Can Venusaur be shiny in Pokemon GO? (March 2023)

Venusaur has been a popular creature in Pokemon GO since the mobile title's launch, and this hasn't changed in 2023. The Grass/Poison-type Pocket Monster can be an effective combatant in both PvE and PvP formats depending on the circumstances.

While capturing or evolving Venusaur for battles is one thing, some players may be wondering if it has a shiny form available in the game.

Fortunately for them, shiny Venusaur has been available in Pokemon GO since 2018. No matter where players may encounter Venusaur or its prior evolutions in-game, the potential to find its shiny variant is always present.

If Pokemon GO trainers are looking for a shot at obtaining a shiny Venusaur as of March 2023, they have a temporary opportunity thanks to the current raid rotation.

---

All you need to know about obtaining shiny Venusaur in Pokemon GO in March 2023

Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur all have shiny variants available to capture (Image via Niantic)

Thanks to the current raid lineup in Pokemon GO, obtaining shiny Venusaur is entirely possible without needing to capture and evolve Bulbasaur/Ivysaur first. However, it won't be easy, as players will need to defeat Mega Venusaur in Mega Raids.

Compared to a standard Venusaur, its Mega Evolution is incredibly powerful, and its status as a raid boss boosts its battle capabilities even more. However, after beating Mega Venusaur, trainers will receive Mega Energy and the chance to capture a regular Venusaur, which has the potential to be shiny.

Granted, shiny appearance rates are typically pretty low, so Pokemon GO trainers may need to defeat Mega Venusaur multiple times in raids to trigger a shiny variant to appear.

With this in mind, it's advised for players to collect as many raid passes as they can along with plenty of healing items. Taking on this Mega Raid will also require additional trainers to participate, so players may want to check out their friend list for allies who are willing to take on Mega Venusaur together.

Although Mega Venusaur may be powerful in Pokemon GO, it isn't invincible, and it's weak to certain elemental types.

To be specific, trainers should focus on using Ice, Psychic, Flying, and Fire-type moves to rack up super effective damage on Mega Venusaur. If players can match these move types with the types of the Pokemon using them, even more damage can be done, thanks to the in-game Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB).

Considering Mega Venusaur's high health and stats, trainers will want all the damage they can deal to bring this boss down quickly.

Once Mega Venusaur has been defeated, players can collect their Mega Energy and enter the post-raid encounter with Venusaur. While it isn't guaranteed to appear as a shiny variant, persistent trainers who continue raiding this boss should have a fairly good chance at finding one before the current raid rotation ends.

Since the new raid lineup began on March 20, 2023, there should be more than enough time for determined players to find shiny Venusaur before the raid rotation changes again.