Shiny Darkrai Pokemon Go remains one of the rarest and most mythical variants in Pokemon Go. Learn all about when and how trainers can finally catch Darkrai’s pink shiny form after years gone. This extensive shiny hunting guide covers everything from raid counters, PVP potential, trading costs, catch techniques, and what to expect from its inevitable encore.
With only a 1 in 60 chance of encountering this spectral Pokemon, collectors scramble when the opportunity strikes. Our Darkrai shiny hunting guide details raid schedules, ideal Pokemon types to counter, and methods to optimize shiny encounter rates during the limited time it’s available.
Whether you missed out on nabbing a shiny Darkrai before or simply want the best strategies to finally add this variant to your roster, this is the ultimate trainer’s handbook. Discover when the Pitch Black Pokemon returns, how to raid effectively, maximize catch combos, land excellent throws, and more to seize its rare alternate coloration!
How to Catch Shiny Darkrai in Pokemon Go: The Ultimate Guide
What is Shiny Darkrai in Pokemon Go?
Darkrai is a mythical Dark-type Pokemon first discovered in the Sinnoh region. It is known as the Pitch Black Pokemon and is said to cause endless nightmares to those who encounter it.
In Pokemon Go, Darkrai has made multiple appearances in Tier 5 raid battles, giving trainers a chance to catch this elusive Pokemon. A shiny Pokemon is an extremely rare alternate color variant of a Pokemon. While regular Darkrai is black with light blue markings, a shiny Darkrai is pink and red.
The possibility of adding a pink shiny Darkrai to one’s Pokemon collection generates huge excitement in the Pokemon Go community. Its vibrant coloration and mythic rarity makes shiny Darkrai one of the most coveted Pokemon in the game.
Here are some key characteristics of shiny Darkrai in Pokemon Go:
- Appearance: Pink body with red tattoos and bright blue eye
- Rarity: Extremely low shiny rate of approximately 1 in 60 raids
- Significance: One of the rarest and most valued shiny legendaries
- Status: Hasn’t appeared again since initial release
Catching a shiny Darkrai requires tremendous luck and perfect timing as it has only appeared once before for a very limited time. This guide covers everything trainers need to know about how and when they can get their chance at capturing this spectral shiny Pokemon.
When Will Shiny Darkrai Be Available in Pokemon Go?
Darkrai has made three appearances in Pokemon Go so far:
- First in October 2019 as the mythical discovery reward encounter
- Returning to raids in April 2020 for its shiny release
- Recently in raids for the Season of Alola in February 2022
Out of those instances, its second run was the only time shiny Darkrai was available. Typically legendary Pokemon get their shiny forms released in their second cycle of returning to 5-star raids.
So will Darkrai appear again for another opportunity to catch a shiny? It’s very likely. As an immensely popular mythical Pokemon, Niantic brings Darkrai back sporadically to keep interest high in legendary raids.
Here is the potential timeframe for Darkrai’s return:
- 2023 or beyond: Normal Darkrai raids with chance of shiny debut
- Halloween 2023: Possible Darkrai with ghost/psychic moves
Additionally, one-off events like raid hours or Pokemon Go Fest could feature shiny Darkrai as a surprise encounter reward. Whenever it returns, it will create massive hype, sending trainers scrambling to raid battle gyms for the slim chance at a shiny.
The key is to stay updated on events and news so you can take immediate action once Darkrai appears in black—or pink. Keeping plenty of remote raid passes stockpiled for the occasion doesn’t hurt either!
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Characteristics of Shiny Darkrai In Pokemon Go
This table summarizing the key qualities and characteristics of Shiny Darkrai in Pokémon Go:
Quality | Description |
---|---|
Type | Pure Dark |
Appearance | Pink body with bright blue eye and red markings |
Shiny Rate | Approximately 1 in 60 |
Available Forms | No evolutions; possible costumes |
Raid Difficulty | Tier 5 (toughest tier) |
Catch Difficulty | Low base catch rate, very erratic movement |
Battle Performance | Excellent attacker with high DPS |
PVP Viability | Shines in Great, Ultra and Master Leagues |
Trade Cost | 1 million dust if not Ultra/Best friends |
Shiny Trade Odds | Still extremely low, random chance |
Collector Value | One of the most coveted shiny legendaries |
Overall Rarity | Tremendously hard to obtain |
Shiny Darkrai Pokemon Go Raid Counter Guide
When Darkrai eventually returns to Tier 5 raids, you’ll need a battle squad that can defeat it efficiently. Here are the top counters to take down the Pitch Black Pokemon:
Best Overall
- Mega Houndoom – Snarl/Foul Play
- Mega Absol – Snarl/Dark Pulse
- Chandelure – Hex/Shadow Ball
- Darkrai – Snarl/Shadow Ball
- Hydreigon – Bite/Dark Pulse
By Type
Dark: Tyranitar, Weavile, Honchkrow
Fairy: Togekiss, Gardevoir, Clefable
Bug: Genesect, Scizor, Pinsir
Fighting: Machamp, Conkeldurr, Lucario
Make sure your team contains pokemon that are weather boosted during:
- Windy weather for dark and psychic types
- Cloudy weather for fairy types
- Rainy weather for bug types
This will maximize your damage output against the difficult-to-defeat Darkrai.
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Optimizing Shiny Darkrai Encounter Chances
These tips will help improve your odds of finally scoring a shiny Darkrai:
- Use premium battle passes over free passes for more item bundles per raid
- Only raid in groups of +10 trainers to win more reward bundles
- Participate in Darkrai Raid Hour events with quicker back-to-back raids
- Try catching techniques like excellent curveball throws and golden razz berries to boost catch rate
With Darkrai’s standard shiny rate around 1 in 60, you’ll need luck on your side too!
Trading and Powering Up Shiny Darkrai
Trading shiny legendaries comes with costs:
- 1,000,000 Stardust if you lack Ultra or Best Friend status
- Must have previously caught shiny Darkrai to trade it
However, the IV floor is 5/5/5, so you are guaranteed an adequate battling specimen!
To properly invest in your trade acquisition, here is what’s required:
- 374 Darkrai Candy to max out to Level 50
- 310,000 Stardust to power up to max
- Ideal attacks: Snarl + Shadow Ball/Dark Pulse
This will result in a formidable 3,703 max CP Darkrai to devastate gyms!
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Shiny Darkrai in PVP
Thanks to excellent typing and coverage moves, regular Darkrai succeeds in PVP formats too.
Great & Ultra League
Works as lead attacker to shield bait, pressure shields, and deal big damage. Moveset is Snarl with Dark Pulse and Focus Blast.
Master League
Among the elite Master League meta, Darkrai’s stats sit right below the top options. It fills the sweeper role with Snarl, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball moveset.
While the shiny version takes extra investment, it retains the same strengths. Just beware of the higher Stardust and Candy costs.
Shiny Darkrai PVP Moves
This table is showing the best move sets for Shiny Darkrai in Pokémon Go player vs player combat formats:
League | Fast Move | Charged Move 1 | Charged Move 2 |
---|---|---|---|
Great League | Snarl | Dark Pulse | Focus Blast |
Ultra League | Snarl | Dark Pulse | Focus Blast |
Master League | Snarl | Shadow Ball | Dark Pulse |
For Great and Ultra leagues, trainers should run Snarl with Dark Pulse for reliable damage and coverage, plus Focus Blast to threaten steels and dark types that resist its STAB attacks.
In Master League, Snarl combined with the high damage Shadow Ball and reliable Dark Pulse offers the best type coverage and move synergy for Shiny Darkrai to sweep unprepared teams.
Having this reference sheet allows PVP battlers to build an elite Shiny Darkrai with the optimal move sets for each competitive format.
Evolutions and Other Forms
As a mythical Pokemon without evolutions, Darkrai cannot evolve any further. However, Niantic could release costumed variants as they did with the fashionable pink Darkrai during the fashion week event.
While visually distinct, costume Pokémon are solely cosmetic and do not have additional strength in battles. There may also be a chance of them appearing in shiny form.
Stay tuned for potential new versions of Darkrai debuting at events like Halloween 2022 or April Fool’s 2023.
Darkrai 5-star Raid Counters
Pokemon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
---|---|---|
Mega Houndoom | Snarl | Foul Play |
Mega Absol | Snarl | Dark Pulse |
Chandelure | Hex | Shadow Ball |
Darkrai | Snarl | Shadow Ball |
Hydreigon | Bite | Dark Pulse |
Tyranitar | Bite | Crunch |
Weavile | Feint Attack | Foul Play |
Genesect | Fury Cutter | X-Scissor |
Togekiss | Charm | Dazzling Gleam |
Machamp | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
Having this reference sheet makes building an effective Darkrai raid squad simple. Trainers can consult the table to see powerful meta picks like Mega Houndoom and Mega Absol at a glance along with strong supplemental options to fill their battle party.
The goal is to equip raiders with an easy-to-access overview of the top 10 counters so they can approach Darkrai raids fully prepared to take down the tough legendary.
Conclusion
Catching a shiny legendary as rare and powerful as Darkrai is an immense challenge in Pokémon Go. But with proper planning, patience, friends to raid with, and a stroke of shining luck, every trainer has a chance of getting their own pink mythical beast when it returns from the shadows.
Catching a shiny Darkrai is among the ultimate achievements in Pokémon Go. As an elusive mythical pokemon with a stunning and combat-ready alternative coloration, its vibrant pink form drives legions of trainers to raid relentlessly when available.
Yet between the sheer exclusivity, brief raid windows, intense competition, and 1 in 60 base shiny chance, capturing this nocturnal beauty takes skill, resources, and favor from the RNG gods. But by applying the guidance in this guide, your odds will greatly rise.
When Darkrai inevitably remerges, strike immediately before it returns to slumber. Analyze the raid counters to form a team that can topple its tier 5 bulk efficiently. Stockpile battle passes and coins so you can raid optimally during peak hours. Memorize throw techniques to land more balls and maximize catch chances.
While a shiny Darkrai tests the limits of patience and dedication, this guide lights the way to catch one of Pokémon Go’s most prized spectral figures. Just don’t lose your sanity staring at the thousands of standard black Darkrai’s along the path. Persist, and a perfect pink surprise may await!
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