Now that the March update for Pokemon GO is available, players are on the hunt for one of the most notable additions: a Shiny Magikarp. The new shiny version of the water Pokemon hasn’t yet been officially acknowledged by Niantic, but multiple sightings from players, as well as pictures shared online by Pokemon GO players, confirm its existence.
For those new to Pokemon GO, it may be confusing why a random Pokemon like a Magikarp and its evolution, Gyarados, would be the first chosen for Shinies. Why wouldn’t Niantic opt for something a little more iconic, such as Charmander or Pikachu? Interestingly, the answer to that question comes from way back from the days of Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal.
In Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, players could search out a special, shiny Magikarp at the Lake of Rage. It was the first Shiny Pokemon available in the series, so it makes sense that Niantic would choose to make Magikarp and Gyarados the first Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
So how do gamers catch a Shiny Magikarp or Shiny Gyarados? Here’s Game Rant’s guide to catching a Shiny Magikarp in Pokemon GO.
How to Catch a Shiny Magikarp
At the moment, the only way to catch a Shiny Magikarp or Shiny Gyarados in Pokemon GO is to search out these Pokemon as players would for a normal Magikarp or Gyarados. As players traverse their communities looking for Pokemon, they will come across a Magikarp like normal. However, once players enter the catch screen with the Magikarp, they will notice it is a different color. Rather than the normal orange, the Magikarp will be gold, denoting its Shiny nature.
It’s important to note that if Pokemon GO players are searching for a Magikarp in a group, it is possible for one player to see a Shiny Magikarp while the other players see a normal one. It’s also worth pointing out that the Shiny Magikarp is a very rare Pokemon, so players will likely have to search for a while to find one. That said, we recommend players search in areas where Magikarp are normally found in abundance, such as areas close to water, as that should make finding a Shiny Magikarp a little bit easier.
New Shiny Symbol
While its not live yet, gamers have discovered via data mining that an upcoming update will add a symbol for Shiny Pokemon to make it easy for gamers to recognize when they’ve found and caught a Shiny version of a Pokemon in Pokemon GO. The new symbol will be attached to the gender symbol of the Pokemon and look like a small, gold button.
Hopefully once these symbols go live, Niantic will also offer some additional details about the Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO, including which Pokemon will be joining Magikarp and Gyarados as Shiny Pokemon. It would also be nice to get more information about how to find Shiny Pokemon and if there are any tricks to finding a Shiny Pokemon in the wild. In the meantime, gamers will need to continue searching out their neighborhoods and communities for a Shiny Magikarp or Shiny Gyarados.
Pokemon GO is currently available on Android and iOS devices.