Can Salamence be Shiny in Mega Salamence Pokémon Go raids?

Salamence has always been one of the Pokémon series’ most powerful Dragon-types. It’s been tearing up its opponents since it was introduced in Generation III and can be seen on the teams of powerful trainers like Drake, a member of the Elite Four of Hoenn. It takes a fair amount of effort to level up and evolve its predecessors, but once you do, you’re rewarded with a true force of nature for your team—especially if you transform it into Mega Salamence.

As if Mega Salamence wasn’t already cool enough, some players are looking to snag a Shiny one of their very own. With its lime-green skin, Shiny Salamence is noticeably different than its normal version and is sure to leave your enemies green with envy. If you’ve been participating in Pokémon Go‘s Mega Salamence raids, you might be curious whether catching a Shiny Salamence is actually possible.

Here’s everything you need to know about Shiny Mega Salamence in Pokémon Go.

Shiny Mega Salamence details

Rejoice, Shiny fans: it’s possible for Mega Salamence to be Shiny in Pokémon Go. But there’s no way to know if it’s Shiny during the actual raid itself; it will always appear as its standard coloring. After you defeat the Mega Salamence raid boss, you’ll need to enter the Bonus Challenge to see if it’s Shiny. The color Salamence displays during the Bonus Challenge is its true color: if it’s green and red rather than blue and red, you’ve found a Shiny.

The best way to increase your chances of catching a Shiny Salamence is to perform well in the preceding raid. The more you contribute and the better you do, the more Premier Balls you’ll be given, meaning you’ll have more opportunities to catch the Bonus Challenge Salamence. There’s no way to tell whether Salamence is Shiny before you enter the Bonus Challenge; you’ll just have to win the raid, cross all your fingers and toes, and hope you get lucky.