Can Wooper be shiny in Pokemon GO? (December 2022)

Wooper has been in Pokemon GO for a grand total of five years, after its introduction in 2017 alongside many of its counterparts from the Johto region. However, some trainers are curious to know if Wooper has a shiny form that can be captured.

To the delight of these players, the answer is yes. Wooper has had a shiny form available in Pokemon GO since December 2020, when it received a shiny as well as shadow form.

At the moment, Wooper isn't available as a Raid Boss, Research Task Encounter, Egg Hatch, or GO Battle League reward. This means that trainers will need to find Wooper in the wild. Fortunately, it's a fairly common Pokemon to encounter.

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Catching a Shiny Wooper in Pokemon GO

Wooper's shiny and shadow forms in Pokemon GO (Image via @Kelven91/Twitter)

Since trainers' best chance right now is to find Wooper in the wild, they'll need to be vigilant to spot its shiny variant. According to metrics provided by the Pokemon GO analysis group at The Silph Road, the chances of finding a shiny Wooper is roughly one in 500 encounters.

Without the assistance of boosts from events to increase Wooper's spawn rate, it can take a significant amount of time to find a shiny Wooper in the wild.

Tips for finding a shiny Wooper in Pokemon GO

1. Head out into the wild and keep moving as much as possible. As you move through the environment, the in-game map will refresh as much as it can, replenishing the spawns at regular intervals. Be sure to tap any and all Wooper spawns you find, as any of them could be a shiny.
2. For improved chances of success, trainers will want to search during the lull between events, as these events boost the spawns of other wild Pokemon and make the chance to find Wooper more difficult. However, if an upcoming event (such as December 6's Spotlight Hour event) is boosting Wooper's spawns, then it's an excellent time to search.
3. Try hunting in higher population areas such as towns and cities, as these areas tend to spawn more Pokemon at once, improving the chances for Wooper to appear on average.
4. If all else fails, it's a good time to use Incense and standard Lure Modules. These items will increase all Pokemon spawns around your avatar and an attached Pokestop, respectively. They won't guarantee that Wooper will appear, but more spawns means a greater chance at finding Wooper. Subsequently, more Wooper appearances means more chances at hitting that 1/500 chance of a shiny appearing.

As a last resort, Pokemon GO trainers can always find a friend or fellow trainer to trade for a shiny Wooper. It won't be cheap when it comes to Stardust costs, but if hunting for Wooper in the wild isn't panning out, it may be best to obtain a shiny on-demand.

Fortunately, there are plenty of online resources that allow local players to link up and exchange friend codes so that they can trade. Niantic's Campfire app is one good example, but there are many other third-party sites related to the game and operated by the community itself.

The good news for trainers is that there's a perfect opportunity to capture Wooper arriving on December 6, 2022. From 6:00 to 7:00 pm local time, players can participate in Wooper's Spotlight Hour and enjoy a greatly increased chance of finding its shiny form.

With this in mind, shiny hunters may want to stock up on Pokeballs and Incense/Lure Modules to maximize their chances at finding the pink-hued Wooper for their collection.