What are Mass Outbreaks?

Learn how to find and take advantage of Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to farm XP, items, and boost your Shiny Pokemon hunting odds!

Hey there! So, you've probably heard about these 'Mass Outbreaks' in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, right? Think of them as a big party for a specific Pokemon that pops up all over Paldea. When one happens, you're looking at a chance to battle a ton of the same Pokemon – anywhere from 100 to 120 of them, to be exact! You'll usually see about 10 to 20 of them chilling in an area at first, but don't worry, they'll keep showing up until you hit that 100-120 count. It's a super efficient way to farm experience points (XP) and snag those specific items you might be after. Plus, using the 'Let's Go!' feature makes it a breeze to keep the battles going and keep those Pokemon respawning!

How to Find a Mass Outbreak:

These events can pop up anywhere on the Paldea map, and sometimes there are even multiple happening at once! To spot one, just pull up your map. You're looking for a black question mark ('?') with a shiny background, or sometimes you'll see the actual face of the Pokemon that's having its outbreak, also with a shiny background. If you haven't encountered that Pokemon before, it'll just show up as a question mark. Keep your eyes peeled while you're exploring, too – you might get a notification pop up on the top right of your screen letting you know a Mass Outbreak is nearby!

Boosting Your Shiny Chances:

Mass Outbreaks are fantastic for Shiny hunters! While an outbreak is active, your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon are already a bit higher. After you defeat or catch about 20 to 30 Pokemon from the outbreak, you get an extra chance, or 'roll,' to find a Shiny. Keep that up, and after another 20 to 30, you'll have a total of two extra Shiny Rolls! You can make your odds even better by having the Shiny Charm in your inventory or by whipping up some sandwiches that specifically boost your Shiny encounter rates. Happy hunting!