Pokemon GO shiny Drifloon and shiny Drifblim guide

Pokemon GO players making their way through the Adventures Abound season may have come into contact with the Ghost/Flying-type species, Drifloon, or its evolution, Drifblim. The two Pocket Monsters are known for their battle applications, courtesy of their high Stamina IVs, but some trainers are searching for their gold-tinged shiny variants instead.

How can Pokemon GO players track down a shiny Drifloon/Drifblim? It can be a difficult task due to the rarity of in-game shinies, but there are a few methods for trainers to consider. They may not always be available, but if fans keep their options open, they should eventually triumph in finding what they're looking for.

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How to get shiny Drifloon in Pokemon GO

Drifloon and its shiny variant appear throughout the year in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

There are different means of finding a shiny Drifloon in Pokemon GO, though not every option is always active, depending on the time of the year. Regardless, players can usually find Drifloon and its shiny variant through the following means:

• Wild encounters
• 2/5/10km egg hatches
• Research encounters
• 1-star raids
• Defeating Team GO Rocket grunts

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Wild encounters

Since October 23, 2018, Pokemon GO players have been able to encounter Drifloon and its shiny form in the wild. This can be easier or more difficult, depending on the current day and whether there are any ongoing events. Trainers who search monuments and hallowed areas like cemeteries may find a Drifloon floating about, and they could even spot its shiny form if they're lucky.

Moreover, using items like Incense and Lure Modules can help attract any Drifloon that is hiding nearby. Granted, these two items can also spawn other Pokemon, but fans can use them during Drifloon-centric events to increase the chances of a shiny appearing.

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2/5/10km egg hatches

Dating back to 2018, Drifloon has appeared in many different egg pools. It began as a 10km egg hatch before transitioning to 5km eggs in 2019-2021 before finally becoming a 2km egg hatch in Pokemon GO from September to December of 2021.

However, Drifloon isn't currently available as an egg hatch in the Adventures Abound season, so trainers may be in for a wait.

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Research encounters

Drifloon appears often in Pokemon GO during its spookiest months (Image via Niantic)

Ever since its 2018 debut, Drifloon has appeared as the reward for various Research Tasks. This has been particularly true during the Fall season and around Halloween, as the creature has appeared as a reward for Pokemon GO players catching its fellow Ghost-type species.

To maximize the opportunities to find shiny Drifloon via research, trainers should complete as many tasks as they can when the Pokemon is confirmed as a reward during an event, especially during events like Halloween and Dia De Muertos.

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1-Star raids

Over the years, Drifloon has occasionally appeared as a 1-star raid boss who is quite easy to defeat and capture, providing players with extra opportunities to find its shiny form.

As luck would have it, Drifloon is returning as a 1-star raid boss during Pokemon GO's Halloween event for 2023, giving trainers an excellent opportunity to battle it and find a shiny variant.

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Defeating Team GO Rocket grunts

Pokemon GO trainers can occasionally find the footsoldiers of Team GO Rocket on their adventures, and one can carry Drifloon on their team. Since it's now possible for shiny Shadow Pokemon to be captured from Team GO Rocket grunts, trainers should keep a lookout for grunts with the pre-battle quote "Ke…ke…ke…ke…ke…ke!" as this signifies they're a Ghost-type grunt.

Team GO Rocket teams rotate throughout the year, but as of the Season of Adventures Abound, it's possible to defeat the Ghost-type Rocket and claim a shiny Shadow Drifloon if players are lucky.

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How to get shiny Drifblim in Pokemon GO

Drifblim and its shiny are also quite plentiful during Pokemon GO's Fall events (Image via Yellowsnowman/Reddit)

Drifblim, much like Drifloon, has a gold-colored shiny variant in Pokemon GO. It won't be as easy to find spontaneously as Drifloon. However, trainers have the option of evolving a shiny Drifloon to get their shiny Drifblim.

Overall, players can usually obtain shiny Drifblim via the following methods:

• Wild encounters
• 3-star raid battles
• Research encounters
• GO Battle League PvP rewards
• Evolving a shiny Drifloon

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Wild encounters

Much like Drifloon, shiny Drifblim can be found in the wild as a spawn, though at a lower frequency when compared to its prior evolution. Using Lures/Incense is still advised, along with searching in the same areas that players would for Drifloon.

Additionally, Drifblim may spawn more often during Fall events like Halloween. However, it's important to note that not every Halloween event will guarantee that Drifblim will appear more often in the wild, so trainers will want to keep their options open.

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3-star raid battles

It's been a while since Drifblim appeared in raids (Image via Gaming Mathematically/YouTube)

Over the past few years, Drifblim has occasionally appeared as a 3-star raid boss in Pokemon GO, typically during events related to the Fall season or the Sinnoh region that it calls home.

Trainers will want to keep an eye on the current raid rotation, as Drifblim can be defeated pretty easily in 3-star raids overall.

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Research encounters

Drifblim appeared as a research reward during the Halloween 2021 event and as part of the Catch Mastery: Ghost research questline.

Since then, it hasn't popped up as a research encounter, but this is always subject to change, especially when Ghost-type species come out to play during Halloween and Dia De Muertos.

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GO Battle League PvP rewards

During Season 9 of Pokemon GO's PvP Battle League, it was possible for trainers who reached Rank 11 or above to encounter Drifblim as they racked up victories. This hasn't occurred since, but Niantic may decide to reintroduce this popular Ghost/Flying-type Pokemon in future seasonal PvP rotations, so players may want to keep an eye out.

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Evolving a shiny Drifloon

Evolving a shiny Drifloon negates the need to search for a shiny Drifblim at all (Image via Game Freak)

If players have already been fortunate enough to obtain a shiny Drifloon, the quickest way to get a shiny Drifblim is through the process of evolution. By feeding Drifloon 50 candies, players can evolve it into Drifblim without losing its lovely golden coloration as a shiny creature.

Drifloon candies should be pretty easy to obtain if players have already caught the Pokemon itself. However, using a few Pinap Berries makes the process of getting 50 candies much easier.