I've been thinking, how do you know if a legendary (or any one-of-a-kind pokemon for that matter) is shiny? Since they are one-of-a-kind, wouldn't that be the normal colour?

Technically yes.

Game-wise, no.

I've never been lucky enough to find a shiny legendary.

how about repeating the game by saving first then talking again and again to lugia and ho-oh until they become shiny...

I don't think that's what he meant.

He was asking how one would know whether the legendary was a shiny or not. If there is only one in the entire world, then how would a person know whether or not that was a shiny colour or its real colour? Of course we the game players know, but if it were real life or something you'd have no idea.

well of course..that is the normal color.. color when you usually see them( get that) try looking at psypokes.com...you will see the shiny colors of legendaries...

You still don't get it I see. Maybe OP will be able to explain it better if he comes back.

I think the mods pretty much summed it up, i dno't think I need to explain it anymore

I think I found a shiny Zubat/Golbat before, but that was before I knew what I shiny was, so I ran. Never seen one since, apart from Gyarados that is.

now i get it...in real life...but i think in the anime life...lugia is not shiny...there is a lugia named silver there...it is also the same color...

have a shiny Ho-oh and lugia. Its nice

There are more than one legendary in the anime. I remember that the three birds where in those islands and then they appeared in Johto.

shiny shaymin: walk a lap around shaymin and battle it.
that's how it is for other legendary, but i dont know witch ones.

i got shiny celibi, arceus, darkai,shaymin, deoxys, mew.
i wish i had dark lugia and shiny ho-oh;( but at least i have them all.

u kno when its a shiny because if u allreddy know the regualr color, it will seem a bit peculiar. and, the obvious way, it will sparkle at the beggining when it appears. liek the red garydous. XD