Mass Outbreaks
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, every day, a new set of outbreaks appears on the map. They are designated by a Pokémon icon in front of a glowing outbreak icon. This signifies that a large number of Pokemon of that species are spawning there that day.
Outbreaks have 4 rounds of Pokémon. Each round can have around 20-30 Pokémon. (This is not exact, because it’s a pain to tell non-outbreak Pokémon apart.)
Here are the messages for each round:
- After round 1: The number of [Pokemon] in the outbreak is starting to go down…
- After round 2: The number of [Pokemon] in the outbreak is definitely getting lower.
- After round 3: There are not many [Pokemon] left from the original outbreak.
- After round 4: The Pokemon from the Outbreak have dispersed!
This Scarlet and Violet shiny hunting strategy is taken from Twitter. Credits to Anubis.
Why should I hunt Mass Outbreaks?
As more Pokémon in a Mass Outbreak are cleared, the shiny rate increases. You get +1 shiny roll at 30 cleared, and +2 at 60 cleared. This is one way to get a lot of a specific Pokemon.
Picnic Purge method
What is the picnic purge method you’re talking about?
The strategy works like this:
- Clear 30 or 60 Pokémon to get the extra 1 or 2 shiny rolls.
- (optional) Make a Sandwich that gives Sparkling Power Lv. 3 for the outbreak Pokémon.
- Open a picnic to purge the field of outbreak spawns.
- Close the picnic to get fresh spawns, and check if they are shiny.
- Repeat until bored
This works best in wide-open areas where there is plenty of room for spawns. Optionally, if the outbreak is at a town border, it also works to walk into the town to purge spawns, then walk out.
What do I have to do to “clear” a Pokémon?
Pokémon are cleared when you defeat or capture them. Let’s Go (autobattles) count as defeating and are the fastest way to clear Pokémon.
How do I know when I’ve cleared 30 or 60?
Because the size of each outbreak is different, the round starting messages usually don’t line up perfectly with the shiny bonuses. Furthermore, it can be impossible to tell if a Pokémon of the outbreak species is part of the outbreak since natural spawns still occur.
Some methods around this:
- Keep count as you clear 30 or 60, then clear a few extra.
- Clear until the “not many [Pokémon] left” message, which is usually at least 60.
Does opening and closing a picnic count No, only defeating or capturing counts as “clearing” Pokémon?
No, only defeating or capturing counts.
Does leaving the area and coming back count as “clearing” Pokémon?
No, again only defeating or capturing counts.
Can save the game and turn it of?
Yes, this does not affect the total count.
Can I leave the area?
Yes, this does not affect the total count.
Can go to another outbreak?
Yes, this does not affect the total count.
Can I clear Pokemon that are not part of the outbreak?
Yes, this does not affect the total count.
Do Pokémon outside of outbreaks get extra shiny rolls if I clear more of them?
No. The shiny roll bonuses only apply to Pokémon in the specific outbreak. They do not apply to Pokémon of the same species outside of the specific outbreak, Pokémon in other outbreaks, or Pokémon not associated with any outbreak.
Is there any chaining involved?
There is no “chaining” involved. “Chaining”‘ implies you must defeat the same Pokémon one after another without interruption. You can clear Pokémon in any order while the outbreak is active.
Interacting with another Pokémon will not disrupt the outbreak’s total count. The shiny bonuses are based on the total cleared, not how you got there.
Can I catch multiple shinies from the same outbreak?
Yes, you can continue opening/closing picnics for more shinies until you are bored. The limit is the total number of Pokémon in that specific outbreak.
Does my count for this outbreak afect other outbreaks?
No, the count only matters for the current outbreak.
What if my day is about to end but I want to keep hunting a specific outbreak?
You can close the game, change the clock to earlier in the same day, and then re-launch the game.
Can I do outbreaks in Union Circle?
Yes, outbreaks are derived from the host’s map. The count for the outbreak is the same for all participants, but each person will spawn Pokémon with their individual bonuses (Charm, Sparkling Power). These Pokémon are visible to others. I did not try picnic extensively but it does not seem to clear spawns the same way as long as any user is still outside of a picnic.
What if I want a new set of outbreaks?
You can simply change the clock. Even changing it backwards on the same day while the game is open can trigger a reroll. Try it to find out the best methods
Can I use Picnics to hunt Pokemon outside of outbreaks?
Yes, though they won’t have the bonus shiny rolls, and certain fixed symbol encounters such as wild Tera Pokemon may persist through picnics.
What about Area Zero or water zones where I can’t picnic?
If you can’t open a picnic, the best you can do is move away from the area and come back to refresh spawns.
