Pokemon GO Shiny Glitch - Can You Get Blue Zapdos?

Everyone who plays Pokémon GO knows shiny Pokémon are usually always a different color from their original form. But one player happened to come across a surprising switch in the system with a shiny Pokémon appearing differently from what most would expect it to look like in Pokémon GO.

On July 10, 2022, a Redditor happened across a glitch turning a shiny Zapdos from its natural dark orange-ish yellow hue into a blue one. After coming across the Pokémon in a Raid, the player took to Reddit to post their shocking find.

Can you get shiny blue Zapdos in Pokémon GO?

Glitches or bugs throughout Pokémon GO are quite common, some resulting in the Pokémon disappearing, changing color, or maybe the entire app crashing. One thing is for sure with almost every issue Pokémon GO players face, it’s usually never, ever permanent.

In the Reddit post shared by Lunlimited, they acquired the shiny blue Zapdos by simply defeating the Raid. It was just an average, casual Raid wherein the Legendary Pokémon happened to be a shinier, shiny. But there wasn’t any secret move, or tapping gesture causing the glitch. 

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Lunlimited commented, “[I] got this glitch when Raiding. Stayed through to the catch and the bag, [but I] haven't brought myself to close the app as I'm sure it'll go back to normal if I do.”

After some time, Lunlimited eventually refreshed their Pokémon GO tab to see if the Zapdos remained blue, and sadly, the Pokémon returned to its traditional look. They didn’t close the app at all; after an hour and a refresh, shiny blue Zapdos reverted to its natural feathers.

So if you’re wondering if you can catch a shiny blue Zapdos in Pokémon GO, the short answer is no. Maybe you can currently, but not permanently.

At first, some wondered if the shiny version was an Alolan Zapdos or some spin-off regarding the Legendary Pokémon because it happened after and during Pokémon GO Fest 2022 and Pokémon GO Battle Weekend 2022, but it was merely a glitch.

However, fans who followed the story, “is it shiny, or is it not” still wish for it to be real. Some call the rare Pokémon glitched Zapdos, Artidos implying a mix between frost bird Articuno and the latter. Others even titled it a possible special Ice Zapdos instead of its regular Electric type.

But what’s certain for sure is blue Zapdos will be missed. Gone, but never forgotten.

For more awesome content, check out our section dedicated to Pokémon GO news, guides, updates, and more!

Featured image courtesy of Niantic.