Can you catch a shiny Tapu Bulu in Pokémon Go?

Many of the Pokémon you find in Pokémon Go have the chance to appear as their shiny version. These are unique colorations of the standard Pokémon, and they also have a distinct shine animation when they appear in battle. A shiny Pokémon is extremely rare, but you can expect to find standard and legendary Pokémon throughout the game with shiny versions. Can you catch a shiny Tapu Bulu in Pokémon Go?

Can you catch a shiny Tapu Bulu?

We can confirm that when Tapu Bulu appears in five-star raids for Pokémon Go, you will not be able to catch it. Tapu Bulu is making its debut during the Spring Into Spring 2022 event, from April 12 to 18. During the event, you and other trainers can work together to try catching Tapu Bulu in specific five-star raids. By defeating this Pokémon, you can catch it and add it to your collection. However, because it is Tapu Bulu’s debut, the shiny version of this Pokémon will not be available.

We can expect this shiny version to appear the next time Tapu Bulu reappears in the mobile game, which means in a year or so. Developers Niantic finds themselves following this timeline with nearly every Pokémon in the game, especially with legendary Pokémon. We recommend grabbing Tapu Bulu now, while you can, and then trying again for a shiny version in future five-star raids. The shiny version will be available when a large event centered around its return will happen, likely at the same time as the other Tapu Guardians.