This is neither a bug nor a cheat code, but a viral tip that is circulating at full speed in the Pokémon community. For several days, players of Pokémon Legends: ZA on Switch have discovered an extremely simple way to catch shiny Pokémon on the chain – and without even touching their controller.
It all started with a video posted by user
An automatic sequence for hundreds of shiny
The principle is based on a specific area of the game in which a staircase takes the trainer from one section to another. Each time you load an area, the probability of spawning a shiny Pokémon is recalculated. By repeating this movement indefinitely, the chances accumulate. And since shiny Pokémon only appear once and do not disappear, each transition multiplies the opportunities.
To go even further, @ItachiVgc has developed a device to automatically hold the left joystick down. Result: his character climbs and descends the stairs in a loop, without any key being pressed manually.
In his testimony, he states:
“I got all the shiny Pokémon in Wild Area 3 in two hours afk [loin des touches]”
A flaw or a new meta?
This phenomenon obviously raises questions. Is this an undocumented feature of the game? An unintentional exploit? For now, Game Freak did not speak out. Some players are already worried about a possible patch that would remove this tip, as it simplifies access to creatures that are usually very rare.
In the meantime, social networks are full of captures of shiny Pokémon obtained using this method. And everyone who has tested it confirms its effectiveness.
Pokémon Legends: ZA has been available on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 since October 2025. If you’ve been dreaming of filling out your shiny Pokédex, now might be the time – before the trick disappears.