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

Being one of the many tasks that players can choose to pursue in Pokemon GO, shiny hunting is a tradition not just in the mobile game, but in every aspect of the franchise as well. Getting your hands on these rare varieties of creatures can be quite exciting, given their sheer rarity.

Unfortunately, doing so in Pokemon GO is arguably far more complicated than in the main series. This is primarily due to the fact that the Pokemon that can and cannot appear in their rare altered color palette differ greatly from the main series, as Niantic hasn't officially released every Shiny Pokemon into the mobile game.

This brings us to the topic of Chesnaught. Being one of the starter Pokemon from the Kalos region, this giant grass otter certainly has its fair share of dedicated fans. This may inspire some players to go out of their way to hunt down its shiny variant in Pokemon GO, but they will need to know if they can find it first.

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Shiny Chesnaught in Pokemon GO: MIA or on the way?

Official artwork for the upcoming Chespin Community Day (Image via Niantic)

Fortunately, players will soon be able to catch a Shiny Chespin and evolve it into Chesnaught. A Community Day event featuring this Pokemon and its evolutionary family will begin on January 7, 2023. Keeping this in mind, players can begin preparing for the hunt that lies ahead of them. Thankfully, it will be much easier than a shiny hunt typically is in Pokemon GO.

When the event goes live, players will notice a drastic increase in Chespin spawn rates globally. While this alone gives players better odds of finding a Shiny Chespin, Community Day events boast an increased chance for a Shiny Pokemon to spawn, averaging around 1/25. This means that it won't take too long for the average player to find a Shiny Chespin during the event.

However, some may have significantly less luck than others. Thankfully, there are a few methods for players to increase the general spawn rate of an area in hopes of triggering a Shiny Chespin to spawn. As these methods involve the use of particular items, it would help to have some PokeCoins on standby.

The first thing that players can do to increase their odds is to play in an area experiencing Sunny Weather. Thanks to Pokemon GO's Weather Boost, creatures of different typings are granted a boost to their spawn chance in different climates. Grass, Fire, and Ground-type Pokemon receive a boost in Sunny Weather.

Furthermore, players can make use of Incenses. This item is a must-have for players looking to move around as they work by attaching it onto the player and passively increasing the general spawn rate around them. The single condition for this item is that it only works if the player's avatar is moving.

Lure Modules are another useful item to have for hunting Shiny Pokemon. Much like the Incense item, Lure Modules also increase the general spawn rate of an area. However, the difference between the two becomes apparent upon seeing where they're attached. Incenses are attached to the player while Lure Modules are attached to PokeStops and Gyms.

The Chespin Community Day will be taking place in Pokemon GO starting Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 2:00 pm local time.