Pokémon GO’s Unlucky Encounters Show There’s a Shiny Catching Problem

A Pokémon GO player has shared their unlucky encounters with Shiny catches, seemingly showing the game isn’t as helpful as it could be when it comes to capturing rare ‘mons. Pokémon GO players already know the game has some requirements, like having a good GPS connection in order to function, but it’s still tough to catch Shinies for some.

The latest Shiny Pokémon to be added into Pokémon GO are from the Alola region. The Season of Alola event added more than 20 new Pokémon from the Alola location, and the new Shinies include the likes of the Rockruff and Yungoos line. Pokémon GO’s March Community Day also featured Sandshrew, which increased the odds of finding a Shiny Sandshrew. The next Community Day is scheduled for April 23, 2022.

Redditor pokiedokie24 showed pictures of Shinies running away on three separate occasions during just a week of play in Pokémon GO, asking other players if this was a glitch that needs reporting, or just a case of bad luck. After losing a Shiny Chansey, Turtwig, and Tailow within a week, the user wanted to know more. While it’s unclear if the lost Shinies are due to a glitch, other players didn’t report problems, though theories have run wild. Redditor Metashoby posited that playing from within a concrete building was tampering with the game’s GPS, while users including destinofiquenoite suggested OP perhaps needed to update or tweak their phone’s GPS settings. While the issue doesn’t seem to be a widespread glitch, it shows how Pokémon GO‘s catching mechanics aren’t as precise as they could be – which could lead to disappointment, as in the case of pokiedokie24.

It’s possible the problem is a glitch, as there have been other glitches related to Shinies in Pokémon GO, though not all were as disastrous as this alleged bug. One bizarre glitch caused a shiny Ditto to turn into a Drowzee when encountered. Another visual glitch caused a Shiny Staryu’s gem to turn red like its original counterpart when its Shiny version is supposed to have a blue gem. These glitches can be small in scale with little consequences, but there have been others that have caused Pokémon to disappear altogether.

Whether or not this is a GPS-related bug, losing a Shiny Pokémon is never a good feeling for a Pokémon GO Trainer to experience, and it highlights problems the popular game still has. Losing multiple Shiny Pokémon rubs even more salt in the wound, and it’s understandable to wonder if this is a coincidence or a bug. While it’s hard to say for sure, the effects of losing Shiny Pokémon, no matter the game, are undeniable. While the issue may be down to hardware and the mobile devices used, it seems very possible that Pokémon GO still has some improvements to make when it comes to catching Shiny Pokémon.

Pokémon GO is available to download on mobile devices.

Source: pokiedokie24/Reddit, Metashoby/Reddit, destinofiquenoite/Reddit

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