PSA: Scarlet and Violet’s new feature lets you kill shiny Pokémon

A word of caution to trainers using Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s new Synchro Machine: The nifty feature that allows you play as a Pokémon will also let you knock out shiny Pokémon. So if you’re into shiny hunting, just make sure you take a closer look each time you decide to fight a wild Pokémon while using the mode.

Game Freak and The Pokémon Company released the second installment of DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, The Indigo Disk, on Thursday. This adventure sends players on a journey to Blueberry Academy. In addition to expanding the Pokédex and introducing a new area to explore, the DLC also brings a handful of nifty features. One is called the Synchro Machine, and it basically allows trainers to play as their Pokémon pals. It’s very cute.

When you play as your Pokémon, you can run around, explore, and even battle other wild Pokémon. The thing is, it doesn’t work like your usual fight. Instead of entering turn-based combat, you will press a button to fight another Pokémon and then you — as the Pokémon — will attack and end the battle on the spot. It works very similarly to the fighting in the Let’s Go! feature, except you have to prompt each fight. So while your Pokémon won’t automatically battle and defeat a shiny in this mode, you won’t be able to catch a shiny if you do fight one. (While using Let’s Go! to auto-battle, the game will stop your Pokémon from attacking a shiny.)

Polygon was not able to go and shiny hunt ourselves while using the feature to confirm that it will allow you to defeat a shiny Pokémon. However, we saw multiple documented cases online where players showed that the game doesn’t prevent killing shiny Pokémon in the mode.

It’s nothing to be alarmed about, but a good thing to keep in mind. You can exit the Synchro Machine at any point and battle as a trainer to catch a shiny if you do see one. If you’re using the Synchro Machine, just keep your eye out and maybe take another look if you’re about to fight a weird-looking ’mon.