Pokemon Go players in New Zealand and Australia are often the first to encounter new Pokemon because of timezones, and a new event and Shiny debut have caused some problems in the region.
Shiny Legendary Pokemon are among the most valuable Pokemon in existence. There’s a reason people sell them on eBay with the promise of an online trade: fans want to whip out the alternate versions of these majestic beasts.
The Legendary Heroes event in Pokemon Go brings Shiny Zacian into the game for the first time, giving fans a chance to catch the bright blue dog in the mobile game. Unfortunately, players reported that while Zacian had the Shiny animation, it was still the same color as its regular form.
The Niantic Support Twitter/X account was quick to respond, letting trainers know that they were aware of the issue and that it was being investigated.
Trainers, we are investigating a visual issue affecting shiny Zacian, causing the shiny Pokémon to appear with the shiny animation but the standard color. Note that this is not impacting the shiny appearance rate or other shiny-related features (e.g. PokéDex, transfer warnings).
— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) September 25, 2024
Sleuths on The Silph Road Reddit claimed that the issue was due to Shiny Zacian’s assets not being implemented into the game, which was why the base color scheme was loading while the animation remained.
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Fortunately, Niantic was quick on the draw, and users online have been reporting that the issue has been fixed. Shiny Zacian is finally available in Pokemon Go in its all-blue glory.
While Pokemon Go is no stranger to glitches, this instance might be one of the most bizarre yet. Most Pokemon Go bugs are the result of individual circumstances brought on by millions of people playing the same game at once.
Having a Shiny form outright not appearing was a trait shared by everyone, though few players were likely lucky enough to nab Shiny Zacian during the time when the glitch was active. And now, it has been resolved, so the regular Zacian with the Shiny animation is gone for good, meaning one of the rarest Pokemon in existence has been snuffed out.