Can Mega Salamence be shiny in Pokemon GO? (January 2023)

Mega Salamence is finally making its appearance in the current rotation of Raid Bosses in Pokemon GO, and many players around the world are gearing up for the challenge. However, some may be after this Raid Boss for more than just a challenge and the opportunity to catch a Salamence with Mega Energy.

Shiny hunting has been a part of the Pokemon franchise since the variant's debut in the second generation. These rare varieties of creatures make noticeable changes to their coloration, sometimes with an additional sparkling effect.

With shiny hunting having such a large community in Pokemon GO, players are undoubtedly going to be attempting to hunt down a Shiny Salamence to take advantage of the new Raid Boss. However, since Niantic isn't always clear about what Pokemon have shiny variants in the game, players will need to do a bit of research.

Shiny Mega Salamence can be obtained in Pokemon GO. However, given how Mega Evolved Pokemon work in the mobile game, players will first need to find one of Mega Salamence's pre-evolved forms.

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Tips for finding Shiny Mega Salamence in Pokemon GO

Mega Salamence as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Salamence is the reward that players will receive after they defeat its Mega Evolution in Pokemon GO's Raid Battles, so this will be the quickest way to get a Shiny Salamence to Mega Evolve. However, this means they will need to challenge and defeat a Mega Salamence multiple times, which can be costly in terms of time and resources.

With this in mind, it may be more beneficial to try and find a Shiny Bagon rather than grinding Mega Raids. However, Bagon is far from an easy creature to encounter. There are a few ways that players can increase the likelihood of one spawning in the wild, but these methods take time and resources as well.

The first thing players will want to keep in mind when shiny hunting for any creature in the Salamence family in Pokemon GO is the weather. Much like the main series, weather plays a key role in determining which creatures spawn in the area. In the case of this family, windy weather will be the most beneficial.

Using items like Lure Modules and Incenses helps greatly when hunting for Shiny Pokemon. These items greatly increase the effectiveness of patrols, which makes the hunt more engaging and rewarding, thanks to the drastic increase in the general spawn rate of Pokemon.

Those who want to use Mega Raids to hunt for a Shiny Mega Salamence should consider using Ice-types like Mega Abomasnow or Avalugg. Players should also raid in groups of seven or eight to maximize effectiveness so they can breeze through these Raid Battles as quickly as possible. To get a Mega Salamence from a Bagon, trainers will need 125 Bagon candies and 200 Mega Energy.