How to Tell if Tadbulb Is Shiny or Not in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Catching one let alone all Shiny Pokémon is the ultimate challenge in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. These elusive creatures can be found in Paldea, but the odds of encountering one without any special boosts are quite low—just 1/4096.

If you’re set on adding a Shiny Tadbulb to your collection, you will need all the help you can get. Therefore, read on to find out how to tell if a Tadbulb is Shiny or not in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet!

Ways to Know Whether Tadbulb Is Shiny or Not in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Previous Pokémon installments, like Pokémon Legends: Arceus, offered more assistance in finding out if a Pokémon you encounter is Shiny or not. Arceus had a distinct sound that played when a Shiny Pokémon appeared on the map, but, unfortunately, you can’t count on that kind of help in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Here are two methods that can be of assistance when establishing if a Scarlet & Violet Tadbulb you encountered is Shiny or not.

Method 1

Tadbulb is an Electric-type Pokémon that lives in wetlands and on riverbanks and can evolve into Bellibot. If you want to find its Shiny counterpart, you may want to focus on slight differences in their color.

The regular version of Tadbulb is a tiny tadpole-like Pokémon with distinct yellowish/orange coloration on its tail. However, a colored marking on the tail of a Shiny Tadbulb seems to be red instead.

While this distinction can be helpful, it is also not the best way to determine whether a Tadbulb is Shiny or not because Tadbulbs are tiny. making it difficult to spot them in the first place. This method will also not help colorblind players.

Method 2

Your best bet to determine if a Tadbulb you found is Shiny or not is to engage one in a battle. As you approach a Shiny Tadbulb, you will be treated to a star confetti animation as opposed to a much simpler animation that triggers when you engage regular Tadbulbs. However, make sure to pay special attention because the star confetti animation is rather brief—blink and you may miss it.

We hope that you’ll have more luck finding and catching your Shiny Tadbulb now! Thank you for reading! Just to be on the safe side, make sure to read our article on how to make an Electric-type Shiny boost sandwich or our general guide to increasing your chances of finding Shiny Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet.