Can Xerneas be shiny in Pokemon GO?

With the new legendary Pokemon, Xerneas, being added to Pokemon GO, players are eager to know if they can immediately start hunting for a coveted shiny variant.

So, will players be able to claim a shiny Xerneas in the coming weeks?

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Does Xerneas have a shiny variant in Pokemon GO?

Xerneas will be in 5-star raids starting on May 4th (Image via Game Freak)

In short, Xerneas cannot currently be shiny in Pokemon GO.

Just like the vast majority of Pokemon that have been added to Pokemon GO, Xerneas will, at this point in time, not have a shiny form released. There have also been no announcements made on when Xerneas' shiny variant will be introduced.

However, in case shiny Xerneas becomes available for capture someday, it will only benefit players to have knowledge about hunting down the legendary Life Pokemon.

Xerneas is going to be added as the biggest feature of the next major Pokemon GO event, Luminous Legends X. This event will begin on May 4th, so players should get ready for a series of tough raids so that they can earn the chance to claim this legendary addition to the game.

Xerneas, as with all legendary Pokemon, will be in 5-star raids starting on May 4th. 5-star raids are traditionally quite difficult, so partnering up with a squad of friends or finding a group already waiting at a raid will be a player's best bet at taking the legendary deer Pokemon down.

As a mono-Fairy-type, Xerneas will be devastated by Poison and Steel-types. Fire types are also not a terrible idea as they resist Fairy-type moves. However, there's no guarantee that Xerneas' damage will come from Fairy-type moves.

While Xerneas is a Fairy-type, it seems to specialize in moves other than the Fairy-typing. It's not yet known exactly what moves Xerneas will have in its raid, but players can expect it to have either the Fairy-type Moon Blast, the fighting-type Close Combat, the Electric-type Thunder, the Bug-type Mega Horn, or the Normal-type Giga Impact. As a Quick move, it may have Zen Headbutt or Tackle.

Pokemon that are Dark, Fighting, or Dragon-type should be kept totally clear of this raid. Xerneas' powerful Moon Blast will completely melt any opponents of these types. And while these moves may not do as much damage, Thunder, Close Combat, and Mega Horn can be safely avoided by not bringing in any Flying, Water, Normal, Rock, Grass, or Psychic-types.

Steel types are nearly optimal since Xerneas' best two options are Moon Blast or Giga Impact and Steel. However, should the Xerneas have Close Combat, it'll be lights out for the player's Pokemon. In the end, a Poison-type should be the way to go unless it's been confirmed that Xerneas will not be using Close Combat.

As for catching Xerneas post-raid, all the usual tricks will work. Players can toss out a Razz Berry, use Ultra Balls, and chuck well-aimed curveballs until Xerenas gives in and gets caught.