Can Elgyem be shiny in Pokémon Go?

If you find a Elgyem in the Pokémon Go wilds, does it have any chance to be shiny?

By Julia Lee

This article references relevant content from the polygon.com website. Original article link: [https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-go-guide/24160865/can-elgyem-be-shiny-beheeyem]

Can Elgyem be shiny in Pokémon Go?
Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Game Freak/Nintendo, The Pokémon Company

Elgyem, the cerebral Pokémon from Unova, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Elgyem can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Shiny Elgyem and Beheeyem with their normal versions. Shiny Elgyem has pink eyes and Shiny Beheeyem has blue eyes

Neither of these bizarre Pokémon are used in PvP or PvE content, but it doesn’t mean you should ignore its shiny form, which... mainly changes the color of its eyes and little hand buttons.

What is the shiny rate for Elgyem in Pokémon Go?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Elgyem is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.

LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.

For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.