Is Shiny Plusle in Pokémon GO?

When did it become a rule that every generation of Pokémon needs to have its own expy of Pikachu? Gen 2 brought Pichu, Gen 3 brought Plusle and Minun, Gen 4 brought Pachirisu, and so on. I get that Pikachu is the face of the franchise, but you don’t see Disney introducing Mickey Mouse knock-offs every few years. Not anymore, at least. Well, speaking of little electric critters, is shiny Plusle in Pokémon GO?

It’s been confirmed that for this week’s Spotlight Hour on January 18th at 6:00 PM local time, the highlighted Pokémon will be Plusle, the positive half of Gen 3’s personal Pikachu duo. During the Spotlight Hour, Plusles will be appearing in much greater numbers around the world, and all catches will yield double catch candy (not that it matters, since Plusle doesn’t evolve). With so many Plusles showing up, it’s understandable to wonder if you have a chance of catching a shiny one. So… do you? Thankfully, yes, yes you do.

Is Shiny Plusle in Pokémon GO?

Plusle’s shiny variation was added to Pokémon GO during the Pokémon GO Fest back in 2018, and it is entirely possible to encounter one during the boosted spawns of the Spotlight Hour. Granted, the particular coloration of a shiny Plusle does make it a bit tricky to discern from its regular counterpart. The difference between a regular Plusle and a shiny Plusle is that the shiny one’s ears, cheeks, and hands are a slightly darker shade of red. Of course, the big burst of sparkles that accompany every shiny Pokémon will still tip you off when you encounter one, so don’t need to be that discerning about it.