How to Catch Shiny Shieldon and Cranidos in the first Ultra Unlock event

Pokemon go Shiny Shieldon and Cranidos — (Image credit: Niantic)

You'll want to know a how to catch a Shiny Shieldon or Cranidos in Pokemon GO when they make their first debut as part of the Pokemon GO Ultra Unlocks Part 1 event. Shieldon and Cranidos, the fossil Pokemon of the Sinnoh region, will have their rare variants begin to appear starting July 23.

Like other events of the past where Shiny Pokemon are debuting, players will have multiple ways and chances to find these rare Pokemon. These events have also proven that the rate at which trainers find Shiny Pokemon is increased for a limited time giving players more of an incentive to go out and find a Shieldon and Cranidos.

Here’s everything players need to know about Pokemon GO shiny Shieldon and Cranidos and how to catch them.

How to catch Shiny Shieldon and Cranidos in Pokemon GO

Finding Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO is very rare. Community-driven Pokemon GO database, The Silph Road, discovered that the rate of finding a Shiny Pokemon is approximately 1 in 500. This rate is increased during specific events like Community Days.

So, what does this mean for Shiny Shieldon and Cranidos? According to The Silph Road’s findings, a “medium event” like Ultra Unlock Part 1 will increase the Shiny rate of spotlight Pokemon to 1 in 125. After the event concludes, the rate will revert back to 1 in 500 for Shieldon and Cranidos so this will be the best time to find both rare Pokemon.

Luckily, Niantic is making Shieldon and Cranidos available to catch in a variety of ways...

1. Find them in the Wild

Cranidos and Shieldon will be appearing more often in the wild alongside other fossil and man-made Pokemon like Omanyte, Kabuto, Porygon, Baltoy and more. Trainers will see Cranidos and Shieldon appear in the game’s overworld by simply booting up Pokemon GO. When one is found, simply tap on the Pokemon and see if it’s a Shiny.

Trainers can increase the number of Pokemon they encounter by using an Incense to attract Cranidos and Shieldon, among others, to them.

2. Battle in Raids

Niantic confirmed that Shieldon and Cranidos will appear in one-star Raids throughout the duration of the Ultra Unlock Part 1 event. One-star Raids are the most frequent in Pokemon GO, so trainers should see plenty of chances to battle and catch either Shieldon or Cranidos each day.

Raid Passes can be earned by spinning PokeStops, but only one pass can be obtained each day. However, a neat trick to do two Raids in one day is to obtain a Raid Pass from a PokeStop a day before the event begins. Use the Raid Pass on the first day of the event and then spin a PokeStop to get a second Raid Pass.

3. Hatch Eggs

Shiny Shieldon and Shiny Cranidos can also be caught by hatching 7km Eggs during the Ultra Unlock Part 1 event. These types of Eggs can only be obtained by opening gifts from friends when there is an Egg slot open.

It should be noted that 7km Eggs obtained before or after the event won’t contain a Shiny Shieldon or Shiny Cranidos.

4. Complete Research

Ultra Unlock Part 1 will have Timed and Field Research rewards based on the Time theme of the event. At the time of this writing, the specific tasks and rewards are not yet known, but it’s likely that Shieldon and Cranidos will be a part of it.

Timed Research will appear at the start of the event, while Field Research will need to be obtained by spinning PokeStops. Only one Field Research can be completed from each PokeStop per day so trainers will need to explore and spin as many different PokeStops as possible to get the maximum number of Field Research per day.