When is Shiny Articuno, Shiny Moltres, and Shiny Zapdos returning to Pokemon GO?

In the last few weeks, whispers of the Kantonian Legendary Bird trio's arrival in Pokemon GO have been appearing on message boards and social media. This is thanks to the announcement of the game's seventh anniversary, during which there will be an event featuring some of the original Kanto monsters from the title's launch.

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are three of the original Legendary Pokemon. Found around the Kanto region, these creatures were well-hidden and are often thought of as urban legends.

With news of these Pocket Monsters making a comeback, players across the globe are wondering if they will be able to find them in their shiny variants.

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How to get Shiny Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in Pokemon GO

Zapdos, as seen in Pokemon Let's GO: Eevee (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Players will not need to wait long for Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres to make their grand return to Pokemon GO. The anniversary event is scheduled to start on July 6, 2023. Once it hits live servers, trainers will be able to find these Pokemon inhabiting Five-Star Raids. If they're lucky, they will also have the chance to find these creatures in their shiny variants.

Though much easier than finding a Shiny Pokemon in the wild, encountering one through Raid Battles is no walk in the park and can be very costly. The odds of finding Shiny Legendary Pokemon is around 1 in 20. This means that players may need to complete an abundance of raids.

With this in mind, trainers will need a team of other players to grind raids with. They will need a team of powerful Pokemon capable of taking down each of these bosses and an abundance of Raid Passes.

Since Raid Passes were recently reworked, having their prices doubled, players looking to fill their collections must be ready to spend some of their hard-earned money.

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How to counter Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in Pokemon GO

Since all three Legendary Pokemon share a Flying typing, preparing for Raid Battles against these creatures is much easier than many may initially think. Using Rock-type Pokemon is recommended, as using Electric-types have little effect on Zapdos, while using Rock-types deals major damage to Articuno and Moltres.

Golem and Rhyperior are two great choices as they have great bulk while also being able to dish out massive amounts of damage. These counters have also become much easier to find as they evolve from relatively common Pokemon in Pokemon GO, making them perfect for intermediate players.

If trainers are lucky, they should have no problem finding these Legendary Pokemon in their shiny variants.