Many of the Pokémon in Pokémon Go have their shiny versions available. However, before they’re initially released, they’re typically tied to an event or alongside one of the weekly ones. It can vary. For legendary Pokémon, when they receive their shiny versions and have those released to the public, they’re around for a while. Raikou has had its shiny version released before its return on January 31, 2021. If you’re looking to catch it again, we detailed its best moveset, if it was good in the game, and how to beat it in five-star raids. But did Niantic make it possible for players to catch it again?
Before Raikou arrived, the Fire-type legendary beasts, Entei, had been featured in five-star raids. While it was more difficult to catch its shiny version, some players did confirm they were able to encounter and catch one. The same might be said for Raikou. It’s likely to be possible for you to encounter it as a shiny, but it won’t be too easy. The chances are already stacked against you, so it never hurts to try and increases those odds by reaching out to friends and other Pokémon Go players to invite you to remote raids.
It’ll be difficult to capture a shiny Raikou with the best moveset. Players will have until January 31 to February 4, so you only have a few days. Luckily, the Wednesday night raid hour from 6 PM to 7 PM in your local time zone makes it, so Raikou spawns all over the map, and that might be the best time to potentially see if a shiny version will appear after you’ve beaten it in battle.
Following Raikou, Suicune will be entering the raid pool starting on February 4. If you’re more interested in the Water-type Pokémon, you only have to wait a few days. But being able to catch all three legendary beasts would give you a good, rounded team to use in raids and the PvP Battle League.
