diff --git a/src/test/ui/starter-select.test.ts b/src/test/ui/starter-select.test.ts
index 8ef1ea16b4a..6d26ebfd6b3 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/starter-select.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/ui/starter-select.test.ts
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       const handler = game.scene.ui.getHandler() as StarterSelectUiHandler;
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
     });
@@ -117,9 +114,6 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
       handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_GENDER);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
     });
@@ -184,9 +178,6 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_GENDER);
       handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_NATURE);
       handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_ABILITY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
     });
@@ -227,11 +218,12 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].species.speciesId).toBe(Species.BULBASAUR);
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].shiny).toBe(true);
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].variant).toBe(2);
+    expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].gender).toBe(Gender.FEMALE);
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].nature).toBe(Nature.LONELY);
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].getAbility().id).toBe(Abilities.CHLOROPHYLL);
   }, 20000);
 
-  it("Bulbasaur - shiny - variant 2 female lonely chlorophyl", async() => {
+  it("Bulbasaur - shiny - variant 2 female", async() => {
     await game.importData("src/test/utils/saves/everything.prsv");
     const caughtCount = Object.keys(game.scene.gameData.dexData).filter((key) => {
       const species = game.scene.gameData.dexData[key];
@@ -249,9 +241,6 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
       handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_GENDER);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
     });
@@ -313,6 +302,7 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
+      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
     });
     await game.phaseInterceptor.run(SelectStarterPhase);
@@ -371,7 +361,7 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       const handler = game.scene.ui.getHandler() as StarterSelectUiHandler;
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
+      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
@@ -415,7 +405,7 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].variant).toBe(1);
   }, 20000);
 
-  it("Bulbasaur - shiny - variant 2", async() => {
+  it("Bulbasaur - shiny - variant 0", async() => {
     await game.importData("src/test/utils/saves/everything.prsv");
     const caughtCount = Object.keys(game.scene.gameData.dexData).filter((key) => {
       const species = game.scene.gameData.dexData[key];
@@ -432,8 +422,6 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
       const handler = game.scene.ui.getHandler() as StarterSelectUiHandler;
       handler.processInput(Button.RIGHT);
       handler.processInput(Button.LEFT);
-      handler.processInput(Button.CYCLE_SHINY);
-      handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.V);
       handler.processInput(Button.ACTION);
       game.phaseInterceptor.unlock();
@@ -474,7 +462,7 @@ describe("UI - Starter select", () => {
 
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].species.speciesId).toBe(Species.BULBASAUR);
     expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].shiny).toBe(true);
-    expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].variant).toBe(2);
+    expect(game.scene.getParty()[0].variant).toBe(0);
   }, 20000);
 
   it("Check if first pokemon in party is caterpie from gen 1 and 1rd row, 3rd column", async() => {
diff --git a/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts b/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
index 4906503c803..6b75c46bd45 100644
--- a/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
+++ b/src/ui/starter-select-ui-handler.ts
@@ -1853,10 +1853,14 @@ export default class StarterSelectUiHandler extends MessageUiHandler {
         switch (button) {
         case Button.CYCLE_SHINY:
           if (this.canCycleShiny) {
-            const newVariant = starterAttributes.variant ? starterAttributes.variant as Variant : props.variant;
-            starterAttributes.shiny = starterAttributes.shiny ? !starterAttributes.shiny : true;
-            this.setSpeciesDetails(this.lastSpecies, !props.shiny, undefined, undefined, props.shiny ? 0 : newVariant, undefined, undefined);
+            starterAttributes.shiny = starterAttributes.shiny !== undefined ? !starterAttributes.shiny : false;
+
             if (starterAttributes.shiny) {
+              // Change to shiny, we need to get the proper default variant
+              const newProps = this.scene.gameData.getSpeciesDexAttrProps(this.lastSpecies, this.getCurrentDexProps(this.lastSpecies.speciesId));
+              const newVariant = starterAttributes.variant ? starterAttributes.variant as Variant : newProps.variant;
+              this.setSpeciesDetails(this.lastSpecies, true, undefined, undefined, newVariant, undefined, undefined);
+
               this.scene.playSound("se/sparkle");
               // Set the variant label to the shiny tint
               const tint = getVariantTint(newVariant);
@@ -1864,6 +1868,7 @@ export default class StarterSelectUiHandler extends MessageUiHandler {
               this.pokemonShinyIcon.setTint(tint);
               this.pokemonShinyIcon.setVisible(true);
             } else {
+              this.setSpeciesDetails(this.lastSpecies, false, undefined, undefined, 0, undefined, undefined);
               this.pokemonShinyIcon.setVisible(false);
               success = true;
             }
@@ -3487,23 +3492,22 @@ export default class StarterSelectUiHandler extends MessageUiHandler {
       props += DexAttr.MALE;
     }
     /* This part is very similar to above, but instead of for gender, it checks for shiny within starter preferences.
-     * If they're not there, it checks the caughtAttr for shiny only (i.e. SHINY === true && NON_SHINY === false)
+     * If they're not there, it enables shiny state by default if any shiny was caught
      */
-    if (this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.shiny || ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.SHINY) > 0n && (caughtAttr & DexAttr.NON_SHINY) === 0n)) {
+    if (this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.shiny || ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.SHINY) > 0n && this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.shiny !== false)) {
       props += DexAttr.SHINY;
-      if (this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.variant) {
+      if (this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.variant !== undefined) {
         props += BigInt(Math.pow(2, this.starterPreferences[speciesId]?.variant)) * DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT;
       } else {
         /*  This calculates the correct variant if there's no starter preferences for it.
-         *  This gets the lowest tier variant that you've caught (in line with other mechanics) and adds it to the temp props
+         *  This gets the highest tier variant that you've caught and adds it to the temp props
          */
-        if ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT) > 0) {
-          props += DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT;
-        }
-        if ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_2) > 0) {
-          props += DexAttr.VARIANT_2;
-        } else if ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_3) > 0) {
+        if ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_3) > 0) {
           props += DexAttr.VARIANT_3;
+        } else if ((caughtAttr & DexAttr.VARIANT_2) > 0) {
+          props += DexAttr.VARIANT_2;
+        } else {
+          props += DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT;
         }
       }
     } else {