Can Pikachu be shiny in Pokemon GO?

With the second part of Pokemon GO's Halloween event finally here, players everywhere are dusting off their shiny-hunting checklist as they gear up for their next wave of hunts. One of the many candidates on this list is the new festively-costumed Pokemon, Halloween Mischief Pikachu.

While many other creatures have been getting dressed up for such holiday celebrations, Pikachu never seems to skip a beat. Being the franchise's mascot, it is understandable as to why players will always have a reason to add a new costumed variant to their collection. But will these hardcore collectors find its shiny version?

Thankfully, before every event in Pokemon GO, Niantic announces the creatures that will be obtainable throughout its duration. Along with this announcement comes details of whether or not the said Pocket Monsters will be appearing in their shiny forms. So has there been any official word about Pikachu's shiny variant?

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Tips for finding Shiny Pikachu in Pokemon GO

Screenshots featuring the shiny variant for the returning Costumed Pikachu (Image via Critical Slacker on YouTube)

Since this year's costumed Pikachu is returning from last year's Pokemon GO event, it means that the shiny variant is coming back as well. With this in mind, players can begin to gear up for their shiny hunt to find this rare form of the limited-edition costumed Pikachu.

As many are aware, Halloween Mischief Pikachu will be spawning throughout the duration of the second half of the Halloween celebration. This event will last from October 27th until November 1st. With this in mind, it is apparent that shiny hunters may not have a lot of time to find the coveted Shiny Costumed Pikachu.

Luckily, there are a few tips to keep in mind when engaging in a shiny hunt. The first thing players will want to do before starting their hunt for a Shiny Pikachu is to check the weather. While this is something trainers should always do before leaving their house, the weather in Pokemon GO determines what can spawn in an area.

Since Pikachu is a pure Electric-type, it has the highest chance to spawn in rainy weather. With autumn in the northern hemisphere in full swing, rainy weather is much more common. This should make it incredibly easy to find the costumed Pikachu throughout the event. If the weather is not optimal, there are other ways to increase the spawn rate as well.

Using an Incense is a great way to find all sorts of Pokemon. These items work by attaching themselves to the player upon activation. Throughout their duration, they will increase the general spawn rate of the area around the player as long as they remain mobile. This pairs great with the next item that trainers can use.

The Lure Module is another staple when it comes to hunting Shiny Pokemon. Unlike the Incense, the Lure Module works by attaching itself to Pokestops and Gyms. Once it is attached, the spawn rate of the area will be greatly increased. For Pikachu, using the Magnetic Lure will be more beneficial as this variation increases the spawn rate for Electric-types.

Sadly, there is no way to directly increase the odds of a Shiny Pokemon spawning in Pokemon GO. The only thing that players can do to improve a shiny hunt is to boost the spawn rate of an area to decrease the time it would take for one to hypothetically generate.