Can Banette be shiny in Pokemon GO?

With Halloween right around the corner, many Pokemon GO players wonder what Ghost-type Pokemon will appear for the holiday. Banette, the Marionette Pokemon, is one of the most recognizable Ghost-type Pokemon, but just having any old Banette may not be enough for some players. Can Banette appear in its shiny variant?

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Banette in Pokemon GO: Can it be shiny?

"An abandoned plush doll became this Pokémon. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away." - an excerpt from Banette's Pokedex entry (Image via Niantic)

Short answer: yes, Banette and its pre-evolved form, Shuppet, can be found in their shiny variants in Pokemon GO. Some players, however, may not know what a shiny variant is or what it looks like.

A shiny form or variant of a Pokemon is a version of a specific Pokemon that appears as a different color than it usually is. A shiny Pokemon also appears with a shining effect on the screen whenever one is encountered. A sparkling symbol will also appear by the Pokemon's name during the encounter.

To encounter a shiny Pokemon, players will need a lot of luck or patience. Shiny Pokemon do not appear on the map, so players will have to start an encounter with every Pokemon that spawns in the wild to check and see if it is shiny or not.

To increase the chances of encountering a shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO, players will need to increase the spawn rate of any Pokemon in general. Increased spawn rates can be accomplished through the use of Incense and Lure Modules. With the combination of both, the chance of finding Pokemon will be significantly increased.

Many Pokemon will have an increased spawn rate throughout the month and thus an increased shiny chance on certain days in Pokemon GO. These events are known as Spotlight Hours and Community Days. Shuppet and Banette do not have any of these events for October 2021, so players will have to get lucky and hope that they can find a Shuppet or Banette.

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Additional information: Shuppet and Banette

A shiny Shuppet as it appears in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Shuppet and Banette are both Ghost-type Pokemon. This means that it takes super effective damage from Dark and other Ghost-type attacks. Ghost-type Pokemon also take less damage from Fighting, Normal, Bug, and Poison-type attacks.

Shuppet and Banette were also introduced in the third generation of main series Pokemon games. Shuppet could be found in the wild at Mount Pyre in the Hoenn region. Shuppet and Banette could be found shiny in those games as well.

In Pokemon GO, Shuppet evolves into Banette through the use of 50 Shuppet candy. Banette has a maximum combat power of 2,296, an attack stat of 218, a defense stat of 126, and a stamina stat of 162.

In summary, Banette and Shuppet are in season for collectors, battlers, and every trainer in between to capture. These Pokemon can also be found in Pokemon GO in their rare and elusive shiny variants. Players looking for shiny Pokemon to add to their collection should keep an eye out for shiny Banette and Shuppet.