Can Vulpix be shiny in Pokémon Go?

If you find a Vulpix in the Pokémon Go wilds, does it have any chance to be shiny?

By Julia Lee

This article references relevant content from the polygon.com website. Original article link: [https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-go-guide/23814223/can-vulpix-be-shiny-ninetales]

Can Vulpix be shiny in Pokémon Go?
Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Game Freak/Nintendo, The Pokémon Company

Vulpix, the fox Pokémon from Kanto, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Vulpix can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Vulpix and Ninetales next to their Shiny forms. Vulpix is usually orange but turns gold when Shiny. Vulpix, normally gold, turns silver and blue.

Vulpix and Ninetales were both turned shiny-eligible as part of a fall-themed event in October 2020. Note that this version of Vulpix is not to be confused with its ice-type Alolan counterpart, which is also available shiny, but is separate.

What is the shiny rate for Vulpix in Pokémon Go?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Vulpix is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

Alolan Vulpix may be permaboosted, as Alolan variants of Pokémon typically are, but it was not listed on the Silph Road’s shiny page, so we can’t confirm that with 100% certainty.

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.

LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.

For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.