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How to get Shadow Mankey in Pokemon GO, and can it be shiny?

Pokemon GO's Galarian Expedition event is almost here, and with it comes a wave of new Shadow Pokemon for the community to discover. One of the most promising of the batch is Shadow Mankey. Debuting in the first generation, Mankey has been one of the most popular Kanto Pokemon going into the new generation, thanks to the introduction of its new final evolution, Annihilape.

With this new Shadow Pokemon having the potential to outshine its standard variant thanks to the Shadow Boost, many players are wondering how to obtain this Shadow Pokemon. Sadly, Shadow Mankey's shiny form will not be present during Pokemon GO's Galarian Expedition Taken Over event.

Here is everything to know about Shadow Mankey in Pokemon GO.


How to find Shadow Mankey in Pokemon GO

Shadow Mankey can be found by challenging Team GO Rocket grunts (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Shadow Mankey can be found by challenging Team GO Rocket grunts (Image via The Pokemon Company)

It has been confirmed that Shadow Mankey will not be available through challenging the Team GO Rocket admins. And since it is not a part of the event's Shadow Raid list, this means that this Pokemon can only be obtained by challenging and defeating Team GO Rocket grunts.

Every Team GO Rocket grunt uses creatures of a specific element, with a couple of exceptions. Knowing this pattern, it would be safe to assume that Shadow Mankey can be obtained by challenging the Team GO Rocket grunts that utilize Fighting-type Pokemon. Players can identify this grunt through their opening dialogue:

  • "This buff physique isn't just for show!"

It is possible that this grunt may not have Mankey in their party when players battle them, as each grunt's team is picked from a table of creatures, rather than a sequential list. With this in mind, it would be safe to assume players have around a 33% to 50% chance of seeing a Shadow Mankey with every Fighting-type grunt encountered.

Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator


How to find Shiny Shadow Mankey when it comes to Pokemon GO

Shiny Shadow Mankey will have around a 1 in 128 chance to appear when it is introduced to the game (Image via Niantic)
Shiny Shadow Mankey will have around a 1 in 128 chance to appear when it is introduced to the game (Image via Niantic)

When Shiny Shadow Mankey eventually debuts in Pokemon GO, it can be found through encounters with Team GO Rocket members or Shadow Raids. While it is not available in the current takeover, there is a good chance it will be included as a part of the next Team Rocket Takeover in Pokemon GO.

Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator


Will Shadow Mankey be good in Pokemon GO?

When Shadow Mankey ultimately evolves into Shadow Annihilape, there is a good chance it will become the competitive standard over its standard variety. Annihilape's bulk comes from its stamina stat, which is even higher than its attack, so the defense drop from the Shadow Boost will matter much less on it.

With the Shadow Boost only taking 10% from a creature's base defense stat, this leaves Annihilape only a measly 17 points down. Its attack, on the other hand, will receive a boost of around 44 points in exchange, making it a worthy trade.


For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

  • Ditto disguises
  • Sierra counters
  • Cliff counters
  • Arlo counters
  • Giovanni counters
  • Team GO Rocket Grunts

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