Pokemon Legends: Z-A players are sharing their frustration at the requirements to earn the Shiny Charm. In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the Shiny Charm is almost a necessity for any serious shiny hunter, but some players think getting the item is too difficult.

The Shiny Charm is a reward for completing all of Mable's Research in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Having the Shiny Charm makes it much more likely that a player will encounter a shiny Pokemon. Because shinies are so rare to encounter without this item, those who bother shiny hunting should always take the time to acquire the Shiny Charm first. While it's technically possible to get shiny Pokemon without it, it becomes much more a time sink than it already is.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Players Call Shiny Charm Requirements 'Diabolical'

The issue is that to get the Shiny Charm in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, players must progress to Level 50 on Mable's requests. And one of these unavoidable tasks along the way is to win 1,000 battles in total, which Redditor seedavillain has voiced their annoyance about online. They described the task as "pure evil" and "diabolical," with other players in the thread mentioning it has left them "burnt out." After winning the required 1,000 battles, seedavillain had a simple statement, saying, "I can rest." But if they're now off to do some shiny hunting in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, there's an argument to be made that their grind is only beginning.

Exact numbers for every player differ, but most in the thread agreed that a full playthrough of the game, including completing all the Pokemon Legends: Z-A side missions, should land players at around the 500-battle mark. Others had as high as 750, but the average seemed to be much lower. This is still a considerable grind for players to complete, especially if they've exhausted the majority of the game's content already, before they've even got to shiny hunting.

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Players who go down the route of shiny hunting in the first place know to expect quite a grind regardless. It's not a quick process, even if it can be sped up by using all the best shiny hunting spots in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Certainly, the tough requirements aren't proving prohibitive in stopping dedicated players from getting the Shiny Charm, so it's unlikely they'll be changed in a future update, regardless of frustration caused.

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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
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Released
October 16, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure