How to get Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO, and can it be shiny?

The arrival of Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO during the Fashion Week: Taken Over 2025 event has sparked excitement among trainers. From Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 12 AM local time — to Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 8 PM local time — Team GO Rocket and their leader Giovanni make their return during this exciting event.

Among the event’s highlights, Shadow Oshawott is a standout target for collectors and battlers alike. With the bonus of its shiny potential, players have a lot to look forward to. In this guide, we’ll cover how to find Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO, strategies for defeating it, and whether purifying it is worth the Stardust.

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How to get Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO

Oshawott as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

To encounter Shadow Oshawott during the Fashion Week: Taken Over event, you’ll need to challenge Team GO Rocket Grunts who specialize in Water-type Pokemon. These Grunts can be found at invaded PokeStops or encountered through Team GO Rocket Balloons appearing throughout the event.

However, locating Shadow Oshawott isn’t guaranteed. Grunts’ lineups are random, so you may need to battle multiple Grunts to find one using Shadow Oshawott. Keep an eye out for Grunts whose dialogue hints at a Water-type lineup to maximize your chances.

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Can you get Shadow Oshawott via Trade?

No, Shadow Oshawott cannot be traded. Shadow Pokemon, in general, cannot be traded to maintain their unique gameplay mechanics and ensure balance in the game.

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How to defeat Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO

Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO is a pure Water-type Pokemon, making it vulnerable to Grass and Electric-type moves. Here are some of the best counters:

• Mega or Shadow Sceptile with Bullet Seed and Frenzy Plant
• Kartana with Razor Leaf and Leaf Blade
• Zekrom with Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt
• Shadow Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Thunder
• Xurkitree with Thunder Shock and Thunder
• Shadow Electivire with Thunder Shock and Thunder
• Mega or Shadow Venusaur with Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant
• Mega Gallade with Psycho Cut and Leaf Blade
• Shadow Torterra with Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant
• Shadow Raikou with Thunder Shock and Thunder
• Shadow Magneton with Volt Switch and Discharge
• Mega or Shadow Manectric Thunder Fang and Wild Charge

Using these powerful Pokemon will help you defeat Shadow Oshawott and capture it with ease.

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Can Shadow Oshawott be shiny in Pokemon GO?

Oshawott and its shiny variant (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Yes, Shadow Oshawott can be shiny in Pokemon GO. Shiny Shadow Pokemon are exceptionally rare, making each encounter an exciting opportunity. Keep battling Team GO Rocket Grunts for a chance to uncover one of these elusive variants.

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Should you purify Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO?

When deciding whether to purify Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO, consider its final evolution — Samurott. Samurott’s performance varies across leagues:

• Great League: Ranked 72nd, Samurott struggles to compete with other Water types due to its suboptimal moveset and unimpressive bulk. While Hydro Cannon boosts its utility, it remains outclassed by other meta options.
• Ultra League: Ranking 346th — Samurott slightly improves here — even managing to beat Swampert in an even fight. Access to Megahorn provides niche advantages against Dark-types and Grass counters, but it still falls behind stronger alternatives.
• Master League: Samurott is overshadowed by Kyogre, Swampert, and Gyarados, limiting its effectiveness.

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Purifying Shadow Oshawott in Pokemon GO removes its attack boost but grants it better IVs and reduces Stardust and Candy costs for powering up. However, in most cases — keeping it as a Shadow Pokemon is recommended for its increased damage potential.

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Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

• Ditto disguises
• Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
• Best Fast Attacks in the game
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts
• Go Evolution Calculator
• Pokemon Type Calculator