Shiny Pokemon and their designs have always been a hot topic for debate in the mainline game, and the same extends to Pokemon GO as well. While not all Shiny critters are visually striking, some stand out as particularly unimpressive, to the point where there is no striking difference between their base form.
In a recent Reddit post, user u/ngdragons shared a meme referencing a popular scene from Pirates of the Caribbean where Commodore Norrington mentions to Captain Jack Sparrow "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of". The user replaced Jack Sparrow with Alolan Vulpix, editing the line to reflect "worst shiny" instead!
Shiny Pokemon usually feature a stark color difference and are easily discernible when looked at from a distance. On the other hand, this scenario is completely different for Shiny Alolan Vulpix. The OP mentioned in his meme:
Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game
"Didn’t even realise it was shiny when I caught it."
Alolan Vulpix in Pokemon GO is mostly completely white, and you really won't be able to tell the difference between its base and Shiny forms without explicitly looking for it. Many users who caught this critter had the same opinion, including u/ CirisSilver, who said:
"I just caught one, and I didn't notice until i saw the shiny icon🤣. It is really pretty though."
This variant of Vulpix isn't the only Pocket Monster to suffer this unfortunate fate, as was seen in the Reddit post where fans were not late to bring in the comparisons.
Many critters in Pokemon GO have less-appealing shiny variants, and fans in the subreddit seem to have pointed out most of them. The likes of Gengar, Elekid, Garchomp, or Zapdos do not have a special color code that separates them from the rest or gives them that superior "Shiny" feeling.
However, Shiny Mega Gengar is a different scenario, as noted by u/Antkeeper1:
"Fixed by mega evo."
Shiny Mega Gengar had a complete overhaul as compared to its normal variant. With a new color combination that is actually amazing, Shiny Mega Gengar somewhat compensated for Gengar's lackluster Shiny form.
Although Shiny Alolan Vulpix itself might have been a meme according to the OP, replies from many other users indicated that this critter is by no means unwanted in Niantic's mobile game.
Also read: 5 most valuable Shiny Pokemon players should try to get in Pokemon GO
Are Shiny Pokemon valuable in Pokemon GO?
Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO can be considered as collector's edition items. These do not really have any additional perks in battle, but they are rare and are visually appealing (for the most part).
Shiny Pocket Monsters are often seen as a status symbol, and having them in your teams is often considered to be a show-off card. However, given their elusive nature, they are well worth showing off, especially if you have the Shiny variant of a legendary or a rare Pokemon.
For more articles, check out the following:
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- Sierra counters
- Cliff counters
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- Giovanni counters
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