Shiny hunting is probably the most popular aspect of any Pokémon game; and so is the case with Pokémon Go. Ever since the introduction of shiny Magikarp back in 2017, Niantic has added a number of new and gorgeous looking shinies, and thus the craze for acquiring them has been high since then among the Pokémon Go community. However, players face huge trouble with getting them, for the chances of getting a shiny in Pokémon Go is as low as 1 in 500.

Therefore, we would be covering some useful tips on how to increase the chances of having a shiny encounter in Pokémon Go, and best places as well as events for shiny hunting. So, read on to find out the tips for a successful shiny hunt.

Content

What are Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Pokemon Go Current Raid Bosses August 2020 IrisGuardian

Shiny Pokémon are the rarest variants of Pokémon to exist in Pokémon Go. They have a different coloration from their normal counterparts, with differences ranging from subtle changes in color (for example Togepi) to completely altered color palette (as in Magikarp and Gyarados). Even though these shinies are in no way better than their original forms in terms of performance, they are more of a status symbol, and are prized possessions of those who catch them.

Tracking down a shiny can be pretty troublesome in normal days, for they have the lowest spawn rates (we’ll be discussing that below), and especially because you cannot spot a shiny on the map unless you are in the encounter screen. This means, if you leave a Pokemon unchecked, it has the potential of being shiny. However, during the community Days, the chances of a shiny encounter becomes as high as 1 in 24, and is the easiest way to get yourself one.

Also Read: 10 Best Shiny Legendary Pokemon In Pokemon Go

Tips for catching a Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go

If you missed a community day, or are hunting for a shiny Pokémon which has not been featured in any of the Community Days, chances are that you are having a tough time. Therefore here are some tips to help you and to save your time:

Focus only on the potential Shinies

Not all Pokémon have their shiny variants released; and thus it is important to know which ones to rule out, for an increased chance of a shiny encounter.

Egg hatches

Shiny Pokémon can hatch even from 2km, 5km, 7km and 10km eggs, and thus make sure you hatch as many eggs as you can while you’re on the move. You can also purchase extra incubators from the store for 150 (Normal) or 200 (Super) PokéCoins. Just make sure you know which type of egg to hatch to get the shiny you want, and keep checking the Pokémon Go egg chart, for it keeps on getting updated in short durations.

Participate in Raid battles

Pokémon in Raids, especially Legendary raids, have a good chance of being shiny, and what’s better than having a shiny legendary! According to the Sylph Road, if you win a Legendary Raid battle with 20 participants, you have a 1/19.4 chance of having a shiny encounter. This rate might vary by a certain amount for different Pokémon, but all of them lie in the range of 1 in 17.4 to 1 in 22.1.

Hunt the exclusives

If a Pokémon is Raid or Egg-exclusive, i.e. they can only be caught from raids or hatched from eggs, they have a much higher chance of being shiny- between 1 in 46 and 1 in 58. Therefore, buckle up your raid passes and egg incubators and get started, for these are easier to hunt than the ones available in wild.

Events and Safari Zones

If a Pokémon is available in a time-limited research event, it’s shiny rate gets a huge temporary boost. This happened with three Pokémon- Clamperl, Minccino (1 in 10) and Lotad (1 in 22). Community Day is another event where the featured Pokémon not only appears more in the wild, but also gets a heavy boost, and you are likely to get a shiny in every 24 encounters. Spotlight hour is an event which works the same as community day, but only for one hour.
Safari Zones are real-world locations which are turned into a catch ’em all minizone, where players who pay, get to encounter a large number of Pokémon of a specific Pokémon region. This event is not only useful for filling your Pokédex, but also for shiny hunting, with chances of having a shiny encounter of a rare Pokémon.

Look for nests

Nests are real-world locations where a huge number of a specific Pokémon spawns. It is not necessary to catch all of them, just check each one to see if it is a shiny. This will bring you close to the base rate of a shiny encounter- 1 in 500. Nests shift every two weeks, so make sure you have the most recent location.

In general, to increase the chances of a shiny outside any event, it is important that you increase the amount of Pokémon encounters. This will bring you close to the base rate : 1 out of 450-500 encounters. Try using incense whenever you’re out, and do not miss any potential Pokémon that can be shiny. Remember it is not necessary to catch all of them, but make sure that you check each one possible.

Also Read: Pokemon Go – 10 Best Legendary Pokemon For PvP Worth Powering Up

Shiny rate in Pokémon Go (2021)

Many of you might know the shiny rate to be 1 out of 400 or 450. However, the latest research from the Sylph Road points out that this data is not so accurate, for the present shiny rate in Pokémon Go lies turns out to be 1 out of 500 to 512. Below is the latest shiny rate in Pokémon Go:

Note: The numbers 512 and 500 are simply the number of catches per Pokémon. In the first case, the researchers caught 512 Pokémon and analyzed the number of shinies in each case.

CategoryMultiplierRate With 1 in 512Rate with 1 in 500
Base rate11/5121/500
Medium Event
(Time-limited events to introduce new shinies)		44/512 = 1/1284/500 = 1/125
Permaboost88/512 = 1/648/500 = 1/62.5
Raid/Egg9 or 109/512 = 1/56.9
or
10/512 = 1/512		9/500 = 1/55.6
or
10/500
Community Day2020/512 = 1/25.620/500 = 1/25
Legendary Raid2525/512 = 1/20.4825/500 = 1/20
Raid Event
(For example Raid Hours)		5050/512 = 1/10.2450/500 = 1/10

What is Permaboost

In the above table we have mentioned a term ‘Permaboost’. This simply means a Pokémon which has been given a permanent boost in its shiny rate. While some Pokémon have boosted shiny rates only during certain events such as Community Day or Spotlight Hour, these Pokémon have their shiny rate permanently boosted throughout the year.

List of Pokémon with Permaboost

Wild Pokemon

  • Onix
  • Scyther
  • Aerodactyl
  • Pineco
  • Feebas
  • Clamperl
  • Bronzor
  • Sneasel

Raid Pokemon

  • Mawile
  • Absol
  • Shinx
  • Alolan Marowak
  • Alolan Raichu
  • All Legendaries

Egg Hatches

  • Baby Pokemon

Quest Pokemon

  • Spinda

Box Pokemon

  • Meltan