I was researching shiny pokemon the other day, and came across shiny pokemon breeders. Apparently they breed pokemon deliberately to get a shiny result, and some sell them for high prices. Is this ethical? Are there any possible repercussions on the pokemon due to selective breeding? I heard some breed exclusively shiny pokemon as well, which can lead to inbreeding. I’m just worried about the poor pokemons’ health!

That depends on the breeder, anonymous. There are plenty of breeders who use ethical practices, including rehoming standard variation pokémon or placing them in low-kill shelters, rearing pokémon in safe environments, and strictly breeding pokémon from different familial stocks (sometimes pokémon sourced from entirely different countries) to minimize inbreeding. Others, however, use less scrupulous means, including inbreeding and overworking parent pokémon. This is why it’s vital to work with only League-certified shiny breeders—and even then, to do your own research into a breeder’s background before contacting them. (This could also be said of pokémon breeding in general, actually.)

In short, there are some who unfortunately don’t take into consideration the well being of their breeding pokémon or the resulting hatchlings, and although the Association does its best to shut down as many of these as we can, there are some who manage to slip past us. However, not all breeders are like this, and many go out of their way to ensure that both their breeding pokémon and their hatchlings are handled in a humane manner.