How to duplicate Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Every Pokémon game has exploits that players find and eventually manipulate to break certain things to achieve unnatural results. Scarlet and Violet are far from the exception to this pattern. Not even a week after launch, players have already found a way to reliably duplicate any Shiny Pokémon as long as it can be found close to a town. 

This isn’t anything like the full-on duplication exploits found in a few of Game Freak’s newer titles, but players have already found and tested a method that will allow anyone to find, catch, and then consistently reset the same Pokémon encounter. 

This will only work in specific areas of the map and doesn’t let you choose which Pokémon you encounter, but for anyone looking to easily catch multiple Shiny Pokémon for a collection or to trade, this method is perfect for a decent number of species. 

How to duplicate Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

As of Nov. 22, version 1.0.1 of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet only has a single reliable duplication method and it only applies to wild Pokémon. 

As discovered by the community and detailed by YouTuber Austin John Plays, players can manipulate wild Pokémon spawns around large towns in the open world as long as they follow a few simple steps. Once you find the Pokémon you are looking for, or encounter a Shiny that catches your eye, here is what you need to do. 

• Save your game and turn off the auto-save feature.
• Catch the Pokémon you want.
• Walk directly back to the town you are closest to.
  • The shorter the distance, the better.
• Save your game, exit to the Home menu, and restart your game.
  • This should reset the spawns exactly how they were before your latest catch.
• Walk back to where you caught the Pokémon you wanted originally.
• If the exploit worked, you should be able to catch the exact Pokémon again.
  • This includes if it is a Shiny.

This will only work around open-world towns with no loading screens to enter them—meaning Mesagoza is not included—and the easier it is to encounter Pokémon around the outskirts of the location before quickly entering it, the better. This also means Team Star Bases, Pokémon Centers in a way from towns, and other locations will not work either. 

If additional duplication methods are discovered or get patched out, this article will be updated to include that information.