Pokemon GO: Can shiny Corphish be caught?

With the Lunar New Year event in Pokemon GO granting players a free encounter with the Ruffian Pokemon, Corphish, some players may be wondering if it can appear as its shiny variant. Knowing whether or not a Pokemon can emerge in its shiny state can help users understand whether or not the hunt will be rewarding.

The concept of shiny Pokemon has been around since the franchise's first generation, with the Crystal Onix that appears in the anime. However, this concept was not brought into the main series of video games until the second generation of the franchise.

Back then, shiny Pokemon were known as "Shining Pokemon" in the trading card game and as "different-colored Pokemon" in every other form of media.

With shiny variants being as sporadically added to Pokemon GO as they have been, it is not unusual for gamers to have these questions regarding which Pokemon can and cannot appear shiny. With shiny forms of Pokemon from the Hoenn region being the most sporadic of them all, players may not be aware if Corphish can appear shiny or not.

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Shiny Corphish in Pokemon GO: Fact or Fiction?

Corphish's and its evolved form, Crawdaunt's, official artwork used throughout the series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Unfortunately, Corphish and Crawdaunt cannot currently appear in their shiny variants in Pokemon GO. There is also no information on when shiny Corphish will be added to the game.

While there is no current confirmation that Niantic intends on adding Corphish and Crawdaunt's shiny variants in Pokemon GO anytime soon, predictions can be made based on upcoming events.

It could be speculated that shiny Corphish could appear for a Mardi Gras event. It is one of the biggest celebrations in the southern United States, and more specifically, southern states like Florida and Louisiana.

The problem with this speculation is that Niantic has never done an event for Mardi Gras in previous years, and it is doubtful that they will do one for 2022.

Another speculation is that shiny Corphish, along with other unreleased Hoenn Shiny Pokemon like Numel, will be added in Pokemon GO's Hoenn Tour. This may happen next year, following the formula of Niantic's Johto Tour this year and the Kanto Tour last year.

This is much more likely as it is based on a series of events Niantic has taken in the past.

While it is unfortunate that Corphish's shiny form is absent from Pokemon GO as of writing, this does not mean its shiny form will not appear at all. It will likely be added in a future event like a Community Day or Spotlight Hour, or it may be held off until next year's GO Fest tour, which may revolve around the Hoenn region.