Fans of the Catch em’ all mobile app have something big to get excited about! With recent updates bringing in a new wave of critters, the Water Festival, and better location methods – who would have expected this unannounced bit of excitement to crop up? Pokemon Go shiny Pokemon are now available for daring adventurer willing to go out and catch them!

Several users on the Pokemon Subreddit “The Silph Road” have shared screenshots and videos of shiny Magikarp and Gyarados! These finds come as a surprise since they were never announced by Niantic or The Pokemon Company. Some speculation surrounds the finding as these shinies may just be part of the Water-type event going on now.

According to players who have been lucky enough to find a shiny Pokemon, you won’t know if it is shiny until you try to catch it. Once in the battle screen, the Pokemon will be a different color. Tread lightly, though, as one player found that shiny might turn out to be a Ditto in disguise!

Shiny Pokemon first hit the scene in Pokemon Gold and Silver. In the games, red Gyarados played a large role and was able to be caught by any player at the Lake of Rage. Shiny Pokemon have been extremely rare in the main series, though the probability of a random encounter being shiny is roughly 1 in 8000.

February marked the addition of Pokemon Gold and Silver creatures joining the mobile game with trading and legendary Pokemon expected sometime this year. It is still unclear if shiny Pokemon will remain within the mobile app, and if other creatures will become available, but we can always remain hopeful. The team at Niantic have been up-to-date when adding new content, like the promised trading feature that fans have been asking for and should be seeing soon.

Are you excited for shiny Pokemon? How has your hunt been in the Water Festival? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below or start your own on our Disqus! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!