How to catch Grookey in Pokémon Go and can it be shiny?

It’s been a long wait, but finally, Grookey—also known as the best grass-type starter ever—has landed in Pokémon Go. If you want to know how to catch Grookey or whether it can be shiny, we’ve got you covered.

Grookey was first introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield back in 2019 and, five years later, it makes its long-awaited debut during the Pokémon Go Max Out season. It even had to wait until after the Paldea starters joined the game.

Fortunately, the wait for Grookey is over, and we’ve got all the details you need to know about the new Pokémon Go addition below.

How to catch Grookey in Pokémon Go

Grookey is a wild spawn in Pokémon Go and you can encounter anywhere in the overworld. The best bet to finding a Grookey is just to explore, though the best spawn rates are likely to be in large towns or cities. If you’re in a rural area, you can boost your odds by using Incense at a Pokéstop.

During the Max Out season, a new Special Research story is available with branching paths. If you select Grookey from the option of the three Galar starters, expect to encounter Grookey when Field Research Tasks are completed.

Grookey can also hatch from 5km eggs during the Max Out season. If you don’t have time to hatch all your eggs during the season, fear not, as the available Pokémon are decided when you collect the egg and not when it hatches—but this does mean any 5km eggs from before the Max Out season will not have Grookey inside.

Can Grookey be shiny in Pokémon Go?

No, Grookey cannot be shiny in Pokémon Go. Shiny debuts in Pokémon Go usually happen separately from the main debut of a Pokémon, and the wait for a shiny Grookey could continue for a few years.

Alola starters were introduced in March 2022, but it took until this year for shiny versions to be introduced into Pokémon Go—the most recent of which was Popplio in August. That means we could see Gen 10 debut before a shiny Grookey.

How to evolve Grookey in Pokémon Go

Stop me if you’ve heard this before—evolving Grookey in Pokémon Go only requires Grookey Candy, and you won’t need a special item like a Glacial Lure or a Sinnoh Stone. Instead, just gather all the Grookey Candies you can.

Grookey, like all other starters, has two Pokémon in its evolution chain. The first is Thwackey, with the final form being Rillaboom. The requirements for each evolution stage are below:

• Grookey into Thwackey: 25 Grookey Candy
• Thwackey into Rillaboom: 100 Grookey Candy

If you need additional Grookey Candy, the best option is to use a Pinap Berry when attempting to catch a Grookey. If the catch is successful, the amount of Candy you receive is doubled. You can also assign Grookey as your Partner Pokémon, though this approach takes longer.