5 rarest shiny Pokemon available during Rivals Week 2024

Pokemon GO's Rivals Week is set to kick off on May 4, 2024. Many players are prepping their inventories for the rare creatures the occasion is sure to bring. The event will feature Pocket Monsters that are considered rivals in the main series, like Sawk and Throh, Heatmor and Durant, as well as Seviper and Zangoose.

While some trainers will be happy with the opportunity to find these rare critters to help fill their Pokedex, others may have their sights set on something higher. Finding shiny variants during Rivals Week may prove to be difficult, given their high rarity, but here are the five of the rarest to look out for.

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5 rare shiny Pokemon available during Pokemon GO's Rivals Week

1) Sawk

Sawk is one of the more uncommon Fighting-types players can find in Pokemon GO Rivals Week (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Sawk is an evolution-less Fighting-type Pocket Monster. It was introduced in the fifth generation as a pseudo-version exclusive in Pokemon Black. Since the critter has relatively high base stats and does not evolve, it is not available in the wild very often.

From May 6, 2024, to May 8, 2024, Sawk will be available in the wild and in Raid Battles. During this time, players have the chance to find its rare shiny variant. Though it does not have an increased chance of appearing, it can still be found with a little patience and time.

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2) Throh

Throh is a much slower but bulkier variant of Sawk (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Throh is the counterpart to Sawk in the main series. It became a total version exclusive from the sixth generation onward. As such, it is fitting for it to attend Rivals Week alongside its counterpart.

Much like Sawk, Throh is an uncommon Pocket Monster to encounter in Pokemon GO due to its high stats. From May 6, 2024, to May 8, 2024, the critter will be available in Raid Battles and wild encounters alongside Sawk. It will also not have a boosted chance of spawning in its shiny variant. However, it will be available for fortunate trainers or those who grind encounters to shiny hunt.

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3) Swinub

Swinub evolves into Mamoswine, one of the best creatures in Pokemon GO (Image via Game Freak)

Swinub will be available during Pokemon GO's Rivals Week through One-Star Raid Battles. This Pocket Monster eventually evolves into Mamoswine, one of the strongest Ice-type creatures in the game. This already makes it incredibly valuable in the eyes of competitive players and those who enjoy raid battling.

With the opportunity to find its shiny variant soon to come, many trainers will want to cash in on this chance. However, since it is only available through One-Star Raids, those interested will have to stock up on Raid Passes, which can get pretty expensive after a while of grinding.

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4) Zangoose

Zangoose is an underappreciated counter to picks like Registeel and Giratina in Pokemon GO's Ultra League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Much like Sawk and Throh, Zangoose will be available for a limited time during Rivals Week. Zangoose has been a version-exclusive alongside Seviper since the two first debuted in the third generation. Zangoose iis exclusive to Ruby and its remake, while Seviper is exclusive to Sapphire and its remake.

From May 4, 2024, until May 6, 2024, Zangoose will be available in both Raid Battles and wild encounters. Its shiny form can be obtained through either method. It may be cheaper for players to try their luck with encounters rather than spending their money on a large amount of Raid Passes.

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5) Gligar

Gligar is both a competent battler in the Great League, and a decent pick when it evolves into Gliscor for the Ultra League (Image via Game Freak)

Gligar is set to be a wild encounter during Rivals Week. It will also be an encounter through field research task completion. This Flying and Ground-type Pocket Monster is one of the best creatures players can use in the game's Great League format and has made several appearances during official championship tournaments.

While its evolution, Gliscor, has a solid niche in Pokemon GO's Ultra League, Gligar is often seen as the better choice. Having the chance to receive its shiny variant during the event, many players will surely jump on the opportunity. Since it can be encountered through free methods, trainers will not need to worry about purchasing mass amounts of Raid Passes.