Can Mewtwo be shiny in Pokemon GO? (January 2023)

Mewtwo is one of Pokemon GO's strongest Pokemon. It has great stats and a pure Psychic typing, so many players strive to add one to their battle party. However, because the Pokemon is very powerful, finding one is quite a rare occurrence. Luckily, Mewtwo was brought back into the game through the Team Rocket Takeover event back in October.

Players can earn the opportunity to catch a Shadow Mewtwo after defeating Team GO Rocket's leader Giovanni in battle. Given that this is a rare opportunity to catch the powerful creature, many players may want to try to find the even more rare shiny variant of Mewtwo.

Since Niantic is sometimes unclear about what Shiny Pokemon are available in the game, players may want to do a bit of research before starting their hunt. Whether or not Shiny Mewtwo can be caught in the game is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no answer. There are currently two ways players can get Mewtwo in Pokemon GO, but only one of these methods is repeatable.

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Shiny Mewtwo can be found after completing the level 50 challenge in Pokemon GO

The repeatable method to catch a Mewtwo is to battle against Team GO Rocket's leader Giovanni. The Shadow Mewtwo that players earn an encounter with through this method can sadly not be found in its shiny variation (as confirmed by Niantic). However, this does not mean players should give up hope of finding Shiny Mewtwo in Pokemon GO since there is still a way they can expect to find one.

Upon reaching level 50, players will be given the level 50 challenge special research. Level 50 is the new highest rank that players can take their profiles to after the level cap was increased from 40. At the end of this special research, players can earn an encounter with Mewtwo.

The Mewtwo that players encounter after completing the level 50 challenge can be shiny. This means that a Mewtwo that has a chance of being shiny can only be encountered once, and if it is not shiny when seen the first time, it never will be.

With everything regarding Shiny Mewtwo in mind, it may be best for players to just wait until the next time Mewtwo appears in Raid Battles if they want its shiny variation that badly. However, there has been no word as to when this will happen, and players will just have to keep waiting for an announcement from Niantic.

Shadow Mewtwo is the Pokemon with the highest base damage output in the game, so players will not want to miss the chance to get their hands on it by taking down Giovanni. Given that the shadow boost is what makes Shadow Mewtwo such a powerhouse, players should not purify it once they have one.

For those looking to take on Shadow Mewtwo in Pokemon GO, some of the best counters are Dark-type offensive Pokemon like Weavile, Darkrai, and Hydreigon. Defensive bugs like Scizor and Forretress are viable choices as well.