First introduced as part of the Water Festival Event, with Magikarp and Gyarados, Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Go have grown to include the Pikachu family, and now the Gen 3 Ghosts and select Raid Bosses, among others. 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?
As of July 2018:
- Shiny Magikarp
- Shiny Gyarados
- Shiny Pichu
- Shiny Pikachu
- Shiny Raichu
- Shiny Sableye
- Shiny Shuppet
- Shiny Banette
- Shiny Duskull
- Shiny Dusklops
- Shiny Mawile (Raid only)
- Shiny Absol (Raid only)
- Shiny Snorunt
- Shiny Glalie
- Shiny Aron
- Shiny Lairon
- Shiny Aggron
- Shiny Swablu
- Shiny Altaria
- Shiny Luvdisc
- Shiny Poochyena
- Shiny Mightyena
- Shiny Dratini
- Shiny Dragonair
- Shiny Dragonite
- Shiny Lugia (Raid only)
- Shiny Magby (Egg only)
- Shiny Magmar
- Shiny Togepi (Egg only)
- Shiny Togetic
- Shiny Wynaut (Egg only)
- Shiny Wobbuffet
- Shiny Bulbasaur
- Shiny Ivysaur
- Shiny Venusaur
- Shiny Murkrow
- Shiny Mareep
- Shiny Flaaffy
- Shiny Ampharos
- Shiny Wailmer
- Shiny Wailord
- Shiny Makuhita
- Shiny Hariyama
- Shiny Meditite
- Shiny Medicham
- Shiny Ho-Oh
- Shiny Charmander
- Shiny Charmeleon
- Shiny Charizard
- Shiny Kabuto
- Shiny Kabutops
- Shiny Omanyte
- Shiny Omastar
- Shiny Aerodactyl
- Shiny Shelder
- Shiny Cloyster
- Shiny Kyogre
- Shiny Larvitar
- Shiny Pupitar
- Shiny Tyranitar
- Shiny Roselia
- Shiny Articuno
- Shiny Squirtle (w/wo sunglasses) (NEW)
- Shiny Wartortle (w/wo sunglasses) (NEW)
- Shiny Blastoise (w/wo sunglasses) (NEW)
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
- Aerodactyl Raids: 1/45
- Mawile Raids: 1/35
- Community Day: 1/24.5
- 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.
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.
- Shiny Squirtle
- Shiny Wartortle
- 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.
- Shiny Squirtle (with sunglasses)
- Shiny Wartortle (with sunglasses)
- 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!
- 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:
- Shiny Larvitar
- Shiny Pupitar
- 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!
- Shiny Shelder (New)
- Shiny Cloyster (New)
- 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!
- Shiny Kabuto
- Shiny Kabutops
- Shiny Omanyte
- Shiny Omastar
- 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:
- Shiny Charmander
- Shiny Charmeleon
- 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!
- Shiny Makuhita
- Shiny Hariyama
- Shiny Meditite
- 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.
- Shiny Wailmer
- 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.
- Shiny Mareep
- Shiny Flaaffy
- 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.
- Shiny Bulbasaur
- Shiny Ivysaur
- 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:
- Shiny Magby (Egg only)
- Shiny Magmar (Evolve Magby)
- Shiny Togepi (Egg only)
- Shiny Togetic (Evolve Togepi)
- Shiny Wynaut (Egg only)
- 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 two more Shiny Pokémon — and maybe even three!
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.
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:
- Shiny Legendaries still can’t go in Gyms.
- 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:
- Tap the Menu button (looks like a Poké Ball), button right.
- Tap Pokédex, top middle.
- Tap on the Pokémon you want to check. (Only Magikarp and Gyarados for now.)
- 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:
- ABC. Always be curving. Once you can nail Curve Ball every time, you’ll get a 1.7x bonus every time.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!