Can Reshiram be shiny in Pokemon GO?

One of Unova's Legendary Dragon Pokemon, Reshiram has been present in Pokemon GO for a few years and makes up a trio of mascots including Zekrom and Kyurem for the Pokemon Black and White versions and their sequels.

Currently included as a 5-star raid boss alongside Zekrom during Pokemon GO's Dragonspiral Descent event, Reshiram is taking on challengers worldwide in gym raids. However, some Pokemon GO trainers are wondering, does Reshiram possess a shiny form?

Many other Pokemon, including legendaries, have a shiny form available in the game, so Reshiram should follow suit right? The good news is that Reshiram certainly does possess a shiny form, replacing the rings on its neck and tail with a golden color as opposed to their ordinary silver.

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Pokemon GO: Acquiring a shiny Reshiram

Shiny Reshiram as seen in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

The only way that is currently known to obtain a shiny Reshiram in Pokemon GO is through defeating it in a gym raid. As with all shiny forms, the chances of shiny Reshiram appearing are small, meaning most trainers will likely have to defeat Reshiram in a raid multiple times in order to secure the shiny form they're searching for. This can be tough, in particular due to Reshiram being a powerful raid boss, and requiring a large team to defeat compared to many other raid Pokemon.

As a dual Dragon/Fire-type Pokemon, Reshiram is weak to Ground, Rock, and Dragon-type moves, making it one of the few Pokemon with a Fire-typing that is not susceptible to Water-type attacks. Trainers will want to key in on Reshiram's weaknesses and use powerful, high stat and CP Pokemon in order to hammer away at the legendary dragon's HP quickly. Bringing along a few fellow trainers doing the same should expedite the process significantly.

Defeating Reshiram quickly in Pokemon GO raids won't guarantee its shiny form to appear, but the number of rewards such as Premier Balls will be higher, meaning there will be more chances to catch the Pokemon. The last thing a trainer wants is to finally spot shiny Reshiram and not have the tools necessary to catch it, such as adequate Premier Balls or Golden Razz Berries.

Persistence is the name of the game for this Pokemon GO shiny, so stock up on raid passes and go head-to-head against Reshiram as many times as possible to secure that coveted shiny form.