Which Shiny Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon Go and how do you find and catch them all? Like this!

First introduced as part of the Water Festival Event, with Magikarp and Gyarados, Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Go have grown to include dozens of babies, base levels, and evolutions, from Absol to Wynaut. Here’s the complete list of shiny Pokémon as of right now, and how you can catch ’em all!

Which Shiny Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon Go?

Image via leekduck

As of January 2018:

  1. Shiny Magikarp
  2. Shiny Gyarados
  3. Shiny Pichu
  4. Shiny Pikachu
  5. Shiny Raichu
  6. Shiny Sableye
  7. Shiny Shuppet
  8. Shiny Banette
  9. Shiny Duskull
  10. Shiny Dusklops
  11. Shiny Mawile (Raid only)
  12. Shiny Absol (Raid only)
  13. Shiny Snorunt
  14. Shiny Glalie
  15. Shiny Aron
  16. Shiny Lairon
  17. Shiny Aggron
  18. Shiny Swablu
  19. Shiny Altaria
  20. Shiny Luvdisc
  21. Shiny Poochyena
  22. Shiny Mightyena
  23. Shiny Dratini
  24. Shiny Dragonair
  25. Shiny Dragonite
  26. Shiny Lugia (Raid only)
  27. Shiny Magby (Egg only)
  28. Shiny Magmar
  29. Shiny Togepi (Egg only)
  30. Shiny Togetic
  31. Shiny Wynaut (Egg only)
  32. Shiny Wobbuffet
  33. Shiny Bulbasaur
  34. Shiny Ivysaur
  35. Shiny Venusaur
  36. Shiny Murkrow
  37. Shiny Mareep
  38. Shiny Flaaffy
  39. Shiny Ampharos
  40. Shiny Wailmer
  41. Shiny Wailord
  42. Shiny Makuhita
  43. Shiny Hariyama
  44. Shiny Meditite
  45. Shiny Medicham
  46. Shiny Ho-Oh
  47. Shiny Charmander
  48. Shiny Charmeleon
  49. Shiny Charizard
  50. Shiny Kabuto
  51. Shiny Kabutops
  52. Shiny Omanyte
  53. Shiny Omastar
  54. Shiny Aerodactyl
  55. Shiny Shelder
  56. Shiny Cloyster
  57. Shiny Kyogre
  58. Shiny Larvitar
  59. Shiny Pupitar
  60. Shiny Tyranitar
  61. Shiny Roselia
  62. Shiny Articuno
  63. Shiny Squirtle (w/wo sunglasses)
  64. Shiny Wartortle (w/wo sunglasses)
  65. Shiny Blastoise (w/wo sunglasses)
  66. Shiny Plusle
  67. Shiny Minun
  68. Shiny Zapdos
  69. Shiny Houndour
  70. Shiny Houndoom
  71. Shiny Snubbull
  72. Shiny Granbull
  73. Shiny Eevee
  74. Shiny Vaporeon
  75. Shiny Flareon
  76. Shiny Jolteon
  77. Shiny Umbreon
  78. Shiny Espeon
  79. Shiny Natu
  80. Shiny Xatu
  81. Shiny Sunkern
  82. Shiny Sunflora
  83. Shiny Pineco
  84. Shiny Forretress
  85. Shiny Wingull
  86. Shiny Pelipper
  87. Shiny Growlth
  88. Shiny Arcanine
  89. Shiny Moltres
  90. Shiny Geodude
  91. Shiny Graveler
  92. Shiny Golem
  93. Shiny Grimer
  94. Shiny Muk
  95. Shiny Chikorita
  96. Shiny Bayleaf
  97. Shiny Meganium
  98. Shiny Krabby
  99. Shiny Kingler
  100. Shiny Drowzee
  101. Shiny Hypno
  102. Shiny Nidoran
  103. Shiny Nidorina
  104. Shiny Nidoqueen
  105. Shiny Shinx
  106. Shiny Luxio
  107. Shiny Luxray
  108. Shiny Beldum
  109. Shiny Metang
  110. Shiny Metagross
  111. Shiny Drifloom
  112. Shiny Drifblim
  113. Shiny Caterpie
  114. Shiny Metapod
  115. Shiny Butterfree
  116. Shiny Pincer
  117. Shiny Cubone
  118. Shiny Marowak ( + Shiny Alolan Marowak)
  119. Shiny Ponyta
  120. Shiny Rapidash
  121. Shiny Budew
  122. Shiny Cyndaquill
  123. Shiny Quilava
  124. Shiny Typhlosion
  125. Shiny Elekid
  126. Shiny Electabuzz
  127. Shiny Elektivire
  128. Shiny Magmortar
  129. Shiny Togakiss
  130. Shiny Dusknoir
  131. Shiny Honchkrow
  132. Shiny Alolan Raichu
  133. Shiny Magnemite
  134. Shiny Magneton
  135. Shiny Misdreavus
  136. Shiny Mismagius
  137. Shiny Sandshrew
  138. Shiny Sandlash
  139. Shiny Delibird
  140. Shiny Azurill
  141. Shiny Marill
  142. Shiny Azumarill
  143. Shiny Santa Hat Pichu
  144. Shiny Santa Hat Pikachu
  145. Shiny Santa Hat Raichu
  146. Shiny Totodile
  147. Shiny Croconaw
  148. Shiny Feraligatr
  149. Shiny Feebas
  150. Shiny Milotic
  151. Shiny Psyduck
  152. Shiny Golduck

– Shiny Spoink (NEW)
– Shiny Grumpig (NEW)

February 4, 2019: Shiny Spoink and Grumpig live for Chinese New Year

It’s the Year of the Pig and Pokemon Go is celebrating with Shiny Spoink and Shiny Grumpig. Because of course they are.

  • Shiny Spoink
  • Shiny Grumpig

January 25, 2019: Shiny Psyduck, Golduck up and quacking in Brazil

Safari Zone Brazil has begun and that means Shiny Psyduck and Shiny Golduck are available.

  1. Shiny Psyduck
  2. Shiny Golduck

Both spawn rates and shiny rates seem good, so happy hunting!

January 21, 2019: Shiny Feebas, Milotic available via Field Research… kinda

For the first time, Pokemon Go is making a new Shiny Pokemon available via a 3-hour, Community Day-like window… of field research.

  1. Shiny Feebas
  2. Shiny Milotic

North America begins at 11am PT / 2pm ET, just like Community Day. Early reports from Europe, however, suggest that tasks aren’t everywhere, are annoying to complete (10 great throws, 15 nice throws, earn a buddy candy, hatch an egg) and the Shiny rate is low.

Given how well the Squirtle Squad field research worked a few months ago, that’s another disappointing regression from Pokemon Go.

January 14, 2019: Shiny Kyogre is back and it’s brought Shiny Groudon with it

In honor of the Hoenn event, which runs from January 15 to January 29, 2019, Niantic has brought back two old favorites, including one of them in its Shiny form for the first time.

  • Shiny Kyogre
  • Shiny Groudon (NEW)

January 12, 2019: Shiny Totadile, Croconaw, Feraligatr unleashed for January Community Day

Community Day is back for 2019 and the last of the Gen 2 starters is back with it!

  1. Shiny Totadile
  2. Shiny Croconaw
  3. Shiny Feraligatr

December 18, 2018: Shiny Delibird, Azurill, Marill, Azumarill, and Santa Hats for the holidays!

The annual Pokemon Go holiday event has started and, with it, there are even more Shiny Pokemon dancing and prancing about.

  1. Shiny Delibird
  2. Shiny Azurill
  3. Shiny Marill
  4. Shiny Azumarill
  5. Shiny Santa Hat Pichu
  6. Shiny Santa Hat Pikachu
  7. Shiny Santa Hat Raichu

December 14, 2018: Shiny Ho-oh and Lugia return for one long weekend

Shiny Lugia and Ho-oh are back, back again, but only for the long weekend. From December 14 to December 17, 2018.

  • Shiny Lugia
  • Shiny Ho-Oh

Happy Raiding.

December 1, 2018: Shiny Misdreavus, Mismagius arrive for December

Pokémon Go loves it some Shiny ghost-types and, with December, comes a new one. And a Gen 2 ones! If you have a spare Sinnoh Stone, you can also score its evolution, Mismagius.

  • Shiny Misdreavus
  • Shiny Mismagius

November 23, 2018: Shiny Alolan Raichu now available in Raids

Raid only, but if you do enough, you just mights core a Shiny — Alolan — Raichu!

  1. Shiny Alolan Raichu

November 16, 2018: Shiny Magnemite and Magneton are out!

Shocking, right?

  1. Shiny Magnemite
  2. Shiny Magneton

November 14, 2018: Shiny Elekid, Electabuzz, Elektivire are loose — and so are the Shiny Sinnoh Stone evolutions!

You can now hatch Shiny Elekid, evolve Shiny Electabuzz, and — with a Sinnoh Stone, Shiny Elektivire.

  1. Shiny Elekid
  2. Shiny Electabuzz
  3. Shiny Elektivire

Also, with the new Sinnoh Stones, you can now evolve several previous generation Shiny Pokémon into their Gen 4 forms.

  1. Shiny Magmortar
  2. Shiny Togakiss
  3. Shiny Dusknoir
  4. Shiny Honchkrow

November 10, 2018: Cyndaquill, Quilava, Typholosion go Shiny for Community Day

The second Gen 2 Starter gets its Community Day, and that means a new family fo Shiny Pokémon to play for:

  1. Shiny Cyndaquill
  2. Shiny Quilava
  3. Shiny Typhlosion

November 6, 2018: Shiny Budew can now be hatched from 5KM eggs

Budew, the baby form of Rosalia, can now be hatched from 5KM eggs. And, since Rosalia already has a Shiny form in Pokémon Go, that means Budew has a chance to hatch Shiny as well!

  1. Shiny Budew

November 5, 2018: Shiny Cubone, Marowak, Ponyta, Rapidash out to celebrate Ingress Prime

Before there was Pokémon Go, there was Ingress, and so developer Niantic is celebrating the launch of Ingress Prime with two new Shiny in Pokémon Go:

  1. Shiny Cubone
  2. Shiny Marowak
  3. Shiny Ponyta
  4. Shiny Rapidash

Also, Shiny Alolan Marowak is now appearing in Raids.

No word yet on how long they’ll have increased spawn or shiny rates, so catch ’em fast!

November 3, 2018: Shiny Pinsir escapes Safari Zone Taiwan, goes worldwide

As part of Safari Zone Taiwan, Shiny Pinsir is now available and in boosted numbers for the weekend.

  1. Shiny Pinsir

Catch it fast!

November 1, 2018: Shiny Caterpie, Metapod, and Butterfree kick off November’s month of bugs

Harden! Harden! That’s the sound of Shiny Caterpie, Metapod, and Butterfree kicking off a November of bugs!

  1. Shiny Caterpie
  2. Shiny Metapod
  3. Shiny Butterfree

October 23, 2018: Shiny Drifloom and Drifblim haunt the Halloween Event!

Last year, the Gen 3 Ghosts put on their Shiny customers of halloween. This year, it’s the Gen 4’s turn. Well, two of them at least!

  1. Shiny Drifloom
  2. Shiny Drifblim

October 16, 2018: Gen 4 is here and Shiny Shinx, Luxio, and Luxray are here with it!

The first wave of Gen 4 Pokemon has just hit Pokémon Go and, as part of it, Shiny Shinx can now be caught in Raids. The odds are still low, and getting candy just from Raids (or Rare Candy) makes evolving though, but it’s out there so go get it!

  1. Shinx
  2. Luxio
  3. Luxray

October 11, 2018: Shiny Nido are here… but only the females!

Pokémon Go is super-spawning female Pokémon from October 11 to October 12, and as part of the flash event, Shiny female Nino will be making their debut.

  1. Nidoran
  2. Nidorina
  3. Nidoqueen

October 5, 2018: Shiny Drowzee and Hypno get their Pokémon Go Psychic Event on

To coincide with it’s just-announced Psychic Event, Pokémon Go is releasing two of the original Psychic Kanto-region Pokémon in Shiny form.

  1. Shiny Drowzee
  2. Shiny Hypno

Go get your pink mind-vaark!

October 1, 2018: Pokémon Go’s watery October has brought out Shiny Krabby and Kingler.

I guess Pokémon Go wasn’t quite done with Gen 1, since the launch of October’s water-centric special research has also launched an all new Kanto Shiny or two:

  1. Shiny Krabby
  2. Shiny Kingler

September 22, 2018: Shiny Chikorita, Bayleaf, and Meganium come out for September Community Day

The eighth Pokémon Go Community Day focuses on the first Gen 2 starter, and that means it’s Shiny time for:

  1. Shiny Chikorita
  2. Shiny Bayleaf
  3. Shiny Meganium

September 13, 2018: Shiny Geodude and Grimer families come out for Kanto event

Pokémon Go is celebrating the 1st Gen Pokémon originally encountered in the Kanto region and, as part of the fun, two new families have gone Shiny.

  1. Shiny Geodude
  2. Shiny Graveler
  3. Shiny Golem
  4. Shiny Grimer
  5. Shiny Muk

Happy catching!

September 10, 2018: Shiny Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno available in Raids until September 20

Starting September 13, the Legendary Birds first encountered in Kanto will be available in Tier 5 Raids for a week, including their Shiny forms.

First, starting September 13 at 1:00 P.M. (PDT), Trainers all over the world will be able to encounter three Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region!. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres will appear in Raid Battles until September 20. And if you’re lucky, you may be able to encounter their Shiny forms! Also, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region will appear more frequently all over the world and show up more frequently in Raid Battles until September 30!

Shiny Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno have been available before on their respective Raid Days, but if you missed them then, you can try and get them now — or simply try to get a better one. Good luck!

September 8, 2018: Moltres Day brings the fiery pink Shiny out to play… for three hours

Shiny Moltres!

If the challenge is completed, Trainers worldwide will receive up to five free Raid Passes for Moltres Day, which features the Legendary Pokémon Moltres! On September 8, Moltres will be available in Raid Battles around the world for a three-hour period and will know the Flying-type move Sky Attack. If you’re lucky, you may be able to encounter a Shiny Moltres!

  1. Moltres

September 1, 2018: Shiny Wingull and Growlith to start off September

Global Challenges from Safari Zone Yokosuka are live and, with them, Shiny Wingull has flown into our lives. Wingull will be boosted from September 1 to September 2, 2018, so this is your best chance to catch one!

  1. Shiny Wingull
  2. Shiny Pelipper

Likewise, with new September Field Research tasks centering on Entei, the also fiery Growlith has gotten in on the Shiny fun.

  1. Shiny Growlth
  2. Shiny Arcanine

Find a Growlith nest or the Field Research Task "Use 10 Berries on Pokémon" for a Growlith encounter.

August 20, 2018: Celebi’s coming draws out Shiny Pinco, Natu, and Sunkern

With the launch of Celebi’s A Ripple in Time Special Research and the accompanying Johto Event, three new Shiny Pokémon have been released, along with their evolutions.

  1. Shiny Natu
  2. Shiny Xatu
  3. Shiny Sunkern
  4. Shiny Sunflora
  5. Shiny Pineco
  6. Shiny Forretress

August 11, 2018: Shiny Eevee and Eeveelutions come out for August Community Days!

In what’s potentially the biggest Shiny-fest yet, Eevee and all its current Eeveelutions will be making their Shiny debut as part of the August 11 & 12 Community Days.

  1. Shiny Eevee
  2. Shiny Vaporeon
  3. Shiny Flareon
  4. Shiny Jolteon
  5. Shiny Umbreon
  6. Shiny Espeon

Image via reddit.

August 1, 2018: Shiny Houndour, Houndoom, Snubbull, Grandbull are live!

A new month means new Field Research and, along with it, comes a new Shiny Pokémon. This time, Houndour, which can be evolved into Houndoom, and Shubbull, which can be evolved into Granbull!

  1. Shiny Houndour
  2. Shiny Houndoom
  3. Shiny Snubbull
  4. Shiny Granbull

July 21, 2018: Zapdos Day brings a little Shiny to the Legendary Bird

Shiny Zapdos is here!

On Saturday, July 21, Zapdos will be exclusively available in Raid Battles around the world for a three-hour period. During that time, all Zapdos caught will know the Fast Attack Thundershock. You might even encounter a Shiny Zapdos!

  1. Zapdos


July 13, 2018: Shiny Plusle and Minun go live ahead of Pokémon Go Fest Chicago

On the eve of Pokémon Go Fest Chicago, Shiny Plusle and Minun have gone live globally. So, no need to be in the Windy City to get a charge out of them, just go catch!

  1. Plusle
  2. Minun

Also, if all the Global Challenges are completed, Shiny Zapdos will also be released on July 21.

Get to it!


July 8, 2018: Shiny Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise — and sunglasses variants! — out for July Community Day

The seventh Pokémon Go Community Day brings with it the Shiny versions of the third and final Gen 1 starter, Squirtle, as well as its evolutions, Wartortle and Blastoise.

  1. Shiny Squirtle
  2. Shiny Wartortle
  3. Shiny Blastoise

This month, Pokémon Go added another variant as well — Squirtle Squad Sunglasses! Available through Field Research from spinning PokéStops, unlike standard Shiny variants, the same Field Research did provide a Shiny for every player who completed it.

  1. Shiny Squirtle (with sunglasses)
  2. Shiny Wartortle (with sunglasses)
  3. Shiny Blastoise (with sunglasses)

July 7, 2018: Shiny Articuno available for 3 hours as part of Articuno Day

In addition to the amazing XP bonuses, Articuno will be available in Raid Battles around the world during Articuno Day. And if you’re lucky, you may be able to encounter its Shiny form! See below for event hours in your region:

  • The Asia-Pacific region: 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. JST (GMT +9)
  • Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India: 9:00 a.m.to 12:00 p.m. UTC (GMT +0)
  • The Americas and Greenland: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT (GMT -8)

Good luck, Raiders of the Shiny Art!

June 30, 2018: Pokémon Go Safari Zone Germany has started and Shiny Roselia has started with it.

Pokémon Go promised (emphasis ours):

In addition to completing Field Research tasks provided by Professor Willow, Trainers all over the world will see increased appearances of the Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region, Roselia! Perhaps you’ll have a chance at catching a Shiny Roselia sprouting purple flowers.

And it’s delivered. Shiny Roselia is now available in the wild. Catch one if you can!

  1. Shiny Roselia

Happy catching!


June 16, 2018: Shiny Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar added for June Community Day

The sixth Pokémon Go Community Day has brought the biggest family of Community Day Shinies yet:

  1. Shiny Larvitar
  2. Shiny Pupitar
  3. Shiny Tyranitar

June 15, 2018: Pokémon Go pre-announced Shiny Roselia, Plusle and Minun

As part of Pokémon Go’s ramp-up for its Summer Tour, the game has begun to tease additional Shiny:

  • Shiny Roselia
  • Shiny Plusie
  • Shiny Munin

From Pokémon Go:

Perhaps you’ll have a chance at catching a Shiny Roselia sprouting purple flowers. [June 30 and July 1]

Catching Plusle and Minun will result in bonus Stardust, and lucky Trainers might even discover their Shiny versions! [June 14 and June 15]

June 7, 2018: Shiny Shelder, Cloyster, and Kyogre make a spalsh at Water Festival!

The second annual Water Festival has just gone live and, with it, Shiny Shelder, Cloyster, and… Kyogre!

From Pokemon Go:

Some lucky Trainers may even encounter a rare Shiny Shellder for the very first time during the event! And, if you challenge Kyogre during the event and come out victorious, there is a chance you’ll encounter its Shiny form!

  1. Shiny Shelder (New)
  2. Shiny Cloyster (New)
  3. Shiny Kyogre (New)


May 24, 2018: Shiny Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl rock Adventure Week

The second annual Adventure Week has just gone live and, with it, three new Rock-type Shiny Pokémon and their evolutions!

  1. Shiny Kabuto
  2. Shiny Kabutops
  3. Shiny Omanyte
  4. Shiny Omastar
  5. Shiny Aerodactyl

May 19. 2018: Shiny Ho-Oh in Raids, Shiny Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard for Community Day

The Legendary Ho-Oh is back in Raids and, just like the recent Lugia return, this time it has a chance of being Shiny. Also, the fifth Pokémon Go Community Day brings the fifth family of Community Day Shinies:

  1. Shiny Charmander
  2. Shiny Charmeleon
  3. Shiny Charizard

May 1, 2018: Battle Showdown Event bring Shiny Makuhita and Meditite

Pokémon Go is running its first ever Fighter-type event, the Battle Showdown, and as part of it, two Fighter-type families have gone Shiny!

  1. Shiny Makuhita
  2. Shiny Hariyama
  3. Shiny Meditite
  4. Shiny Medicham


April 24, 2018: Earth Day releases the Leviathan! Er… Shiny Wailmer and Wailord!

As part of its post earth day celebration, Pokémon Go has made the biggest – by sheer bulk! – addition to the Shiny pool yet.

  1. Shiny Wailmer
  2. Shiny Wailord


April 15, 2018: Shiny Mareep, Flaaffy, and Amphoros added for April Community Day

With the fourth Pokémon Go Community Day comes the fourth family of Community Day Shinies.

  1. Shiny Mareep
  2. Shiny Flaaffy
  3. Shiny Ampharos

April 1, 2018: Shiny Murkrow is here, no-foolin’!

Pokémon Go has added Murkrow to the Shiny mix and also, at least temporarily, increased the spawn rates so you’ll have an ever so slightly higher chance of catching one.

And no, this isn’t an April Fool’s Day joke. That’s the 8-bit Pokémon sprites.

March 23, 2018: Shiny Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur added for March Community Day

With the third Pokémon Go Community Day comes the third family of Community Day Shinies.

  1. Shiny Bulbasaur
  2. Shiny Ivysaur
  3. Shiny Venusaur

March 22, 2018: Shiny Babbies for Eggstravaganza Event

Pokémon Go is holding an Eggstravaganza Event from March 22 until April 2 and, along with extra candy on hatches, double Stardust, and Pokémon temporarily relocating to 2 KM eggs, the game has added — Shiny Babies! Well, some of them at least…

Including evolutions, the newly obtainable Shinies include:

  1. Shiny Magby (Egg only)
  2. Shiny Magmar (Evolve Magby)
  3. Shiny Togepi (Egg only)
  4. Shiny Togetic (Evolve Togepi)
  5. Shiny Wynaut (Egg only)
  6. Shiny Wobbuffet (Evolve Wynaut)

It doesn’t look like there’s an increased hatch or Shiny rate either, so quantity and luck are your only allies. Good luck!

March 16, 2018: From now until April 2, you have a tiny chance of catching Shiny Lugia in Legendary Raids.

Pokémon Go has brought the master of the Legendary Birds back for a second round of Raids and, in addition to a newly buffed Sky Attack, the game has added a twist: You now have the chance to catch a Shiny Lugia.

Like with all Shiny Pokémon and Shiny Raid Bosses, it’s all up to random chance and the odds are never great. So, if you really want a Shiny Lugia, your only option is to Raid, Raid, Raid, until you get one.

February 24, 2018: Shiny Dratini, Dragonair, and Dratini added for February Community Day

For the second Pokémon Go community day, featuring Dratini, Pokémon Go has added Shiny Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite to the game.

Odds of catching them was high again, likely the same 1/25 as the previous Community Day. Anecdotally, I caught 3 in 3 hours, and my godkids caught 5 and 3.

Hopefully, this means there more high-odds Shiny are on their way.

February 15, 2018: Shiny Poochyena and Mightyena

Happy Lunar New Year! To celebrate, Pokémon Go has increased the spawn rates of dog-like Pokémon and introduced Shiny versions of Poochyena and its evolution, Mightyena!

February 14, 2018: Shiny Luvdisc lights up your Valentines Day.

To celebrate Valentines Day, Pokémon Go is increasing the spawn rate of Luvdisc and Chansey. To make it really special, Shiny Luvdisc is been found in all its yellow glory.

February 9, 2018: Shiny Swablu and Altaria

Rayquaza, master of the Legendary Weather Trio, has come, and with it the Gen 3 Dragons. Only one of those dragons can currently be found in Shiny form, though — Altaria. To get it, you’ll have to catch a shiny Swablu, get 400 candy, and then hit the evolve button.

January 20, 2018: Pokemon January Community Day brings Shiny Pikachu out to play!

While Pokemon Go’s official Community Day announcement only mentioned a Pikachu with a unique move — Surf — for three hours on Saturday, January 20, 2018, the odds of catching a Shiny Pikachu with that unique move soared.

It’s still unknown what the base odds of encountering a Shiny Pokemon are in Pokemon Go, though it’s been estimated to be 1/300 or more. For Community Day, though, the estimates came down to as low as 1/25.

Anecdotally, I caught three in about 90 minutes. So did my younger godson. My older godson caught five. For many of us, it was the first Shiny we caught.

There’s no way to tell what the next Community Day will bring, if there’ll be another Shiny Pokemon featured or if the Shiny rate will be increased (buffed) again.

But all the fingers crossed.

December 21, 2017: Gen 3 wave 3 brings Shiny Snorunt, Glalie… and the potential for Froslass in Gen 4!

The Water and Ice-types of Gen 3 have come out to play for the holidays and a Shiny Snorunt has come out to play with them. And that means there’s now the potential not just for two, but three new Shiny Pokémon.

  • Snorunt
  • Glalie (evolve Snorunt)
  • Froslass (evolve female Snorunt in Gen 4)


December 8, 2017: With the second wave of Gen 3 come Shiny Mawile and Absol — in Raids!

With the second wave of Pokémon Go Gen 3 come two more potential Shiny Pokémon — but with a twist. These are currently only available in Raids.

  • Tier 2: Mawile
  • Tier 4: Absol

October 20, 2017: As part of the spooky Halloween spawns, Pokémon Go has added Shiny Gen 3 Ghost-types to the mix!

Pokémon Go Gen 3 is here, starting with the Ghost-types, and as an extra surprise, their Shiny variants have come with them

  • Sableye
  • Shuppet
  • Banette (evolve Shuppet)
  • Duskull
  • Dusklops (evolve Duskull)

You can catch Shiny Sableye, Shuppet, and Duskull in the wild, battle for Sableye in Raids, or evolve Banette and Dusklops.

August 16, 2017: Hatch Shiny Pichu, catch Shiny Pikachu, and evolve Shiny Raichu now in Pokémon Go

Shiny Magikarp has proven incredibly rare and Shiny Pikachu will likely prove similar. Good luck!

Are Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go official?

They are! From Pokémon Go:

Trainers across the globe have reported sightings of golden Magikarp in the wild. These Shiny Magikarp are extremely rare, so pay close attention to the Magikarp you encounter while you’re out exploring the world to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to catch one!

And what are Shiny Pokémon exactly?

Simply put, color variants.

From Bulbapedia:

A Shiny Pokémon (Japanese: 光るポケモン Shiny Pokémon), previously officially known as alternate coloration or rare coloration (Japanese: 色違い differently colored), and called Color Pokémon in Pokémon Stadium 2, is a specific Pokémon with different coloration to what is usual for its species. It is one of the many differences that a Pokémon can have within its species.

The term "Shiny Pokémon" was first created by fans to refer to the sparkling sound effect and animation made at the start of an encounter with one in the games. Eventually, this term fell into official usage in Generation IV, used on promotional material promoting Shiny event Pokémon. The term Shiny Pokémon was first used in-game in Pokémon Black and White in Nimbasa City.

There’s only one color variant per Pokémon. Some variants are obvious, like Shiny Gyarados is red instead of blue. Others are more subtle, like Shiny Bulbasaur or Squirtle, which are the same color but slightly differents shades.

What are the odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

That’s the million Pokémon question. People have been guessing since the introduction of Shiny Magikarp and those guesses have ranged from 1/512 to 1/4096. Luckily, more research has been done to try and narrow it down.

From The Silph Road

  • Wild encounters: 1/450
  • Legendary Raids: 1/19
  • Absol Raids: 1/75
  • Pineco Encounters: 1/65
  • Aerodactyl Raids: 1/45
  • Mawile Raids: 1/35
  • Community Day: 1/24.5
  • Legendary Articuno Day: 1/19
  • Legendary Zapdos & Moltres Days: 1/10
  • Baby Hatches: 1/50

It’s still purely random, so you can get a Shiny right away, or it might take you twice or three times as long. That’s one of the most controversial design decisions in Pokémon Go: Unmitigated randomness for everything.

Any chance you’ve already caught Shiny Pokémon and they’ll all suddenly be revealed?

There was some hope that Shiny was an attribute that, upon release, would suddenly light up existing Pokémon you’d already caught. For example, that Pokémon with perfect stats (100% IV) would suddenly be revealed as Shiny.

No such luck.

To have a Shiny you have to catch a Shiny post-release. No retroactive Shiny status has been conferred.

Can you hatch Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

Yup. In most cases, the Shiny rate seems to be the same as it is for wild encounters: 1/450.

Shiny babies, however, seem to be boosted to 1/50.

And you can catch them, right? With Incense and Lures too?

Sure can, and absolutely with Incense and Lures!

Any Pokémon with a shiny form in the game can turn out to be Shiny when you encounter it, whether it’s in the wild, from a Lure at a PokéStop, or attracted by Incense.

In other words, Lure and Incense away!

Do Shiny Pokémon show up on Nearby or Sightings?

No, sadly. Pokémon will always show up on Nearby if it’s attached to a PokéStop, or Sightings if it’s not, but it’ll look totally normal.

It’s only revealed as a Shiny when you tap on it and go to the catch screen. So, if you see a normal Magikarp or Pikachu on Nearby or Sightings, don’t discount it — once you tap on it, it could be a Shiny.

Are Shiny Pokémon Shiny for everyone?

Nope. With Ditto, once a Pokémon is determined to be Ditto, the servers make it Ditto for everyone. With Shiny, it’s done on a player-by-player basis.

That means you and a friend can both catch the same Magikarp, yours could turn out to be Shiny, and theirs… not.

With one exception so far: For the July 2018 Community Day, Pokémon Go had Sunglasses Squirtle available through Field Research and, tasks that had a Shiny Sunglasses Squritle were Shiny for everyone!

Can you show off Shiny Pokémon in Gyms?

You can, but with two caveats:

  1. Shiny Legendaries still can’t go in Gyms.
  2. Shiny versions don’t count as different Pokémon, so if there’s already a regular version in the Gym, you can’t add your Shiny version.

Do Shiny Pokémon show up in the Pokédex?

They do! Not as separate entries, though, but as a badge on the main entries, same as genders do. You’ll need to make sure you’re running the latest version of Pokémon Go, then:

  1. Tap the Menu button (looks like a Poké Ball), button right.
  2. Tap Pokédex, top middle.
  3. Tap on the Pokémon you want to check. (Only Magikarp and Gyarados for now.)
  4. Look for the Shiny badge.

Of course, the Shiny badge will only show up once you’ve caught a Shiny version of that Pokémon. So, if you don’t see it, go catch one!

Do Shiny Pokémon have perfect stats (IV)? Special movesets? Magic powers?

Nope. Shiny Pokémon have the same stats (IV) as non-Shiny variants. Which is to say, a range. You can catch a perfect Shiny Magikarp, but you can also catch a not-so-great one.

They also have no special movesets or powers of any kind. Aside from looking AWESOME on Gyms.

(If you evolve a Community Day Shiny during the event window and get the exclusive move, the Shiny will also have that move, but still won’t be different than a regular version evolved at the same time.)

If you evolve Shiny Pokémon do you get its Shiny evolution?

Totally. Shiny status, like festive hat status, stays with a Pokémon during evolution. If you get a Shiny Magikarp and decide to hit the Evolution button, you’ll end up with a Shiny Gyarados. Same with Shiny Pichu or Shiny Pikachu — that’s how you get Shiny Raichu.

If you catch a shiny Magikarp, can it turn into a Shiny Ditto?

No. Magikarp were removed from the Ditto potentials shortly after Shiny Magikarp became available. No one, not even Pokémon Go wanted to deal with that kind of pain.

Can your transfer Shiny Pokémon back to the professor? Can you do it by accident? (Terror!)

You can transfer Shiny Pokémon, but Pokémon Go will treat them as though they’re automatically favorited.

So, if you try to choose a Shiny Pokémon as part of a bulk transfer, you’ll be prevented from doing so. If you try to transfer a Shiny Pokémon separately, you’ll get a warning.

Safety first!

When are more Shiny Pokémon coming to Pokémon Go?

When Pokémon Go announces them!

What about Zapdos, isn’t it Shiny?

No. Strangely, Pokémon Go is using the Shiny model for Zapdos to represent all Zapdos. So, while it looks Shiny, it’s only counted as the regular version. Pokémon Go has reportedly created a new model for the eventual Shiny Zapdos.

Madness.

OK, fine, just tell me how to catch ’em all!

First, you have to find as many Pokémon as you can. That means finding spawns or nests where those types of Pokémon are common. Then tap, tap, tap away and see if you encounter a Shiny.

For eggs and babies, collect as many as you can. Walk as much as you can. And hatch, hatch, hatch.

For the Raid Pokémon, the story is the same. Find the Raids. Beat the Raid Boss. Hope the one you get is Shiny.

Field Research. Find the tasks that give you a Pokémon with a Shiny form, then work with your community to find the PokéStops giving away the right tasks, and then complete as many as you can.

Shiny Legendaries currently have a 100% catch rate, and Shiny Field Research Pokémon have a 0% flee rate, but for everything else, remember your basics:

  1. ABC. Always be curving. Once you can nail Curve Ball every time, you’ll get a 1.7x bonus every time.
  2. Max out your medals. Some are easier to get than others but they consume no resources like Great or Ultra Balls or Razz Berries, so once you get them, that 1.1x to 1.3x is automatically applied each time.
  3. Consistency counts. Aim for the smallest target you can nail every time. If that’s Nice, it’s nice. If that’s Great or Excellent, even nicer. But better the bonus you get then one you miss, and that extra 1.3 to 2x also doesn’t consume resources and can make a difference.
  4. Razz for real. Use Razz Berries when you need to. Unlike Great or Ultra Balls, you can’t miss with a Razz Berry and its 1.5x bonus will last until you hit. For the new Golden Razz Berries, it’s 2.5x!
  5. Bump them Balls. Use Great and Ultra Balls to maximize your odds. You get an extra 1.5x for a Great Ball and 2x for an Ultra Ball so use them to get those super rare or hard to catch Pokémon.

For a complete explanation and many more details:

How to catch tough Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Any Shiny Pokémon questions?

If you have any questions about Shiny Pokémon, drop them in the comments below!

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