Since being released in 2016, Pokémon GO is still going strong with plenty of events and new Pokémon that keep players engaged.
One of the main objectives for most Pokémon GO players is catching coveted shiny Pokémon. Shiny Pokémon are rare and appear in different colors than normal, like orange Pikachus and gray Eevees. Getting shinies is usually very hard, as the chance of one appearing is minimal without special events going on. Still, players are nothing if not perseverant and many boast expansive collections of shinies.
Here are some of the pretties that are available in the mobile game.
Starting out with an absolute classic, shiny Gyarados was the first shiny for many players thanks to the special Lake of Rage encounter featured in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Though that technically makes it one of the most common shinies in the franchise, Magikarp and Gyarados remain as one of the prettiest shiny evolution lines.
With a golden look on shiny Magikarp, the Pokémon almost looks like a trophy until it’s evolved to Gyarados. Magikarp itself isn’t a useful Pokémon, but shiny Gyarados will make up for the weaknesses. Not only is Gyarados a strong water-flying Pokémon, it’s downright terrifying in its shiny red form.
Getting a shiny Magikarp and Gyarados isn’t the hardest in the game, as Magikarp is a fairly common Pokémon in the wild and there have been multiple events that feature shiny Magikarp in both the games and Pokemon GO. The splashing fish has had its own community day, where players from around the world got the chance to catch shiny Magikarp at a fairly high rate. Because of this, most long-term Pokémon GO players will have a shiny Magikarp or Gyarados in their Pokédex.
Lucario has been a popular Pokémon ever since its release. Riolu and Lucario were introduced to Pokémon GO alongside a number of other fourth-generation Pokemon and has been a top-tier pick against Team Rocket Grunts and leaders ever since.
The popularity of Lucario in battles has gotten players to chase the shiny version, which isn’t an easy job. The easiest way to get Lucario has been through eggs where Riolu is often obtainable. Hatching Riolu has a small chance of a shiny version and is the most likely way to get it.
The shiny version effectively swaps the yellow of Lucario’s abdomen with the blues on its face and legs. A shiny Lucario is a great flex in gyms as it stands as a particularly difficult shiny to obtain.
It wouldn’t be a real list without one of the most popular mythical Pokémon, Celebi. The shiny pink Celebi is a treat for the eye and also one of the harder shinies to get in Pokémon GO.
As a mythical Pokémon, Celebi can’t be captured in the wild or through raids. Instead, Celebi has only been available through special research quests throughout the years and the shiny version wasn’t in the game until very recently.
Shiny Celebi became obtainable back in December 2020, through a special research story that launched in the game in celebration of the newest movie in the franchise, Pokémon The Movie: Coco. In this research quest, players had to complete different tasks that increased in difficulty along the way. After completing the tasks, all players were guaranteed an encounter with a shiny Celebi.
It’s unknown when shiny Celebi will be available again, if ever.
One of the latest shiny Pokemon to be featured in an event is also one of the absolute greatest. Shiny Marill was introduced during a very recent research event, where players had the chance to encounter a shiny Marill by solving simple tasks such as catching Pokémon, using berries, and powering up Pokemon.
For every task completed, a Marill would appear with an increased chance of being shiny. With just a bit of effort, players had the chance to encounter at least one shiny Marill. Shiny Marill goes from its iconic blue color to a pastel green. This alone makes for a great shiny, but evolving into the golden Azumarill might even be better.
Marill and Azumarill are great shinies for any collection and are definitely worth showing off in gyms and battles.
The last shiny to look at is Beldum and the rest of its evolution line. The steel-psychic type is very strong when evolved into Metagross, a Pokémon that boasts very high stats. Having a shiny Metagross won’t make the Pokémon stronger, but definitely makes it more enjoyable to battle with.
The Beldum evolution line changes from the classic blue color into a shiny silver and gold model which is consistent across each stage. The most iconic of the bunch is Metagross, thanks to its status as the signature Pokemon of Hoenn champion Steven Stone.
Beldum isn’t a Pokémon that appears often, so getting shiny can be hard. Beldum had its own community day, which is where most players got access to the shiny Metagross. As of now, the easiest way to get Beldum is through eggs.
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