Can you catch a Shiny Growlithe in Pokemon GO?

Tuesday, March 15, marks the Growlithe Spotlight Hour in Pokemon GO. Though many places have already had this event come and go, various places in the world still have to experience this event. These players waiting for their chance to participate may be wondering if the Pokemon can appear in its shiny variant.

Since the very beginning, Shiny Pokemon have been a staple part of the franchise. Many players remember the Red Gyarados from the second generation of the franchise, but the first Shiny Pokemon in the franchise was the Crystal Onix from the anime. The term "Shiny Pokemon" was not official until the fifth generation.

With the chance to catch and encounter many Growlithe on the horizon, many players may want to know if its shiny variant is available. Due to Niantic bringing many different Shiny Pokemon to the game in seemingly random spurts, it is understandable for players to confirm that a Shiny Pokemon is present.

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Shiny Growlithe in Pokemon GO: Fact or Fiction?

Shiny Growlithe and Arcanine as they appear in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic/Daily Express)

Luckily, players looking to find a Shiny Growlithe in Pokemon GO will be able to do so. However, unlike Community Day events, Spotlight Hours do not increase the likelihood of players encountering a Shiny Pokemon. Due to the highly spiked spawn rate of the spotlight Pokemon, players are more likely to find one.

Another objective shared among players during these Spotlight Hour events is to evolve their Growlithe into Arcanine. Arcanine is a fan-favorite Fire-type from the first generation used by Blaine's Cinnabar Gym Leader. Players could evolve their Growlithe with the Fire Stone item in the main series.

Due to the Fire Stone not being in Pokemon GO, players can evolve their Growlithe through candies. More specifically, players evolve their Growlithe using Growlithe candies. These can be obtained through catching Growlithe, transferring them, or converting Rare Candies into them.

To evolve their Growlithe into Arcanine in Pokemon GO, players will need a total of 50 Growlithe candy. With each capture giving the player three candies and each transfer granting 1, the player will have to catch and transfer a minimum of 14 Growlithe if the player did not have one beforehand.

This number can be cut down further through the use of Pinap berries. Pinap berries double the number of candies rewarded after catching a Pokemon. These berries can be found upon completing quests or spinning Photo Discs at Pokestops. These berries also come in silver and gold variants.

Players looking forward to the Spotlight Hour event for Growlithe in Pokemon GO are in luck. Shiny Growlithe can be found in the wild, even outside of the event. Though the chance of a shiny variant spawning is not increased for the event, players are much more likely to find one, thanks to the spiked spawn rate.