Can Slowpoke and Galarian Slowpoke be shiny in Pokémon Go?

Slowpoke, the dopey Pokémon from Kanto, alongside its kin from Galar, Galarian Slowpoke can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Slowpoke and Galarian Slowpoke can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Both Slowpoke and its Galarian sibling can be shiny. Most dedicated Pokémon Go players will already have shiny Slowpoke thanks to its Community Day back in March 2023. The difference between shiny and non-shiny Slowpoke can be easy to see when put side-by-side to its regular version, but it’s hard to see otherwise. Make sure you look out for those sparkles and the shiny indicator above the Pokémon’s name when you’re shiny hunting for this light pink friend.

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Slowpoke is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.