Can Shaymin be shiny in Pokemon GO?

After appearing in Pokemon GO Fest 2022, Shaymin is returning for players to catch on April 20, 2023. By completing a Special Research Story, trainers can capture the creature in its Land Forme

Although catching this Mythic Pokemon is certainly exciting, some fans are likely wondering if it has a shiny variant capable of catching.

Unfortunately, this isn't the case at the moment. Niantic confirmed in a recent blog post that Shaymin can only be caught in its standard iteration. This was indicated in the post by the lack of a shiny icon next to the Pocket Monster's in-game model.

Even without a shiny variant available, Pokemon GO players can catch Shaymin once Sustainability Week kicks off on April 20, 2023.

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What to know about Shaymin and Sustainability Week in Pokemon GO

Sustainability Week returns to Pokemon GO for another year on April 20, 2023, at 10:00 am local time. The event will last until April 26, 2023, at 8:00 pm local time.

During this time, trainers can expect to catch plenty of different Pocket Monsters, including the newly-debuted Bounsweet, Steenee, and Tsareena. There are also a host of bonuses that players can receive during gameplay, including:

• Souvenirs will be brought more frequently by Buddy Pokemon that have reached the Ultra Buddy level or higher.
• After being fed, Buddy Pokemon will accompany players on the game map for a longer time.
• Leaf-wrapped gifts will be brought to players more often if their Buddy Pokemon has reached the Great Buddy level or higher. These gifts will carry berries at high frequency, and trainers can even acquire Silver Pinap Berries.
• The distance requirement to gain hearts with a Buddy Pokemon is halved.

In addition to the Pokemon that can be caught in the wild, Pokemon GO trainers can undertake Field Research and event-specific Timed Research. The Field Research can yield encounters with Drilbur, while the Timed Research can result in encounters with Drilbur, Trubbish, and Bounsweet.

To commemorate this year's Sustainability Week, players can also acquire a new set of avatar clothing themed around Bounsweet, Steenee, and Tsareena. 7-kilometer eggs have also been changed for Sustainability Week, with Cherubi, Drilbur, and Bounsweet being added to the egg pool for the duration of the event.

Since spring is still moving along in the world of Pokemon GO, trainers may just see a development by Niantic that includes Shaymin's shiny variant later on in the season. This isn't guaranteed of course, especially given Shaymin's current rarity, but it may be worth looking forward to even if it doesn't happen right away.

Niantic tends to be quite selective in terms of how it releases shiny variants. Upcoming events or promotions may be circled on Niantic's content calendar to release shinies for the likes of Shaymin and Bounsweet's evolutionary line.

For the time being, Pokemon GO players will simply have to keep an eye on announcements from Niantic and enjoy Sustainability Week as much as they can.