Catching and evolving certain Pokemon works a little differently in Pokemon GO than in the main series games. This can make it a little confusing to know how to snag specific favorites or complete your collection in the game. Shedinja is one of those Pokemon that doesn’t evolve the same way in Pokemon GO, so let’s take a look at how you can get Shedinja.
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Can You Evolve Nincada to Shedinja in Pokemon GO?
In most Pokemon games where Nincada exists, you can directly evolve it into Shedinja. Nincada is one of many Pokemon with a branching evolution tree, meaning you can evolve it into more than one possible final form.
This Pokemon is unusual, as it simultaneously evolves in the mainline games. When your Nincada levels up and evolves into a Ninjask, it will also branch off and create the “castoff evolution” Shedinja. This happens only if you have an empty, standard PokeBall in your inventory and space in your party, so it’s a bit tricky.
However, evolving Shedinja doesn’t work this way in Pokemon GO. In fact, there is currently no way to evolve your Nincada into a Shedinja in the game. This doesn’t mean there’s no way to get Shedinja in Pokemon GO, however.
How to Get Shedinja in Pokemon GO
Shedinja does not spawn in the wild in Pokemon GO and has yet to appear in raids. This means the only way to get Shedinja is through completing Special Research tasks that lead to Shedinja encounters.
This elusive Pokemon first appeared as a Research Encounter in 2018 and has made sporadic re-appearances ever since. Because it’s a dual bug- and ghost-type Pokemon, Shedinja has been known to feature in events around Halloween.
In addition to its Special Research event appearances, Shedinja has also been a reward for Research Breakthroughs. It does not appear that you can currently get Shedinja this way, but it may return in the future.
Until the next time an event features Shedinja, players can only obtain it in the game by trading with a player who already has one.
Can Shedinja Be Shiny in Pokemon GO?
Finding a Shedinja is rare enough, but of course, players want to know if it has a Shiny form. Yes, Shedinja can be Shiny in Pokemon GO.
The color difference between the two forms is incredibly subtle, making it pretty difficult to tell when you’re looking at a Shiny versus a regular Shedinja. Still, there is a chance for your Research Encounter to spawn a Shiny Shedinja. It’s pretty rare, given how infrequently you can get Shedinja at all, but it is possible.
