Can players catch a shiny Latias in Pokemon GO? (May 2022)

The next wave of new Mega Evolutions has finally hit Pokemon GO. To make matters even better, the long-awaited Legendary Mega Evolutions in Mega Latias and Latios have also arrived. However, the game's community of shiny hunters may not be satisfied with just the new Mega Evolutions.

As has happened with the addition of each new Pokemon, Pokemon GO's shiny hunting community may want to take an extra step and acquire the shiny version. However, before players can collect the shiny variants of any Pokemon in the game, they first need to know if it is even possible to do so; Niantic has a reputation for not adding the shiny version of every Pokemon introduced in the game.

While it may seem like a waste of time for players who are new to the franchise, the tradition of shiny hunting is a staple of the Pokemon community. Considering the rarity of these variants, a lot of players see these Pokemon as having incredibly high value. And this outlook adds to the significance of the player's own collection as well.

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Shiny Latias in Pokemon GO: Fact or fiction?

Shiny Latias as it appears in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Luckily, shiny Latias can be found in Pokemon GO. With this in mind, the hunt can begin. But where do players start? How can players find Latias to begin their hunt for its rare shiny variant? Fortunately, there are a few different methods players can use; however, the player will be required to repeatedly engage in challenge Raids.

To make this grind even more difficult, Latias can only be encountered in Mega Raids, meaning players will have to face the stronger Mega Latias rather than its weaker base form. So how can players defeat it? Well, in order to be successful in battling Latias in a Raid Battle, players will need a strategy.

Mega Latias is a Psychic and Dragon-type Pokemon. This type-combination does not give Latias any critical weaknesses. That said, it can still take super-effective damage from common types. Dark-type Pokemon will work great here as they resist Latias' Psychic-type attacks as well as deal effective Dark-type damage.

Since this is a Mega Raid, the player will need to bring several friends along for the ride. Finding enough players in Pokemon GO who are ready for a Raid at a moment's notice can be hard. Thankfully, there are several community groups on different social media platforms where players can recruit individuals for the raid.

In terms of how many other players you'll need to take on these Raids, The Silph Road recommends that these battles should only be challenged by groups of 7 or more.

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Best Pokemon to use to increase your chances of coming out on top

Some of the best Pokemon to use for this Raid are Dark-types. They are some of the best performers. However, there is another type of Pokemon that strive in such battles. The type in question is Steel-type offensive Pokemon. Specifically, Scizor and Bisharp are two of the best possible Pokemon to use due to their utility.

These Pokemon can deal super-effective damage while resisting the majority of Mega Latias' potential attacks.