I’ve been introducing my friend to Pokemon and she has had many questions about the “backstory” of the world (as she put it) so I directed her here and she’s loved your stuff! However, she wanted to know what you thought about Shiny Pokemon in terms of how they work in the game’s universe. From what I’ve seen, the games and show only briefly mention the different colors some Pokemon have or can sometimes flat out ignore it. Do you think it’s just a uniform mutation? How does Red Gyrados fit in?

Hrmm.

My knowledge of the anime is actually somewhat limited; the only shiny Pokémon I know of other than the famous red Gyarados is Ash’s Noctowl, who is also notable for his small size and exceptional intelligence.  Except in Gold, Silver and Crystal, shiny Pokémon don’t have unusual stats, though; they’re just like any other Pokémon except for their colours.  I suppose I would say that the odd pigmentation is just the result of some rare recessive gene, like albinism, or Elizabeth Taylor’s famous violet eyes.  In some Pokémon, this unusual trait might guarantee them important leadership positions, in other species, it might make them pariahs, in still others it might be ignored completely.