Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: ditto, Niantic, Niantic Labs, pokemon, pokemon go

Guaranteed Shiny Ditto Will Be Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto's Reward

Ahead of the Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto event happening, Niantic teased Pokémon GO fans on Twitter with a simple image: a Poké Ball with the word "Oh?" over it written in golden type. Trainers recognize the "Oh?" from Ditto encounters where, after catching a Pokémon, rather than the standard "Eevee (for example) was caught," the "Oh?" text precedes the newly caught creature transforming into Ditto. What made this familiar image enticing, though, was the use of the golden text that appears in-game when a Shiny Pokémon is caught. Now, some fans wondered in the tweet's replies why this is news. We already knew that the remaining Kanto Pokémon who haven't already had their Shinies released would in fact be released on February 20th, during Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto. Niantic soon followed up with an announcement that Shiny Ditto will be a research reward… and it seems to be a guaranteed Shiny encounter. Let's check it out.

On the official Pokémon GO blog, Niantic posted:

Work alongside Professor Willow in Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto's Special Research story, where you'll learn more about the Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region, practice your Trainer skills, and come across some clues related to a mysterious Pokémon. At the end of the Special Research, you'll encounter a Shiny Ditto!

This is the exact same wording used when Niantic announced the Shiny Celebi Special Research. This means that the Kanto Research will end with a guaranteed Ditto encounter. Many get nervous with the lack of the actual word "guaranteed," but they say it plainly: "You'll encounter a Shiny Ditto."

Also, for those who are wondering what happened to the promise of the Shiny Mew encounter, don't worry! Niantic has always said that completing the Kanto Tour Research will unlock the Shiny Mew Research. It is not one in the same, and the Mew Research, which will be the first-ever of a new mechanic called Masterwork Research, will be a longterm project. This is the first time that we've heard what Pokémon will be the actual Kanto Tour reward.

Though… I can't end this piece without saying I called it two months ago:

So, clearing up a bit of confusion I saw online first. The Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto Ticketed Research does not end with a Shiny Mew encounter. Completing the Ticketed Research unlocked the long-term Shiny Mew Special Research. We don't currently know what the Ticketed Research will offer. It would sure make things easy on Niantic, though, if it culminated in a guaranteed Shiny Ditto encounter…

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