How to get Hitmonlee in Pokemon GO, and can it be shiny?

Hitmonlee in Pokemon GO was introduced during the game's original launch in July 2016, and trainers have had different ways to obtain the Kicking Pokemon ever since. Over the subsequent years, access to this monster has broadened, and trainers curious about whether it can be shiny will also be happy to know that it received its shiny form in February 2021.

If Pokemon GO trainers want to get a Hitmonlee of their own or even its green-tinted shiny variant, it doesn't hurt to examine the different ways it can be obtained. The good news for trainers is that there are several ways to get it so they have plenty of avenues based on what suits them most.

How to get Hitmonlee in Pokemon GO

Hitmonlee can be obtained in many different ways in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Although some methods have fallen out of favor for Niantic in Pokemon GO, Hitmonlee has appeared in the following ways in the mobile title:

Wild Encounters
Egg Hatches
Raid Battles
Research Tasks
Team GO Rocket Grunt Battles
Evolution

Wild Encounters

Since Pokemon GO's initial launch date in 2016, Hitmonlee has been found in the wild, though it's somewhat harder to find than many Pokemon. Still, with the resurgence of GO's in-game biomes, players may have luck finding it near mountains or hiking trails. It also doesn't hurt to use incense or lure modules when appropriate to increase spawns around a player or a Pokestop, respectively.

Egg Hatches

Back in 2016-2017, it was possible to hatch Hitmonlee from 10km eggs, though it's highly likely that this may not occur again anytime soon. Since its prior evolution, Tyrogue arrived in Pokemon GO, it has replaced the likes of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan in egg pools.

However, there's nothing wrong with hatching a Tyrogue and evolving it into a Hitmonlee. Moreover, there may even be a chance Niantic adds Hitmonlee back to the egg pools for an event. Though the chance is slim, it may not be zero.

Raid Battles

While Hitmonlee was once a 3-star raid boss in Pokemon GO, it has since scaled down and is seen on occasion as a 1-star raid boss instead. This Fighting-type Pokemon doesn't pop up in the standard raid rotation all that often, but it can make surprise appearances during events, so trainers will want to keep an eye on the current raid lineup for their ongoing event or their current season.

Research Tasks

Every so often, Hitmonlee will be included as an encounter reward for completing Field Research Tasks. While this hasn't happened since the Mythic Blade event, the collection of research rewards is regularly shifting, so trainers should keep an eye out in case Hitmonlee makes an appearance.

Team GO Rocket Grunt Battles

Team GO Rocket grunts have used shadow Hitmonlee in the past (Image via Niantic)

Though it hasn't occurred since 2021, Team GO Rocket grunts once used shadow Hitmonlee, and trainers could defeat them to obtain Hitmonlee in Pokemon GO. While it's possible that Niantic may not include Hitmonlee often in Rocket grunt lineups in the future, the possibility might exist nonetheless, or at least a shadow Tyrogue might be introduced at some point that can be evolved into Hitmonlee.

Evolution

Out of all of the options available, this option may be one of the most reliable. Tyrogue has been hatchable from 2km, 5km, and 7km eggs throughout the game's calendar. Tyrogue was last seen hatching from 2km eggs from December 2023 to March 2024, and it's likely it will appear again at a later date.

Once players hatch a Tyrogue, they can hatch additional Tyrogue, set Tyrogue as their buddy Pokemon, or use Rare Candies to rack up 25 Tyrogue candies. Then, if the Tyrogue in question's highest IV stat is Attack, it can be evolved into Hitmonlee.

Can Hitmonlee be shiny in Pokemon GO

Shiny Hitmonlee has a green coloration compared to its standard counterpart in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

By most accounts and data, Shiny Hitmonlee has a roughly 1/512 chance to appear in Pokemon GO. This isn't ideal, so trainers will have to maximize Hitmonlee spawns as much as possible to improve their chances of finding a shiny. While this is possible during ordinary gameplay, it may be best to wait for events where Hitmonlee is featured since the Pokemon will be more accessible.

Tips for getting shiny Hitmonlee in Pokemon GO

1) Using Incense

During these events, depending on where Hitmonlee is appearing, it's advised to use incense and lure modules (if it's spawning in the wild) or to stock up on and use raid passes (if Hitmonlee is appearing in raids).

2) Hatching Tyrogue

There's another alternative that may be easier if players spend a lot of time hatching eggs. Specifically, since Tyrogue is a baby Pokemon, it has an approximate shiny appearance chance of 1/64.

If players can hatch a shiny Tyrogue from eggs and it has higher Attack IVs than its Defense/HP IVs, then players can easily rack up 25 Tyrogue candies to evolve the shiny Tyrogue into a shiny Hitmonlee.

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