Item Details
Side mission A Shiny Mareep? (Side Mission 17)
Giver Duve
Unlocks Main Mission 08: Reaching Rank V (after battling Lida)
Where to accept Outside the northern/northeastern entrance to Wild Zone 1 (east of the Wild Zone 1 fast travel point)
Primary reward Guaranteed Shiny Mareep spawn (one-time catch)
Additional rewards ₽500 and Pretty Feather ×3

Unlock requirements (when the shiny becomes available)

Progress the story until Main Mission 08: Reaching Rank V. As part of that milestone you’ll battle Lida. Once that’s complete, new side mission markers populate the map, including “A Shiny Mareep?”

Start “A Shiny Mareep?” (where to find Duve)

Head to Wild Zone 1 in the Vert District and look just outside its entrance on the north side. Duve stands near the gate—east of the Wild Zone 1 fast travel point—often next to a pair of Mareep. Speak with her to accept Side Mission 17.

Find the Shiny Mareep in Wild Zone 1 (ladder route)

Fast travel to Wild Zone 1 and move toward the gate on the north side. Before the gate, turn right toward a large pond. You’ll see a boulder near the water; the first ladder is hidden behind it.

  • Clear the boulder if it’s still present (use Rock Smash) to reveal the ladder.
  • Climb the first ladder to reach the rooftop level.
  • On the roof, look to the right for a second ladder; climb it to the top.

A short cutscene will trigger. After it ends, the Shiny Mareep is active at the rooftop spawn above. You can now engage and catch it.

Note: Depending on how you enter Wild Zone 1, landmarks can feel reversed. Use the pond-plus-boulder combo near the gate as your anchor; the ladder is directly behind that boulder.

Catching rules, respawns, and one-time limit

  • You can only catch the shiny after the side mission’s short cutscene concludes.
  • If you accidentally knock it out or it escapes, fast travel away and back to Wild Zone 1 to force the shiny to respawn on the rooftop.
  • The shiny spawn remains permanent until you catch it. Once captured, it does not reappear.

There’s no practical way to “save scum” this encounter; the game auto-saves frequently, and the mission’s shiny is tied to that fixed spawn. The Mareep’s nature appears to be random.

What you get for completing the mission

In addition to the guaranteed Shiny Mareep spawn, you receive ₽500 and three Pretty Feathers from Duve. The feathers can be sold for a small cash boost early in the story.

Why this shiny matters (and how it fits into Z-A’s odds)

Outside of this side mission, shiny odds in Pokémon Legends: Z-A follow the modern baseline of 1 in 4,096. “A Shiny Mareep?” is a deliberate exception: it provides a one-time, guaranteed shiny encounter that sits in the world until you pick it up. It’s an early, low-friction way to secure a shiny for your team without hunting.

Troubleshooting the route

  • Can’t find Duve: Confirm you’ve reached Rank V and fought Lida as part of Main Mission 08; the side mission doesn’t appear earlier.
  • No ladder visible: Break the boulder by the pond first; the ladder is hidden behind it.
  • Shiny not present: Make sure the brief rooftop cutscene has played after accepting the mission; if you battled and it fainted, fast travel away and return to reset the spawn.

If you’re coming from Legends: Arceus, this fills the same role as that game’s early guaranteed shiny—only here it’s an electric sheep perched on a rooftop. Once you’ve banked Mareep, you can go back to the usual 1-in-4,096 grind with a little less pressure.