Can Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar be shiny in Pokemon GO Community Day Classic? (January 2023)

Tomorrow, January 21, marks the next Community Day Classic event in Pokemon GO. Starting fairly recently, this throwback series of events started as a way to give new players a way to easily get some of the more potent creatures that have climbed in relevancy in the metagame thanks to their event-exclusive moves.

With January's event spotlighting the Larvitar family of creatures, many trainers are looking forward to collecting their share of the fan-favorite Pseudo-Legendary from the Johto region. However, some may be looking to get their hands on an even more rare variant of one of the most uncommon Pokemon in the game.

Shiny hunting has been a part of Pokemon GO since the variant made its way to the mobile game. However, most are yet to make their way onto live servers. With this event attracting many new players, it may help to know if trainers will be able to find these shiny variants in the upcoming Community Day Classic.

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Tips for finding Shiny Larvitar in Pokemon GO

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

Thankfully, Niantic confirmed on the official Pokemon GO website that Larvitar, and its evolutions by proxy, can be found in its shiny variation. The rate at which players can find such forms remains consistent with that of the standard Community Day events, which keeps the encounter rate at around one in every 25.

However, this rate is just a random chance, not guaranteed. With this in mind, some players may just have a bad or unlucky day and have a harder time finding a Shiny Larvitar in the wild compared to other players. With this in mind, there are some helpful methods players can use to help indirectly increase the chances of encountering a Shiny Pokemon.

The first detail they should keep in mind when shiny hunting is one that many trainers overlook. Weather plays a key role in determining what creatures can spawn in an area. Since Larvitar is a Rock and Ground-type Pokemon, it has the highest chance of spawning in sunny, clear, and partly cloudy weather.

Once players find an area experiencing these conditions in Pokemon GO to grind in, the next step is to find a location with three or four Pokestops or gyms that are close together. Using Lure Modules, they can increase the spawn rates even further around these areas. This also sets up a patrol route that is crucial for the next step.

Once a patrol path has been established, players will need to activate an Incense. Much like the Lure Modules used on Pokestops, it works to increase the general spawn rate around an area. However, with this item, wild Pokemon will begin to spawn more often around the player rather than a pinpoint location.

Hopefully, by utilizing this method in Pokemon GO, players will be able to find their Shiny Larvitar. While hunting, it is important to catch as many regular Larvitars as possible. This will make evolving the only ones they choose to keep into Tyranitar much easier. In total, trainers will need to obtain 125 Larvitar candies to evolve a Larvitar into Tyranitar.