Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Game Freak/Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
Julia Lee (she/her) is a guides producer, writing guides for games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pokémon Go. She helped launch the Rift Herald in 2016.
Surskit, the pond skater Pokémon from Hoenn, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Surskit can be shiny in Pokémon Go!
While shiny Surskit isn’t too different from its regular form (just turning a darker blue), shiny Masquerain gets a pretty big change, tinting its entire body green (outside of the pupils on its fake eye wings). Unsurprisingly, neither Surskit nor Masquerain see any use in raiding or PvP.
What is the shiny rate for Surskit in Pokémon Go?
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. Surskit is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).
What can I do to attract more shiny Pokémon?
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.
Where can I find a list of available shiny Pokémon?
LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.
For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.