Can Lunala be Shiny in Pokémon Go?

One particular Pokémon that Pokémon Go trainers have been waiting to see in its Shiny form is Lunala.

The Moone Pokémon, Lunala, made its Pokémon Go debut with the Astral Eclipse event in 2022, along with its sunny counterpart Solgaleo. Both are the possible final evolutions of Cosmog, a Legendary Psychic-type from Alola, with each being the mascot for one Generation VII main series game: Solgaleo for Pokémon Sun, Lunala for Pokémon Moon.

Like Solgaleo, Lunala possesses the unique quality of being one of the few existing Legendary Pokémon that is part of an evolutionary family. This characteristic was not only an important plot point within the Alola games but also in Pokémon Go, where players spent the entirety of the Season of Light working alongside Professor Willow to discover exactly what secrets the mysterious Cosmog held after appearing from an Ultra Wormhole.

As a Ghost/Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon, Lunala’s job is to not only ensure that the light of the moon continues to shine down on the people and Pokémon of the Alola region but also to prevent disasters brought to the region by the Ultra Beasts. But as an Ultra Beast itself, not everyone in the Alola region is willing to let such a magnificent creature protect them.

Can you get Shiny Lunala in Pokémon Go?

For now, Niantic seems to be sticking to its standard of not having Shiny versions available for most Pokémon on their debut. And that applies not only to Lunala but to the entire Cosmog evolutionary line, including Cosmoem and Solgaleo, because it all comes down to the method for catching Cosmog.

Related: How to get Cosmog in Pokémon Go

The Nebula Pokémon, honored with its own Special Research that runs throughout Pokémon Go‘s Season of Light, can only be obtained via that Special Research so far. And the Shiny version can’t be obtained in those tasks, at least as of yet. Because the only way to get any of Cosmog’s evolutions is by evolving it, that also means we can’t have Shiny Cosmoem, Shiny Solgaleo, or Shiny Lunala at this time. Therefore, players of the mobile title won’t be able to see how radiant Lunala looks with crimson wings rather than dark-bluish/purple.

As Cosmog is set to make a reappearance in new Special Research, it’s likely that, at some point in the future, Shiny Cosmog will be made available exclusively through another Special Research quest line—likely behind a paywall. But for now, there’s no indication that the Shiny forms of any of the Pokémon in this evolutionary tree will become available in Pokémon Go anytime soon.