Are Shiny Pokemon THAT important?

This is just something I've been wondering as of late...

Are Shiny Pokemon REALLY that important? I mean, all they are is a Pokemon of a different coloration...but the more I look around here (and on other forums) I see millions of theads titled with some derivative of "How do I find a Shiny (insert Pokemon here)?" and to be honest, I'm beginning to get annoyed by how much people beg, plead and cry for a Shiny.

What do you think? Share your thoughts.

I really couldn't care less. The only shiny I've ever encountered is the Red Gyarados in Gold, and I'm not going to pass out if I see another one in RSE/FRLG/Diamond & Pearl. It amazes me how a few changes of colour can send people into weeks of hunting and whatnot.

I voted that I didn't mind having one. It wouldn't really matter to me if I had one or not, but I would catch it anyway if I saw one, because they are rare. But I'm not one that just goes out on a Shiny Hunt, because I know it's almost nearly impossible when you do that. Mostly when you find a Shiny, it's when you're not even trying to look for one, or battle a wild Pokemon. :P

theyre cool but pointless but wouldnt mind having a few *what i voted for*
theres nothing wrong with hunting them *points to sig* even though i was just trying to beat the game when i bumped into em'

I don't think so, I don't really see the point of going around, and around, and around, looking for Shiny pokemon, in fact, if it weren't for the stars that go around them when you do find them, I would probably never know the difference.

I don't care really,but it's cool to brag at you buds:"HaHa,I got a shiny pokemon and you don't!"LoL.

LoL... I love Shiny Pokemon and would even discard a beloved member of my team to place a Shiny in the ranks...

...But ONLY if it was caught legitimately (which is why my Gameshark Shinies are not in my sig).

I actually think most of the shinies look horrible, but that's just my opinion. As for myself, I'm not really that bothered. It's not like I've specifically gone looking for one, but it would be nice to have one for bragging rights. Oh well.

The shiny pokemon look extremly weird. The re-colourising makes them look odd and freakish, And to be quite honest i can't see any REAL point in shiny pokemon. Did nintendo think that kids would be ripping each other apart for a stupid blue or red pikachu? pikachu is yellow, Tangla is green keep it at that!

I care about shinys because they are very rare and it's really cool to battle friends with a shiny pokemon (I have 3 in ruby and 10 in gold)

I wouldn't mind having a few, but like Toothache, I find most of them to be ugly (so many that are the color of baby poo). I wouldn't mind having a bubblegum pink Magmar though ;)

I spend a lot of time wandering in the wild training up every Pokemon I catch. I have 180 hours clocked up on my Gold game, and only 72 pokedex entries. And like Mr Cat Dog, the only shiny I've encountered was Red Gyrados. God help the people that go hunting for them...

I think that shinies are ok I mean after youve completed the game(including the pokedex) thinking that wasnt really a challenge! just think theres still the hardest challenge of all still to play. GET ALL SHINIES. I have articuno, moltres, zapdos and mewtwo shinies and Ill tell you how to get them!

Save outside the legendaries battle. Go into battle, if its not shiny turn off and try again, takes ages though. : O ->

yea I think shiny pokemon are great beacause I find them and trade my friends and I get powerful Pokemon

Its nice, when you have a shiny pokemon in your game. I think, everybody would love to have a shiny dudes. I`m not a shiny pkmn catcher, I have never met a shiny in my the newwiest game (LeafGreen), but I don`t cry.
Some shiny pokemon are really beautiful; Milotic, Altaria, Latias, Starmie... but some have bad colours. I don`t know, why Mudkip is purple or Girafarig almost normal. I can`t stand shiny Espeon too. Green.
But I can live without shinies^^

i really like them because it gives you so much braging rights.

yeah its fun to brag about shinies hehe as I have all the catchable legendaries in shiny I can brag quite alot :P

Shines are asum. I mean you beat the game and then take on the biggist chaling.

as the co-founder of the shiny hunters club... *lets the power of that title sink in*
shiny pokemon are incredibly important to me. pokemon is not all together that challenging of a game. it's really awesome to put yourself to a higher challenge than the game is supposed to offer. also, some of the shiny pokemon look a ton better than they're normal counterparts.
the reason that i began shiny hunting is because the artists really messed up on gengar. i don't know why they ever decided to make it purple (because in the original game art he was dark gray) and purple ghosts don't do it for me. so i vowed not to train a gastly to a gengar until i caught a shiny one (because shiny gengar is much closer to the way it ought to be)
so ya, if anybody it interested in shiny hunting... you know where to go.

Shinies are something I could live without, but would be cool to have. I have had a shiny spearow, on my way to the movies, but traded it to a cute lil kid. They're really just preferences, people who hate shinies often have no shinies themself, and those who have shinies, want more. I'll hunt for a little bit, but I won't ruin my game.