Logan Paul’s Latest Pokémon Scheme Was A Total Flop

Only days following an unexpected and widely discussed trip to the Pentagon, controversial content creator Logan Paul embarked on an entirely different kind of challenge: Pokémon shiny hunting in front of a live audience. Describing the venture as one of his most grueling endeavors yet—competing with his past high-stakes collectible card sales—Paul quickly discovered that RNG (Random Number Generation) is rarely forgiving.

For the uninitiated, “shiny hunting” is the grueling process of forcing a Pokémon title to spawn an exceptionally rare variant of a standard creature, distinguished by an alternate color palette. For example, a standard Charizard features a classic orange coat, whereas its shiny counterpart sports a striking black-and-red design. While encounter rates fluctuate across different generations of the franchise, these alternate color variants are notoriously scarce. Dedicated players often utilize various in-game mechanics to maximize their odds, though success can still demand weeks of monotonous repetition. It is an endeavor strictly meant for the most steadfast enthusiasts, yet Paul boldly assumed he possessed the endurance required.

Announced on September 18, his primary objective was to capture an Onix with the ultimate goal of evolving it into a gleaming Shiny Steelix. Despite the visual appeal of the creature, the baseline probability of encountering a shiny Onix sits at a grueling 1 in 8,192. Unfazed, Paul confidently asserted that he would keep the livestream rolling indefinitely until he successfully secured his prize. “I could be hunting for days,” Paul warned his viewers.

When the broadcast commenced on September 19, the atmosphere was charged with high energy. True to form, Paul utilized the spotlight to promote commercial partnerships—in this instance, focusing on a digital Pokémon card platform known as RipIt. When a skeptical viewer chimed in midway through the stream to question whether Paul was genuinely playing the game himself, the YouTuber quickly grew defensive. “I’m not watching someone else do it,” he retorted. “If I’m sitting in this room, I’m pressing the buttons.”

However, reality quickly set in. Roughly eight hours into the endurance run, Paul broke his initial promise and urgently asked his wife, Nina Agdal, to take over the controls. Although he briefly resumed playing a couple of hours later, the physical toll and psychological fatigue were already becoming apparent.

“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done in my life… this is completely insane,” Paul confessed mid-stream. “My fingers actually hurt.”

By the 17-hour mark, tensions mounted as Paul debated with his co-hosts regarding a much-needed period of rest. “You keep moving the goalposts,” one co-host protested after Paul announced that the broadcast would continue unabated while he slept. His companions, visibly exhausted by the tedious nature of the hunt, attempted to dissuade him, pointing out that finding the elusive shiny while he was unconscious would ultimately undermine the entire point of the livestream. Ignoring their advice, Paul retired to bed, leaving a single friend to monitor the game.

“Did this just transform into a sleep stream?” one bewildered participant questioned within the Twitch chat.

After stepping away for roughly four hours, Paul returned briefly before throwing in the towel yet again at the 29-hour threshold.

“I might need to take the next hour off to spend time with family,” Paul remarked while casually eating a salad, completely detached from active gameplay. His peers offered reassurance, promising to alert him immediately if a shiny variant finally appeared.

Following another brief absence, Paul returned alongside his wife, with Agdal managing the gameplay for the vast majority of the remaining duration. Ultimately, roughly 34 hours after its dramatic commencement, the livestream was officially brought to a close.

The prized shiny was never secured. While Paul has hinted at a potential return to the challenge down the line, disillusioned fans appear doubtful that they will tune in for a round two, given the cynical reactions flooding the YouTube comments section.

“They completely gave up,” noted one viewer, while another bluntly dismissed the effort as a stunt.

The infamous YouTuber spent millions to hold an event for cards with visible imperfections

Source: Polygon