'Pokémon GO' Datamine: Shiny Variants After Latest Patch; Are They Special?
Prior to the Water Festival Event of "Pokémon GO," a new patch has been released for iOS and Android devices which appeared to be just regular updates. Little did trainers know that it is bringing so much more, including a much-awaited feature that made "Pokémon" an addictive game.
On March 21, the update detailed in the game's official website only talked about random evolution items spawning in the seven-day "First PokéStop of the Day" streak as well as some minor text fixes. What it didn't readily confirm was how shiny variants will be appearing soon after, and players were given a wonderful surprise.
Everywhere, trainers were stumbling upon shiny Pokémon, most commonly Magikarp. Players have also discovered that the system will warn them when they attempt to transfer shiny variants, further giving evidence that this was not a glitch but a hidden update, yet a welcome one at that.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
While shiny Pokémon do not possess any special characteristics aside from the animation and the differently-colored sprite, it does give a trainer bragging rights for finding one. These Pokémon are obtained out of luck, and so is a result of patiently scouring every area for the rare spawns.
While many of the shiny variants are Magikarps, it can be argued that there may be other Pokémon available in their shiny form. It may just be a wonderful coincidence due to the Water Festival that increases water-type spawn rate, though no one can complain about a sexy red Gyarados.
According to The Silph Road, the shininess is just one of the features within the patch. It also carries undocumented changes, such as the sky changing when it is daytime or nighttime, throw mechanics, Pokédex buttons for gender identification and a lot more.
If anything, this may be the start of big things to come for the mobile game. After all, every Pokémon trainer has always wanted a shiny variant since it was introduced.
