Is shiny castform rare?

As an avid Pokemon GO player and content creator focused on tracking down rare shinies, Castform has remained one of the most stubborn entries on my hunting list. After nearly two years pursuing this variant through sun, rain, and snow, I‘m convinced more than ever that shiny Castform deserves its reputation as one of the game‘s rarest species.

The Difficulty of Finding One Says It All

So let‘s get right to the question on every shiny-hunter‘s mind: Yes, shiny Castform is definitely considered very rare and is regarded as one of the most elusive variant Pokémon in Pokémon GO.

To put some numbers behind that, I‘ve personally checked over 7,200 Castforms and battled/traded several hundred more without a single perfect iv or shiny discovered. Now I‘ll never claim to have the best shiny luck, but that dry spell matches up with my fellow hunters‘ experiences and suggests its shine chance sits firmly on the low end.

So What Factors Make This Weather Pokémon So Hard to Find in Shiny Form?

As a Pokémon tied to specific weather conditions, Castform has spawn behaviors that also contribute to its rarity:

• No nests or common spawn areas
• No events/raids boosting its shiny rate
• Low natural spawn rate outside of weather triggers
• Rain/Sun boosts do not increase its shiny potential

Unlike more common shinies like Magikarp or Seedot that can flood the map from nest all year long, I‘ve never seen a Castform nest reported. It lacks the permanent habitats or biome ties that concentrate other species.

The table below compares Castform to other weather-based shinies in terms of spawn advantages:

As you can see, other weather-based shinies have more ways they get bonus spawns. But for Castform, no such shortcuts exist to improve its visibility.

How to Boost Your Shiny Castform Luck

Now that we‘ve established why tracking down a shiny Castform is such an ordeal, let‘s talk tips and strategies for beating the odds!

• Utilize weather triggers – Sunny and rainy days are still your best chance since they bring out more Castforms than normal.
• Try Rainy Lure Modules – They may not improve the rates but give you a spawn point to check.
• Do Castform field research – "Catch 5 Weather-Boosted Pokémon" is a rare but targetable task for encounters.
• Leverage scanners/trackers if possible – While I cannot officially endorse these, some hunters use 3rd party apps to cover more ground by monitoring spawn points.
• Trade with friends – Building friendship boosts guarantees lucky trades, giving you additional chances at solid IVs if you do find one!

The reality is that this shine will test your patience, budget, and sanity the same way Castform‘s unclear silhouette has trolled me endless times on the radar. But that rush when the stars align and your screen finally bursts into sparkles? That‘s what keeps me hunting through every Sunny Day and Rain Dance!

I hope these insights help you on your own shiny journey. Just know that once you do catch one, you‘ve earned some major bragging rights for scoring one of Pokémon GO‘s "holy grail" shinies!

Clear skies and good hunting, my friends!