Legendary Pokémon are some of the most interesting creatures in the series due to their designs and intricate lore, but the two that serve as the mascots for Pokémon Sun and Moon stand out for their otherworldly nature.
Solgaleo, the Sunne Pokémon, is one of two final evolutions in Cosmog’s evolutionary line and serves as the mascot of the main series game Pokémon Sun. The other final evolution, Lunala, is known as the Moone Pokémon and the mascot of Pokémon Moon. They serve as opposites to one another more than simply in nature, as their color schemes are light and dark respectively—though their Shiny forms more closely depict them as the monstrous creatures they are.
The importance of these Legendary Pokémon was on full display during Pokémon Go’s Season of Light in 2022, where Professor Willow, the team leaders, and Rui of the Ultra Recon Squad sought to investigate the mysteries behind the appearance of Ultra Wormholes in the real world. This led players to an encounter with the mysterious Pokémon Cosmog, who possessed an unexpected secret.
Once Cosmog evolves into its second form, Cosmoem, differing circumstances can lead it to evolve into either Solgaleo or Lunala. In Pokémon Go, the only factor that separates obtaining either of these fully-evolved Legendary Pokémon is the time of day.
Yet some players have remained adamant over the past decade that Solgaleo’s color scheme doesn’t truly reflect its status as a deity of the sun, despite Lunala looking the part for the moon. Fortunately, Solgaleo’s Shiny coloration fixes this problem, though it is incredibly elusive in every game it’s in.
Can you get Shiny Solgaleo in Pokémon Go?
Like Cosmoem, both Solgaleo and Lunala can only be obtained in Pokémon Go via evolution. Cosmog, the first in the evolutionary line, can only be obtained through the Special Research tasks and a Shiny version of it is not available yet. Unfortunately, this means players will not be able to see the deep red fur of Shiny Solgaleo that more accurately depicts a being that encompasses the sun.
The first of the evolutionary line, Cosmog, has only been obtainable in Special Research up to this point, so it’s likely that if a Shiny Cosmog was ever added to the mobile game, it would also be placed in Special Research of some kind—likely behind a paywall.
As of now, there is no indication that the Shiny forms of any of these Legendary Pokémon will be added to the game in the immediate future, though that doesn’t mean they won’t be added down the line, as data exists for them in the in-game files.
