Is Shiny Mew legit? Don‘t believe the hype.

No. It is extremely unlikely any Shiny Mew you encounter will be legitimate. This rare and coveted shiny Pokemon has been exploited by hackers to the point of saturation, making legit versions nearly extinct. But how did Shiny Mew become the white whale of Pokemon collectors? This guide will break down its history, rarity, and why you should think twice before trusting any you obtain.

The Mythical Origins of Mew

To understand Shiny Mew hype, we must start at the origins of Mew itself. This elusive Psychic-type is considered the progenitor of all Pokemon – the common ancestor from which all other species diverged over evolution. It has been dubbed the "New Species Pokemon" in the Pokedex due to its unique abilities to learn every TM and harness the genetic code of any Pokemon.

But does such an progenitor really exist? Mew‘s history is shrouded in mystery and lore. It is rumored to reside in the impenetrable jungles of Guyana, far from human discovery. Genetic experiments to clone Mew resulted in the creation of Mewtwo, but its enhanced psychic powers quickly grew beyond control. Some believe Mew may even have divine origins, being the last of an ancient but now extinct Pokemon race that gave rise to all other species we know today.

Regardless of its true origins, Mew‘s mythical status captured the imaginations of Pokemon fans worldwide. As the elusive godparent to everything from Bulbasaur to Charizard, the concept of obtaining a Mew became the holy grail for collectors. And when the possibility of a Shiny Mew emerged, the hype kicked into overdrive.

Legit Shiny Mew Events – Near Impossible Odds

Because Mew is a mythical Pokemon, it has never been available through traditional gameplay. The only way to legitimately obtain one is through official distributions and events held by The Pokemon Company, which have been extremely limited:

As you can see, the baseline shiny odds stood at a measly 1 in 16,384 for Faraway Island Mew. And while Pokemon GO did boost the Kanto Tour rate to around 1 in 150, that‘s still over 50 times rarer than most wild shinies in the game.

Overall, it‘s estimated only 30,000 total Shiny Mew have been officially distributed through these two events alone. To put that into perspective, the global Pokemon GO player base exceeds one billion. With odds that low, it‘s no wonder legit Shiny Mew are almost non-existent in circulation.

I‘ll never forget the electricity in the air when Shiny Mew was announced for Pokemon GO Tour: Kanto. The Pokemon GO subreddit lit up in excitement. Many cleared their schedules to grind endlessly for that 1 in 150 chance. Some logged over 40 hours of gameplay before finally encountering blue Mew – a testament to the dedication this shiny demanded.

Gotta Collect ‘Em All – Shiny Mew Card Mania

The same shiny fervor extended to the Pokemon Trading Card Game. As the ancestor to all Pokemon, Shiny Mew cards became the chase items of master collectors:

These Shiny Mews are certainly rare and demand high premiums at auction, but some context is required. The 1st Edition Base Set Charizard, which is more iconic to the TCG, has only 122 PSA 10s in existence and sells for similar prices as Gold Star Mew.

Furthermore, we‘ve seen hyperinflated prices across the board for Pokemon cards over the past several years. While these Shiny Mews remain trophies for master collectors, the recent hype seems overblown based on relative card rarity and populations. However, mythical shinies do tend to increase in value over time, so long term growth in prices is likely.

Hacking Gone Rampant – How To Spot Illegitimate Mew

For legitimate collectors who devoutly chase events or invest in PSA graded cards, the excitement around Shiny Mew is understandable. However, the sad truth is that virtually any you encounter in your game or in a trade will be hacked or generated.

Advances in hacking tools have made creating convincing fakes trivial. Hackers can set any Pokemon to be shiny, mint condition, max IVs, and with rare moves. They exploit flaws in the games‘ RNG and encryption to spawn endless illegitimate creatures.

Here are some telltale signs that a Shiny Mew is hacked:

• Nickname includes .com or化身之灵幻 (common genner ID)
• OT name is a website or genner service instead of a real event
• Level 100, pokerus infected, and/or perfect IVs
• Knows moves it cannot legitimately learn
• Comes holding Master Ball or rare item

Unless it matches the exact trainer ID, moves, and details of the official events, you should consider any Shiny Mew in the wild to be illegitimate. While disappointing, it is the harsh truth in the era of rampant hacking.

Final Thoughts – A Lesson in Patience and Prestige

As Pokemon collectors, we always want what is exceptionally rare and difficult to obtain. But when technology enables anybody to generate unlimited shiny pixie dust on demand, it damages the prestige of truly legitimate acquisitions.

Shiny Mew serves as the poster child for this phenomenon. Its mythical allure coupled with an eye-catching color made it irresistible to hackers and genners, who flooded the market with convincing fakes. But there is still hope through patience. The next official event may always be around the corner, ready to reward dedicated fans with a real shiny wonder.