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

Zarude in Pokemon GO is an elusive mythical species, so curious trainers may be wondering how to catch it. Zarude made its way to the mobile title in October 2021 in a cross-promotion with the animated movie it starred in (Secrets of the Jungle), but there's another opportunity to catch it if you're willing to seek it out.

To this point, Zarude has only appeared in Pokemon GO during limited-time events, which isn't out of character for a mythical Pokemon. Still, if you're hunting to catch a Zarude or wondering if its shiny variant can appear, it's a good time to examine both.

How to catch Zarude in Pokemon GO

Expand Tweet

There are currently two ways to catch Zarude in Pokemon GO, one of which is no longer available. Back on October 1-10, 2021, you could participate in the Secrets of the Jungle event, where Professor Willow would give you access to the Special Research questline "Search for Zarude," which would provide an encounter to catch Zarude once all five stages of the research were completed.

Fortunately, if you're playing during Pokemon GO's World of Wonders season, you have another opportunity to catch Zarude by participating in the Verdant Wonders event. This event takes place on March 21-25, 2024, from 10 am to 8 pm local time. During that time, you can purchase a $7.99 (or equivalent) ticket to gain access to Zarude's new Special Research.

Tickets will be on sale throughout the entire event, and once you've purchased your ticket, you'll need to open the game during the Verdant Wonders event to gain access to the new Special Research questline. Once you've received it, you can complete the research at any time for an encounter to catch Zarude in Pokemon GO as a reward, so you can progress at your own pace.

Can Zarude be shiny in Pokemon GO?

While you can catch Zarude in Pokemon GO, this mythical beast's shiny variant is unavailable. Despite appearing in two events and requiring a paid ticket to encounter during Verdant Wonders, Niantic has yet to bring Zarude's unique shiny form in to mobile title. This may change in the future, but for the time being, players will have to be content with capturing Zarude in its standard appearance.

Fortunately, March 2024's events and beyond could hold a few surprises, and it may not be long before players can catch Zarude in Pokemon GO in its shiny variant. Niantic has yet to confirm one way or the other, but trainers can always look forward to future events in the hope that shiny Zarude makes an appearance.