Here's why:
* Shiny odds: In Pokemon Ruby, the chance of encountering a Shiny Pokemon is 1/8192. This means you have a 0.0122% chance of finding a Shiny Torchic with each encounter.
* Encounter rate: You can encounter Torchic in the starting area, but it's not a guaranteed encounter. This means you might need to walk around for a bit before even getting a chance at a Torchic.
* Individual effort: Some people are more patient than others, and some have more time to dedicate to the task.
Possible timeframes:
* Best-case scenario: Some incredibly lucky people could encounter a Shiny Torchic within a few minutes of soft resetting.
* Average scenario: Most people would likely take several hours, even days, of continuous soft resetting to find a Shiny Torchic.
* Worst-case scenario: There's no upper limit. Some people could spend hundreds, even thousands of hours without finding a Shiny Torchic.
Important Note: Soft resetting involves saving your game right before encountering Torchic, then resetting the game if you don't get a shiny. This process can be quite time-consuming and may not be suitable for everyone.
Consider other options:
* Trading: You could try to trade with another player who already has a Shiny Torchic.
* Breeding: You could breed Torchic with a Ditto to increase the odds of finding a Shiny offspring (although this requires more effort).
Ultimately, the time it takes to get a Shiny Torchic depends on your luck, patience, and chosen method. Good luck!