diff --git a/src/battle-scene.ts b/src/battle-scene.ts
index 459ca17f31c..a4ac7602819 100644
--- a/src/battle-scene.ts
+++ b/src/battle-scene.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import PokemonInfoContainer from "#app/ui/pokemon-info-container";
 import { biomeDepths, getBiomeName } from "#app/data/balance/biomes";
 import { SceneBase } from "#app/scene-base";
 import CandyBar from "#app/ui/candy-bar";
-import { Variant, variantData } from "#app/data/variant";
+import { Variant, variantColorCache, variantData, VariantSet } from "#app/data/variant";
 import { Localizable } from "#app/interfaces/locales";
 import Overrides from "#app/overrides";
 import { InputsController } from "#app/inputs-controller";
@@ -345,6 +345,33 @@ export default class BattleScene extends SceneBase {
     this.load.atlas(key, `images/pokemon/${variant ? "variant/" : ""}${experimental ? "exp/" : ""}${atlasPath}.png`,  `images/pokemon/${variant ? "variant/" : ""}${experimental ? "exp/" : ""}${atlasPath}.json`);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Load the variant assets for the given sprite and stores them in {@linkcode variantColorCache}
+   */
+  loadPokemonVariantAssets(spriteKey: string, fileRoot: string, variant?: Variant) {
+    const useExpSprite = this.experimentalSprites && this.hasExpSprite(spriteKey);
+    if (useExpSprite) {
+      fileRoot = `exp/${fileRoot}`;
+    }
+    let variantConfig = variantData;
+    fileRoot.split("/").map(p => variantConfig ? variantConfig = variantConfig[p] : null);
+    const variantSet = variantConfig as VariantSet;
+    if (variantSet && (variant !== undefined && variantSet[variant] === 1)) {
+      const populateVariantColors = (key: string): Promise<void> => {
+        return new Promise(resolve => {
+          if (variantColorCache.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
+            return resolve();
+          }
+          this.cachedFetch(`./images/pokemon/variant/${fileRoot}.json`).then(res => res.json()).then(c => {
+            variantColorCache[key] = c;
+            resolve();
+          });
+        });
+      };
+      populateVariantColors(spriteKey);
+    }
+  }
+
   async preload() {
     if (DEBUG_RNG) {
       const scene = this;
diff --git a/src/data/pokemon-species.ts b/src/data/pokemon-species.ts
index e7fe902956c..a3f10976cf6 100644
--- a/src/data/pokemon-species.ts
+++ b/src/data/pokemon-species.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { EvolutionLevel, SpeciesWildEvolutionDelay, pokemonEvolutions, pokemonPr
 import { Type } from "#enums/type";
 import { LevelMoves, pokemonFormLevelMoves, pokemonFormLevelMoves as pokemonSpeciesFormLevelMoves, pokemonSpeciesLevelMoves } from "#app/data/balance/pokemon-level-moves";
 import { Stat } from "#enums/stat";
-import { Variant, VariantSet, variantColorCache, variantData } from "#app/data/variant";
+import { Variant, VariantSet, variantData } from "#app/data/variant";
 import { speciesStarterCosts, POKERUS_STARTER_COUNT } from "#app/data/balance/starters";
 import { SpeciesFormKey } from "#enums/species-form-key";
 
@@ -505,29 +505,8 @@ export abstract class PokemonSpeciesForm {
         } else {
           scene.anims.get(spriteKey).frameRate = 12;
         }
-        let spritePath = this.getSpriteAtlasPath(female, formIndex, shiny, variant).replace("variant/", "").replace(/_[1-3]$/, "");
-        const useExpSprite = scene.experimentalSprites && scene.hasExpSprite(spriteKey);
-        if (useExpSprite) {
-          spritePath = `exp/${spritePath}`;
-        }
-        let config = variantData;
-        spritePath.split("/").map(p => config ? config = config[p] : null);
-        const variantSet = config as VariantSet;
-        if (variantSet && (variant !== undefined && variantSet[variant] === 1)) {
-          const populateVariantColors = (key: string): Promise<void> => {
-            return new Promise(resolve => {
-              if (variantColorCache.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
-                return resolve();
-              }
-              scene.cachedFetch(`./images/pokemon/variant/${spritePath}.json`).then(res => res.json()).then(c => {
-                variantColorCache[key] = c;
-                resolve();
-              });
-            });
-          };
-          populateVariantColors(spriteKey).then(() => resolve());
-          return;
-        }
+        const spritePath = this.getSpriteAtlasPath(female, formIndex, shiny, variant).replace("variant/", "").replace(/_[1-3]$/, "");
+        scene.loadPokemonVariantAssets(spriteKey, spritePath, variant);
         resolve();
       });
       if (startLoad) {
diff --git a/src/field/mystery-encounter-intro.ts b/src/field/mystery-encounter-intro.ts
index 4c68a296265..be75ed8d525 100644
--- a/src/field/mystery-encounter-intro.ts
+++ b/src/field/mystery-encounter-intro.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { Species } from "#enums/species";
 import { isNullOrUndefined } from "#app/utils";
 import { getSpriteKeysFromSpecies } from "#app/data/mystery-encounters/utils/encounter-pokemon-utils";
 import PlayAnimationConfig = Phaser.Types.Animations.PlayAnimationConfig;
-import { Variant, variantColorCache, variantData, VariantSet } from "#app/data/variant";
+import { Variant } from "#app/data/variant";
 import { doShinySparkleAnim } from "#app/field/anims";
 
 type KnownFileRoot =
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ export class MysteryEncounterSpriteConfig {
   scale?: number;
   /** If you are using a Pokemon sprite, set to `true`. This will ensure variant, form, gender, shiny sprites are loaded properly */
   isPokemon?: boolean;
-  //TODO
+  /** If using a Pokemon shiny sprite, needs to be set to ensure the correct variant assets get loaded and displayed */
   isShiny?: boolean;
+  /** If using a Pokemon shiny sprite, needs to be set to ensure the correct variant assets get loaded and displayed */
   variant?: Variant;
   /** If you are using an item sprite, set to `true` */
   isItem?: boolean;
@@ -219,29 +220,7 @@ export default class MysteryEncounterIntroVisuals extends Phaser.GameObjects.Con
         if (config.isPokemon) {
           this.scene.loadPokemonAtlas(config.spriteKey, config.fileRoot);
           if (config.isShiny) {
-            // Load variant assets
-            const useExpSprite = this.scene.experimentalSprites && this.scene.hasExpSprite(config.spriteKey);
-            if (useExpSprite) {
-              config.fileRoot = `exp/${config.fileRoot}`;
-            }
-            let variantConfig = variantData;
-            config.fileRoot.split("/").map(p => variantConfig ? variantConfig = variantConfig[p] : null);
-            const variantSet = variantConfig as VariantSet;
-            if (variantSet && (config.variant !== undefined && variantSet[config.variant] === 1)) {
-              const populateVariantColors = (key: string): Promise<void> => {
-                return new Promise(resolve => {
-                  if (variantColorCache.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
-                    return resolve();
-                  }
-                  this.scene.cachedFetch(`./images/pokemon/variant/${config.fileRoot}.json`).then(res => res.json()).then(c => {
-                    variantColorCache[key] = c;
-                    resolve();
-                  });
-                });
-              };
-              populateVariantColors(config.spriteKey);
-            }
-            // TODO load shiny sparkle?
+            this.scene.loadPokemonVariantAssets(config.spriteKey, config.fileRoot, config.variant);
           }
         } else if (config.isItem) {
           this.scene.loadAtlas("items", "");