Tiers, IVs & Shinies
What makes one pocket monster better than another of the same species.
Most species are common, but a handful carry a tier — Legendary (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo) or Mythical (Mew) — which makes them far rarer spawns, harder catches, and far more valuable to the Collector. Tiered names show colored in the game: orange for Legendary, purple for Mythical.
Each individual pocket monster you catch also rolls six IVs (HP, Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, Speed), each from 0 to 31. Their average is shown as a star grade (★ to ★★★★★★) — chase high-IV catches to build the strongest team.
On top of IVs, every pocket monster rolls a Quality grade that shifts its overall performance by up to about 10% — see the "Pocket Monster Quality" guide for the six tiers, from Unstable to Absolute.
Shinies are a rare alternate coloration with a small chance on every encounter. They're pure prestige — no stat advantage.