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Pokémon GO: Inkay Spotlight Hour – Shiny Availability & Best Strategies
Inkay is set to take center stage in an upcoming Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour, offering trainers a great opportunity to catch high-IV Inkay, farm XP, and potentially find a Shiny Inkay. This guide covers everything you need to know about the event, including the exact time, special bonuses, Shiny availability, and the best strategies for maximizing your catches.
Table of Contents
Inkay Spotlight Hour – Date, Time & Bonuses
The Inkay Spotlight Hour in Pokémon GO will take place on:
📅 Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time)
🎁 Bonus: 2× Catch XP (Earn double XP for catching Pokémon)
During this hour, Inkay’s spawn rate will be significantly boosted, meaning trainers will see a large number of Inkay in the wild. This is the perfect time to hunt for Shiny Inkay, farm Inkay Candy, and collect XP.
Can Inkay Be Shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes! Shiny Inkay is available in Pokémon GO, but like all wild Shiny Pokémon, it’s never a guaranteed encounter.
🔹 Standard Inkay Appearance: Blue and white body
✨ Shiny Inkay Appearance: Purple and gold body
The odds of encountering a Shiny Inkay remain at the standard wild Pokémon rate (approximately 1 in 500). However, since the Spotlight Hour dramatically increases Inkay’s spawn rate, this event is your best chance to increase the number of encounters and improve your odds of finding a Shiny.
Best Strategies to Get Shiny Inkay in Pokémon GO
Finding a Shiny Inkay requires patience, but there are several ways to maximize your chances during the Spotlight Hour:
1. Use Incense for Increased Spawns
Activating an Incense during the event will continuously attract Inkay to your location. This is especially useful if you’re playing in an area with fewer natural spawns.
2. Attach a Lure Module to a PokéStop
Find a PokéStop in a busy area and place a Lure Module to increase the number of nearby Inkay spawns. This is a great strategy if you plan to play in one spot rather than walking around.
3. Take Advantage of Weather Boosts
Inkay spawns more frequently when certain weather conditions are active:
- 🌫️ Foggy Weather: Boosts Inkay’s Dark-type spawns
- 💨 Windy Weather: Boosts Inkay’s Psychic-type spawns
If you’re in an area with these weather conditions, you’ll see even more Inkay appear in the wild!
4. Fast-Catch Method to Save Time
During a Spotlight Hour, time is of the essence! Use the fast-catch trick to quickly encounter and check more Inkay instead of waiting for each catch animation to finish. This will help you maximize your encounters per hour.
5. Transfer & Catch for Extra Candy
Stock up on Inkay Candy to evolve and power up Malamar later by:
✔️ Using Pinap Berries to double the Candy per catch
✔️ Transferring extra Inkay after the event to make room in your Pokémon storage
How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar (Including Shiny Evolution)
After catching a Shiny Inkay, the next step is evolving it into Shiny Malamar. In Pokémon GO, Inkay has a unique evolution method:
Inkay Evolution Requirements
🔹 Candy Needed: 50 Inkay Candy
🔹 Special Requirement: Flip your phone upside down before evolving
Once you meet both conditions, you’ll be able to evolve Inkay into Malamar, keeping the Shiny colors if applicable!
✨ Shiny Malamar Appearance: Features a deeper purple and gold hue compared to the standard Malamar.
Want Guaranteed Inkay & Malamar? Try Pokémon GO Boosting!
Hunting for high-IV or Shiny Inkay can take a lot of time and luck. If you’re struggling to find one during the Spotlight Hour or don’t have enough Inkay Candy to evolve Malamar, Pokémon GO Boosting at GladiatorBoost is a great solution!
✔️ Get a high-IV or Shiny Inkay delivered
✔️ Save time farming Inkay Candy for evolution
✔️ Unlock Malamar quickly without the grind
Whether you need help catching rare Pokémon, completing difficult challenges, or evolving special event Pokémon, GladiatorBoost ensures a hassle-free Pokémon GO experience.
Final Thoughts
The Inkay Spotlight Hour is an excellent chance to catch high-IV Inkay, farm XP, and hunt for a Shiny Inkay. With boosted spawns, a 2× Catch XP bonus, and proper strategies like using Incense, Lures, and Weather Boosts, trainers can maximize their catch rate during this limited-time event.
Don’t forget to transfer extra Inkay for Candy and prepare for Malamar’s unique evolution mechanic. Best of luck, trainers—may your Spotlight Hour be filled with Shiny Inkay encounters! 🎉
