Pokemon GO: The 20 Best Shiny Pokemon
Today we're running down the most awesome Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO, counting only those Pokemon that've been released in Shiny form thus far. This list will change drastically in the next several months, given the next wave of Shiny Pokemon of which we've just caught wind, so don't flip if you're a fan of Shiny Pokemon in the general series. Until we get to that list, here's the list of the best Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO right now!
The list you're about to witness presupposes the fact that Shiny Pokemon are exactly the same as their counterpart for power and move sets. The only difference between the standard and the shiny is the rarity of the monster. The colors are what change in these monsters – otherwise they've got the same innards and abilities, top to bottom!
Sandslash
The strangest thing happens when a not-oft-used Pokemon like Sandshrew gets turned Shiny. This little beast goes from yellow/gold to GREEN! Where the evolved form is generally pretty standard brown/tan, the colors go to light olive and red! It's wild!
The same can't exactly be said about the Shiny version of Alolan Sandshrew and Alolan Sandslash. The Sandshrew shiny keeps the same blue outer shell but changes its belly from yellow to blue — which is pretty neat, but not particularly explosive. The Shiny Alolan Sandslash looks like the standard Alolan Sandslash, but like someone cranked up the intensity of the blues.
Ponyta
Most of Shiny Ponyta doesn't change a whole lot. Maybe a couple of shades to the cooler color spectrum. But the flames on the backs of both Ponyta and Rapidash go from a standard red/orange to a far more glorious blue and violet!
Shiny Galarian Ponyta and Shiny Galarian Rapidash take things up a notch. They're already a glorious mix of aqua and violet before they're shiny — if they're shiny, their hair is made up of a sort of frozen lime and slightly greener teal.
In any case, you've got either a powerful set of flames or a lovely pair of fluffy puffs of hair that look like cotton candy. Ponyta and Rapidash won't likely be on top of your PvP list any time soon, but they're perfect for dropping in Pokemon Gyms after you've destroyed their previous owners with your far more powerful monsters.
Shellder
This is the only Pokemon on our list that's more awesome as a least-evolved version as well as its most-evolved version. Shellder is generally purply, now it's orange, and the evolved form in Cloyster goes all blue. This isn't the only Pokemon that you might be better off keeping in its original form rather than evolving it as a Shiny. The evolved form is blue, instead of purple, but Shellder is a rather rare shade of orange.
Cloyster is always a sort of secret tank in basically every Pokemon game, so you may be tempted to ramp up your power regardless of its status as a shiny. But this orange Shellder remains one of the low-key most interesting shiny Pokemon on the block. It's also a real kick in the fact if you've beaten a particularly beefy gym — toss in a shiny Shellder just to show how gloriously pitiful your enemies truly are.
Eevee
Shiny Eevee is silver instead of brown. Evolved forms sort of get muted color schemes, for the most part – especially the three original evolved forms, Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon – but the baby evolution Pokemon Eevee's silver is strong and cute.
If you're lucky enough to have happened upon a shiny Eevee, you might just want to consider keeping the silver because it's particularly different from its original brown. But if you want to evolve to one of the many different iterations of Eevee, you might need to hit up our latest guide on Eevee to make sure you don't accidentally evolve into a Flareon. If you're looking for the most extreme alternate color scheme, go for Espeon and its radioactive green.
Scizor
Normally I try to shy away from the Shiny Pokemon that just go green – since there seems to be so many of them. But while Scyther just becomes slightly more pastel, Scizor was originally a deep red – now goes grassy green!
Azumarill
Shiny Azurill and Marill are bright green, much like a whole BUNCH of Shiny Pokemon end up being in this game – but the evolved form changes drastically. This cutie turns from the basic blue of Marill to a sunflower yellow!
Magmortar
Magby is usually a pretty spot-on red, given its evolution to a more capable fire blaster Magmar. Magmar is generally yellow and orange – since it's basically a fire duck. The Shiny version of Magmar is pink! A bright, strange, pink! Both Magmar and its evolution, Magmortar, look rather striking in their pink Shiny form, to be sure. Just don't let that confuse you about this Pokemon's most effective type combination — Fire and Fighting, Fire and Electric, or Fire and Fire!
Magmortar is one of those Pokemon that you might want to consider leveling all the way up — it goes to a max CP of 3,541 (if you're a Pokemon trainer that's level 50). If you're looking for the most epic battle-ready Magmortar on the block, start with Fire Spin (the best quick move in this Pokemon's arsenal), and finish with a combination of Fire Punch and Brick Break or Fire Punch and Thunderbolt.
Alolan Marowak
Marowak is one of the most awesome-looking Pokemon in the game as it was, now its evolution gets a double-boost with Shiny Alolan form. The Shiny form of Cubown is slightly greenish whereas its original form is brown – the same goes for Marowak. But the Alolan Shiny Marowak has a fully purple body and its bone club's flame turns to a mysterious, magical, and maybe even evil-looking gradient of green.
This is the sort of Pokemon you might not want to invest a whole lot of time and energy into since it's not exactly going to be your most potent fighter in a PvP competition. This beauty is the sort of monster you attain and place at a Pokemon Gym because it looks fantastic. Mix the appearance of this shiny flamethrower and that of a shiny Charizard and you've got a beautiful multicolored fireball on your hands.
Gyarados
Our absolute favorite alternate vision of a Pokemon must be the evolution of Magikarp. This was the very first Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO, and it remains the most lovely. Gyarados looks great in its original, pure blue form, but becomes a true flame-rolling monster in ruby red!
A shiny Magikarp delivers another conundrum in that it's gold, rather than orange, in its shiny form. It's canonically one of the most pathetic Pokemon in any Pokemon game, show, movie, or comic book, and here it's given what's historically been humanity's most treasured color treatment.
If there is a single best Pokemon to place in a Pokemon Gym that says "I just want to throw this Pokemon in your face, but I still want to remain fancy," it's a three-way tie between shiny Magicarp, shiny Shellder, and shiny Shuckle (which is also on our list here, mind you), for sure.
Yveltal
One of our newer Shinies — released during the Fashion Event at the end of September 2022 — is a legendary who we have lovingly dubbed "Spicy Bacon." When the Pokemon of destruction dons its shiny coat, it certainly evokes imagery of the fatty breakfast treat. With white veins running through its meaty red sections, the comparison just cannot be missed.
For those not familiar with Yveltal, this Pokémon is a Dark/Flying double threat. It's not the leading contender on either side of the coin — especially when put in the ring against other brutish Dark types, this legendary struggles to win the upper hand — but it holds up well against many flyers. Yveltal of our favorites lineup appeared in a recent five star raid that wrapped up on October 8, but keep your eyes peeled next year. There's a good chance you can spot Spicy Bacon in the skies again.
Shuckle
This Shiny may not be the most exuberant or flashy, but golly is it cute! Plus, as "Mario Kart" has taught us, a blue shell is much better than red, and this Bug/Rock type Pokémon sure looks good in its new sky-blue getup. Never encountered Shuckle before? Don't underestimate this turtle-looking shell; it's a fortress for the little Mold Pokémon. Defense and special defense are absolutely Shuckle's leading strengths, as they are for many Rock types.
You may struggle with Shuckle on the offense, though — its base stats fall on the extreme low end for attack (Shuckle has one of the lowest attacks in Pokémon GO, if not the lowest), special attack, HP, and speed. Don't write it off as useless just yet; you can still strike fear into your opposition with the might that is a Shiny Shuckle by sticking it on your gym defense line, especially if you haven't developed an armament of more OP defenders yet.
Hisuian Braviary
Hisuian Braviary is a Pokémon GO newcomer from the summer of 2022 during the Hisuian Discoveries Event in July, during which time it could have been acquired by winning in a raid gym, and appeared again during three star raids in last month's Festival of Lights. The Hisuian variant already looked much more interesting than its original Unovan counterpart, and the Shiny version continues to add to the heightened style. The white is a dazzling accent to a formerly low-key, shadowy profile.
You may recall Hisuian Braviary as being a Pokémon Legends: Arceus featured release. This ivory-crowned flyer comes to us with a max Combat Power of 3,181, but a lower ATK than the OG Unova Braviary. It wouldn't be the weakest Flying type in your repertoire, but it wouldn't be your golden child either. Regardless, with a sleek black body and stunning forehead crest, we would love for this Flying/Psychic Shiny 'mon to roost in our Pokedex.
Galarian Zigzagoon
Perhaps the most jarring Shiny on our list, Galarian Zigzagoon swaps out its dapper white and black coat for a scarlet, baby blue and, white ensemble. The entire Galarian family gets this new eccentric color scheme but we think Zigzagoon is the cutest, so it claims a rank on our list.
The Shiny form of this dog-looking 'mon was made available this past summer, but according to The Nerd Stash, your chances of securing one in the wild hover around a 1-in-500 probability. You can increase your odds by winning one star raids or completing research tasks. If you aren't familiar with the first form of Obstagoon and littlest member of the Galarian clan, it is a Dark/Normal type with resistance to Dark, Ghost, and Psychic damage. There is also a non-Dark, Normal type of Zigzagoon, which loses the resistance to Dark and Psychic damage.
Sableye
Sableye the Prankster is, perhaps unjustly, robbed of its mega evolution and attack-bouncing capabilities in Pokémon GO. This Dark/Ghost Pokemon may not have much utility in "Pokemon GO" outside of the Great League PVP scene — where its imperviousness to many damage types and rapid-fire moveset gives a strong upper hand — but for what it lacks in punch on Pokémon GO, this Shiny more than makes up in style. The Silph Road suggests that the odds for a Shiny Sableye are tougher than others, but you may have had a chance to snag it as recently as this past Halloween event.
Transforming from a rather ordinary purple, this odd Pokemon gains a bright gold polish as a Shiny. In GO, with a pretty weak maximum Combat Power even at high levels, Sableye's best application is perhaps as an offensive throwaway ... but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate that sorta-ugly-but-pretty-cute elf-gremlin face. The gem on its chest shifting to a beautiful emerald really pulls this all together for the Sableye Shiny.
Chandelure
The non-Shiny Chandelure may look like Lumiére's spooky cousin, but the Shiny version takes on a less affronting countenance. This Fire/Ghost type is the third and final form of Litwick, but since these evolutions can be tough to achieve and Litwick's spawn is quite rare, scoring a Chandelure should certainly be considered an accomplishment. Subjectively it's one of the best Ghost types out there — and a solid Fire type too, making for an overall attractively-equipped Pokémon.
Chandelure is the most recently released Shiny on our list, having made its debut during the Halloween 2022 event. We didn't think this one could look much cooler than it already did before it was Shiny, but the addition of realistic fire plumes on this chandelier-like Pokemon is like icing on the cake — or like flames on the chandelier? Just watch out, because even though the Shiny Chandelure looks marginally less intimidating, it'll still hypnotize you and swipe your soul.
Metagross
Metagross is an easy crowd favorite in Pokémon GO ever since it was introduced at 2018's Hoenn Celebration. The Psychic/Steel type's Shiny version debuted just a few months later, but year over year it remains a popular Pokedex member. This angry tank of a Pokémon looks leagues more intimidating than its first form, Beldum, and for good reason — it's strong against an incredible 10 forms. If you happen to find yourself pitted against a Metagross with a Normal, Flying, Psychic, Steel, Poison, Rock, Ice, Fairy, Grass, or Dragon type, you may be in for a rough battle.
The Iron Leg Pokémon joins our list as, during its Shiny transformation, it shifts from a rather interesting metallic blue color into a wonderful stainless steel. Just look at that unique silver sheen — this change further embraces the metallic origins that influence the design of this Pokémon.
Roggenrola - Boldore - Gigalith
We can't really pick one specific Pokemon from this rocky family, so how about Roggenrola? The swapping in of the orange from later evolutions for Roggenrola's eye is a perfectly harmonious contrast with the new purple body. Its Shiny variant was first brought to us in the August, 2020 Unova week. According to The Silph Road, your odds of encountering a Shiny Roggenola are about one in 562 — so you might need to carry a rabbit's foot if you're hoping to snag it.
Once you've put Roggenrola to roost, you can work on evolving it into a Boldore, and eventually Gigalith — the Shiny upgrades of which look just as cool as Roggenrola's. The addition of the icy blue accent stones on both Boldore and Gigalith cannot be understated. All in all, we think this jagged clan is one of the most well-put-together Shiny families ever assembled.
Ditto
Who isn't fond of this adorable Generation I Normal type Pokémon? Sure, it doesn't evolve, and even its copycat capabilities aren't enough to give it a strong chance against high-Hitting-Power competitors, but that's no matter — Ditto's popularity comes from it looking like a pencil-drawn smiley face on a wad of gum.
Niantic went all out with their model for the Shiny to reinvigorate interest in Ditto — and this Shiny is slightly easier to snag than many others with 1 in 64 odds, according to Silph Road. We were introduced to the Shiny glob during the Kanto Tour last year. To be fair, we liked the original pinkish-purple — it had the right amount of shading to give this lump with limbs some definition. However, when you apply that same look to a gorgeous sky-like cerulean, that shading gradient really adds depth to the lovable amorphous blob. As a bonus, the galaxy-looking background makes it look like this little guy is traveling through time and space.
Mega Gengar
Something about the Shiny Mega Gengar gives us some intense mischievous vibes. That's the face of a Pokémon that's up to no good for sure, but that makes Mega Gengar all the better an ally. The Shiny Version, an added bonus, is a sight to see. Let's be honest, GameFreak did the original spooky ghost line a massive disservice with the simple muting of the purple and change of tongue color. But once mega Pokemon were introduced, they more than made up for it! Mega Gengar goes from the purple hues we know so well to an arctic white that without fail catches the eye.
If you've never roosted this Ghost/Poison type, it's a powerhouse mega evolution that reaches almost 5,000 Combat Power at Level 50. To have the best luck in bagging a Shiny Mega Gengar, you can evolve a Shiny Haunter or Shiny Gengar that was caught during a Spotlight event or, if you're super lucky, snagged in the wild.
Charizard
Shiny Charmander and Charmeleon have little to offer, like many early-line 'mons. But once you evolve them into their final form, things get interesting. When evolving to a Shiny Charizard, the first love of many '90s Pokémon fans turns a dark smoky gray with a deep ruby red adorning its powerful wings. We throw Charizard a few bonus style points for the moss-colored, blue-flame-fringed Shiny Mega Charizard X, too.
Shiny Charizard could be obtained as an evolution of Shiny Charmander. Shiny Charizard could then be put through a mega evolution, or a Shiny Mega Charizard can be secured during mega raids with about 1 in 60 odds, says The Nerd Stash. We feel pretty lucky to have a Shiny Charizard in our 'dex, since we've been chasing the Shiny version of this iconic Fire type ever since the days of Gameboy Color. Our inner child Trainer would be proud.