What does the Gold Brilliant Aura mean in Pokémon Sword and Shield?

If you’ve been wandering around the Galar region in Pokémon Sword and Shield, chances are you’ve seen a gold-tinted Pokémon or two on your journey.

These creatures with a distinct gold aura around them, known as Brilliant Aura, are rare Pokémon that can sometimes appear in the wild. They have powerful stats and some extra surprises for budding trainers who attempt to catch them.

Pokémon with a Brilliant Gold Aura are guaranteed to have at least three of their IVs maxed out. In addition, these Pokémon will already know an Egg Move that can only usually be acquired through breeding.

This means, in theory, you could potentially find a max IV Pokémon with the perfect Egg Move if you’re lucky. It’s worth it to collect these Pokémon even if you aren’t fond of keeping them on your team to use their benefits later on for other creatures.

Finding these Pokémon is completely RNG-based, however. But as you capture more Pokémon, your chance of finding one increases. You’ll also gain Watts to use in the Wild Area when you catch one as an extra bonus.