Introduced in generation four with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Shinx is a monotype electric Pokemon. Shinx is a typical three stage evolution Pokemon and a good representative of the quick and offensive electric Pokemon that players have become familiar with. As a generation four Pokemon, it has had half the time of generation one Pokemon to appear throughout Pokemon media. Despite this, it has had a minor appearance throughout the anime’s history. This guide will showcase Shinx’s evolution line’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Shinx.
About Shinx
Shinx made its first appearance in the Pokemon anime in the Diamond and Pearl season with the episode Not on MY Watch Ya Don’t!. It has also appeared in the Pokemon movie, The Rise of Darkrai, as well as other spin off games like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness. Shinx is the base evolution of Luxray and evolves into Luxio at level 15. The Pokedex states that it is capable of generating a large amount of electricity, especially when it is threatened.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl Not on MY Watch Ya Don’t! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Luxray, evolves into Luxio |
| 1st Evo level | 15 |
| 2nd Evo level | 30 |
| Pokedex Entry | This Pokémon generates electricity by contracting its muscles. Excited trembling is a sign that Shinx is generating a tremendous amount of electricity. |
Shinx Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 34 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 34 |
| SPEED | 45 |
| TOTAL | 263 |
Appearance
Shinx is a quadrupedal feline-like Pokemon. Its general body structure is very similar to adolescent animals like a lion cub or its real life counterpart the lynx. The bottom half of Shinx’s body is black and the front half of Shinx’s body is blue. There are accents of yellow found around its paws and in its ears. Even Shinx’s eyes are yellow. Shinx also has a tail that ends in a star shape. As a base evolution Pokemon, it is quite small at only 1 foot and 8 inches, or 0.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
Despite Shinx’s rather small frame, it is capable of generating a large amount of electricity. Its fur can glow in addition to the electricity it produces when threatened. Despite its electric capabilities, it often has to blind its opponents with this glow before running away. Quite the elusive cat-like Pokemon, Shinx is a rather meek Pokemon until it reaches its more adult evolution stages.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The biggest selling point of Shinx is of course its end evolution, Luxray. Like its end evolution counterpart, Shinx is a physical attacker with a decent amount of bulk. While it is not particularly fast, and cannot take advantage of going first more often, it can have the ability Intimidate, extending its sustainability naturally. Since its entire evolution line remains a monotype electric type, you will only have to worry about ground type Pokemon countering your Shinx-Luxray effectively.
Shiny Shinx
Befitting an electric type Pokemon, Shiny Shinx changes its blue color palette for a yellow/orange color. Shiny Shinx and its evolutionary counterparts keep the black around its body, but any blue that was apparent on its body is swapped to this yellow/orange color. While only one color is swapped out in Shiny Shinx’s colors, the shiny variant is quite distinct and recognizable. Like all shiny Pokmeon, Shiny Shinx will gain a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
There is not much reason to run a Shinx, or Luxray for that matter, in competitive Pokemon battles. However, as a base evolution Pokemon, you can find some success with Shinx in the LC (Little Cup) bracket of competitive battling. To have the best odds of succeeding with Shinx, consider running Wild Charge, Thief, Volt Switch, and Toxic/Thunder Wave. Wild Charge benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and performs as its primary source of damage, Thief can be used in tandem with a berry held item to replace the berry after use, Volt Switch gives you an efficient switch out, and Toxic and Thunder Wave are interchangeable as powerful status inflicting moves.
| Wild Charge | Thief |
| Volt Switch | Toxic/Thunder Wave |
How to Catch Shinx in Pokemon Go
If you want to catch a Shinx in Pokemon Go, there are a number of ways you can do so. Of course they will spawn in the wild anywhere you find electric type Pokemon spawning. Search near shopping malls or commercial areas to have higher chances of electric type spawns. Shinx can also be found in 10 km eggs, so if you are walking around a lot, you may just find a Shinx through hatching eggs. On top of all this, you can find Shinx as a tier one raid boss in Pokemon Gyms. There are many different ways for you to obtain a Shinx in Pokemon Go. If you want to evolve your Shinx, it will take 25 Shinx candies to evolve into Luxio and another 100 to evolve it into Luxray.
Trivia
- Shinx’s name has many similarities with real life animals or objects. Its design can likely be traced to the lynx or even a sphinx. The name Shinx is a portmanteau of shock or shine with lynx or sphinx.
- Out of all the Pokemon in the game, Shinx is the only Pokemon available with a total base stat spread of 263.
FAQ
Is Shinx rare in Pokemon?
Shinx is not particularly rare, but certainly more rare than the normal or bird type Pokemon you find in the beginning of the game. In fact, the areas where you encounter Shinx have a similar spawn rate for Shinx as it would any other Pokmeon you could find in the area. There is nothing about Shinx that is particularly rare.
Is Luxray Good?
If you need an electric type physical attacking Pokemon in casual play, Luxray can fit the role just fine. In competitive play, you ought to look for more powerful alternatives as Luxray’s stat spread does not support sweeping. As Luxray is not particularly bulky, at least compared to other options, there is not much reason to run Luxray instead of other options.
Is Shinx a Good Pokemon?
If your goal is to run competitive battles in LC (Little Cup), there is no reason not to consider Shinx as a potential electric type on your team. It has a solid move set that can inflict status effects, switch effectively, as well as serve as a decent electric type representative on your team. Of course if you are playing casually, you do not need to concern yourself with min-maxing your potential.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this flash Pokemon. Shinx is in an odd spot where its competitive potential is higher as a base evolution instead of its final evolution. This is partly due to Luxray’s weaknesses, as well as the inclusion of Shinx’s availability in the Little Cup bracket. Nevertheless, Shinx’s design as an electric cat-like Pokemon has drawn the attention of many fans. Whether you are looking for a competitive environment or a casual environment, Shinx has a lot to offer to both.
