Is Shiny Illumise in Pokemon GO?

It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Romantic love for spouses and partners, platonic love for friends and family, and self-love, because you deserve it. Pokemon are certainly no strangers to the concept of love; one such example is the enduring mating rituals of Volbeat and Illumise, the Firefly Pokemon. As it so happens, for the remaining duration of the Valentine’s Day event still running in Pokemon GO today, these Pokemon both have their spawn rates boosted. Perhaps more importantly, though, is shiny Illumise in Pokemon GO?

Is Shiny Illumise in Pokemon GO?

You’ll be happy to know that yes, Illumise’s shiny variant does exist in the Pokemon GO Pokedex. It was added to the game during the Buddy Up event back in April of 2020, and compared to the usual purple coloration on its little body ring things, it has more of a pale pink-ish shade. While finding a shiny Pokemon is never guaranteed, looking for Illumises while their spawn rates are boosted for the Valentine’s Day event will definitely improve your odds.

It should be noted, however, that there is a caveat to finding both Illumise and Volbeat in Pokemon GO. Both Illumise and Volbeat are region-exclusive Pokemon, which means, Valentine’s Day event or not, they can only be found in particular parts of the real world. 

Illumise can only be found in North America, South America, and Africa, while Volbeat can only be found in Europe, Asia, and Australia. If you don’t live in the Americas or Africa, then there is no way for you to obtain an Illumise, shiny or otherwise, at least not without trading with foreign friends. On the bright side, Illumise’s spawning is directly tied to the Valentine’s Day event, so even after it ends, it’ll still be around, albeit in smaller numbers.