Leader. When she is introduced, she's accompanied by an unusual Mimikyu, named Mimikins, which has its Shiny coloration, as well as a flower pin above the costume's ears. However, in this case, being Shiny is far from the most special thing about this Mimikyu.

It's later revealed that this Mimikyu isn't just a Ghost-type Pokémon; it's a full-on ghost, no longer a corporeal being. Despite this, it's still able to use attacks like Shadow Claw, although she never actually uses it in battle. Mimikins, as a real ghost, had a supernatural energy to it which attracted Ghost-type Pokémon to its area. It seems to be as loyal to Acerola as Ash's Pikachu is to him, making for a nice parallel between the two species.

Lillie's Shiny Magearna is Mythically Rare

First Appearance: Pokémon Sun & Moon, "The Secret Princess!"

When Lillie enters her missing father's room at their home, she's surprised to discover a non-functional Magearna, an automaton Pokémon, which just so happens to have its Shiny coloration. Lillie discovers that Magearna was meant as a gift to her, and decides to repair the broken Pokémon herself in her father's absence. A few episodes later, Magearna was activated when Lillie was feeling some intense emotions, and the artificial Pokémon was suddenly alive again.

Magearna happened to be able to sense Lillie's father using the energy from his Z-Ring, and so Lillie left the Alola region on a quest to find her father, with Magearna's help. After Sun & Moon, Lillie eventually did locate her father in the Crown Tundra of the Galar region, and she and her family set off for that location to finally reunite with the long-lost father.

Lysandre's Shiny Gyarados Was A Good Fit For His Threat

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Coming Apart at the Dreams!"

Lysandre is the boss of Team Flare and a dangerous figure within the Pokémon world, although he concealed his intentions well for a very long time. When the Kalos Pokémon League tournament was underway, Lysandre made his move, using a mysterious Pokémon they refer to as Z2, which turns out to be a Zygarde core. Ash stood against Lysandre, and ended up convincing Alain to switch to his side as well, prompting Lysandre to call out two Pokémon: a Pyroar and a Shiny Gyarados, which he promptly Mega Evolves.

Alain Mega Evolved his Charizard, and he and Ash set about battling the villain's incredibly rare Pokémon. Ash and Alain took out Pyroar quickly, but even against several of Ash's Pokémon, the Shiny Mega Gyarados continued its attacks. It ends up taking Mega Charizard, Ash's Greninja, and Ash's Pikachu pulling off a t attack to eventually take it down, making it perhaps the strongest Shiny Pokémon seen in the series.

Steven Stone's Shiny Metagross Was a Roadblock for Ash

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Mega Evolution Special II"

Steven Stone is the champion of the Hoenn region, and one of the competitors in the Masters' Eight tournament. He wound up battling against Ash in the first round, giving Ash a serious challenge. Ash and Steven Stone had met before, but Steven's Shiny Metagross first appeared in the Mega Evolution specials, which don't feature Ash, so it was a while before Ash would lay eyes on the magnificent Shiny Pokémon. Metagross was extremely experienced in battle, having faced down even legendary threats like Primal Groudon and Kyogre.

Ash faced down Steven's Shiny Metagross, which was also capable of Mega Evolution, in the Pokémon Journeys episode "Battling as Hard as Stone!" Ash initially faced it with Dracovish, but changed to Pikachu, eventually overwhelming the Shiny Mega Metagross with a 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt Z-Move, and sending Ash into the next round.

Lance's Red Gyarados Has Been Around a Long Time

First Appearance: Pokémon Gold and Silver, "Talkin' 'Bout An Evolution!"

Lance is the champion of Pokémon's Johto region, and would later go on to compete in the Masters' Eight tournament as well. Lance initially encountered his Shiny Gyarados while investigating Team Rocket, who were hatching a diabolical plot to force Pokémon to evolve before their time. Lance worked with Ash and friends to stop Team Rocket, and when the Red Gyarados went out of control in the Lake of Rage, Lance was able to catch it. It would go on to become his signature Pokémon.

Lance used his Gyarados later to help quell the fighting between Kyogre and Groudon, and then it wasn't seen for hundreds of episodes until Lance reappeared in Pokémon Journeys, where he was seen battling Leon. While Lance lost to Leon, he made it to the Masters' Eight tournament again, only to be defeated in the first round by Diantha this time.

Gladion's Shiny Nihilego Has A Special Connection

First Appearance: Pokémon Journeys, "The Homecoming Crown!"

When Lillie left in search of her father, her brother Gladion, one of Pokémon Sun & Moon's best characters, and mother Lusamine accompanied her. Their search led them to the Crown Tundra, where they discovered her father, Mohn, living with amnesia with a mysterious Pokémon in his house: a Shiny Nihilego, an Ultra Beast from another world, which he believed to be Lillie. While they initially suspected the Nihilego to be responsible for Mohn's confused state, this turned out not to be the case, and Nihilego was actually trying to help Mohn.

Gladion initially challenged the Ultra Beast in battle, but it became apparent that Nihilego was simply afraid to be left alone without Mohn. They ended up being grateful to Nihilego for keeping Mohn company in this remote place, and welcomed it into the family, with Nihilego choosing to be captured. As a Shiny Pokémon from another world, this Shiny Nihilego is among the rarest Pokémon seen in the entire anime.

Goh's Shiny Voltorb Shocked Fans

First Appearance: Pokémon Journeys, "Mad About Blue!"

This Shiny Voltorb came as a huge surprise to fans, as the episode starts out with Goh already chasing down the rare Shiny Voltorb as Chloe walks in the way. Goh manages a terrific catch and snags the Shiny Pokémon with ease, with Ash explaining just how rare it is to encounter such a Pokémon. Goh has caught quite a lot of Pokémon at this point, but it's his first Shiny Pokémon, and he ends up being the only one of Ash's companions to have ever caught a Shiny.

The rest of the episode centers on two fans of blue Pokémon who are extremely jealous of Goh's rare blue Voltorb, and constantly get into fights over blue Pokémon in general. Goh's Shiny Voltorb would appear a few more times after this, usually in the Cerise Park dome with his and Ash's other Pokémon. Hopefully, having access to this rare Shiny Pokémon helped Professor Cerise's research.

Ash's Shiny Noctowl Won Him Many Battles

First Appearance: Pokémon Gold and Silver, "Fowl Play!"

The first Shiny Pokémon to appear in the series was a Noctowl, which had a reputation for being particularly intelligent, repeatedly tricking a man who was trying to catch it. Ash decided to take a crack at it, and was eventually successful in overcoming its psychic tricks, battling it with Pikachu and capturing it. This Shiny Noctowl would be a major player on Ash's Johto-era team, helping him to win the Fog Badge, while also frequently aiding in scouting missions when Pokémon were lost.

Ash has unfortunately never called his Shiny Noctowl back onto his team since the end of his time in the Johto region, so many newer fans may not even be aware that Ash owns a Shiny Pokémon. Noctowl currently lives at Professor Oak's lab with the majority of Ash's Pokémon, where Professor Oak can study its unusual color in detail. Despite not being seen for a while, Ash's Shiny Noctowl appeared in more episodes than any other Shiny Pokémon, undoubtedly making it the most important Shiny in the anime.