Pokemon GO: Can shiny Shuckle be caught?

Shuckle is a defense-oriented Pokemon from Generation II. It has the rare distinction of having Pokemon GO's highest defense stat.

Shuckle recently emerged as a 3-star raid boss in the game, alongside Charizard, Flareon, Delcatty, Absol, and Druddigon. Since it has somewhat returned to the fore, trainers are curious as to whether the Pokemon has a shiny form available.

Fortunately for aspiring collectors, the answer is yes. Shuckle's shiny form can be obtained both in the wild and during post-raid encounters. This somewhat expands the avenues that players can pursue in order to obtain its elusive shiny form.

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Catching shiny Shuckle in Pokemon GO

Shuckle and its shiny form in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Catching Shuckle's shiny form in Pokemon GO can be a tricky endeavor as it doesn't appear in the wild often despite being a Bug/Rock-type Pokemon.

Fortunately, the current Lunar New Year event presents shiny hunters with a very solid opportunity to encounter shiny Shuckle. Shuckle can currently be hatched from 7km eggs in addition to its status as a raid boss.

Considering Shuckle doesn't appear in the wild or during raids very often, attempting to encounter its shiny form during this event is the best shot trainers will get for some time.

No stone should be left unturned. Trainers should take on the Mold Pokemon in raids as much as possible while collecting 7km eggs and hatching them with frequency.

According to metrics provided by Silph Road, Shuckle's ordinary shiny appearance rate is roughly 1/1201. So without a boost to its shiny appearance rate, players are better-served hatching or raiding this particular Pokemon.

Defeating the Pokemon in raids shouldn't require too much effort. However, a few fellow players may need to take it on due to its monstrous defense stat as well as its boosted health and CP.

Aside from its shiny form, there sadly isn't much to see with Shuckle. True, it has the best defense stat in the game, but it also has one of the lowest attack stats and CP ceilings. Its health total is also quite poor, a counterbalance to its ability to mitigate damage.

Shuckle doesn't have many applications in battle in an offense-oriented game like Pokemon GO. However, it can be a decent gym defender that forces opposing players to waste time (and phone battery) trying to defeat it. If players aren't particularly aiming for its shiny form, then it's mostly a Pokedex entry.