Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Pokémon GO | Tagged: gible, pokemon, pokemon go

What Really Gives A Shiny "Worth" In Pokémon GO?

Gible Community Day is happening in Pokémon GO on Sunday, June 6th, 2021. Ever since the release of Gible, it was expected that this Pokémon would have a Community Day. The Gible line is pseudo-Legendary like the Dratini, Larvitar, Bagon, and Beldum lines before it. These Pokémon set a pattern before Gible was even released. They'd be rare in the wild, get the Community Day, and then the torch of the most exciting catch in the game would be passed to the next pseudo-Legendary. However, the structure of Community Day changed and Gible saw it's Shiny released unceremoniously in late 2019 outside of an event and outside of a Community Day. Deino, the next pseudo-Legendary, came out… and Gible remained immensely rare, with Niantic monetizing Gible eggs and raids all throughout 2020, making it more available but keeping it at an arm's length to maintain that rarity. Of course, those who caught Shiny Gible were proud of their trophy. Now, though, Gible Community Day has been announced, and the community is largely thrilled. This is what the community expected and most are thankful to see Niantic bring an end to the dangling carrot of Gible. However, some influencers in the game's community and indeed a portion of the playerbase have made the point that their hard-fought Shiny Gible will be useless now that everyone will have one. So we wonder… what does give a Shiny worth in Pokémon GO?

First, understand that this is opinion-based… which is actually my entire point. The worth of a Shiny Pokémon is completely subjective. It's what you bring to it. If you believe that your Shiny Gible is worthless because someone you'll never meet who plays the game across the world has a few, then sure — it's worthless to you. However, I don't believe that someone else having a Shiny — even a lot of people having it — should matter to your experience.

Here's what I believe gives a Shiny worth in Pokémon GO.

Memories. Pokémon GO is about turning experiences into memories. More than powering up Pokémon with Stardust to win raids, more thank ranking up in GO Battle League, more than any kind of battle… I remember where I was when I made certain catches. I remember who I was with. Hell, I remember where I was when my wife got her first Shiny from a raid: Rayquaza. I remember walking with our older friend when I told her my goal of the event was Shiny Snorunt, and I remember her kids laughing when she smirked and showed me her phone, where a Shiny Snortunt sparkled just a block later. I remember catching my first Shiny Gastly and my first Shiny Magikarp, experiences that aren't soured by them being made into Community Day spawns later because those are entirely different experiences. I remember how cool it was when all of the Starter evolutions were in raids in December 2019 with their Shinies available, and how I ran from gym to gym to gym to do as many as I could. Does the release of remote raiding or Shiny Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise encounters with Mega Raids dampen that? No. If anything, it makes those memories sweeter.

Pokémon GO, to me, is fun when we look at it as a series of experiences rather than trophies to celebrate having only when others don't. The latter seems, frankly, cynical. The Shiny Gibles caught before Pokémon GO debuts Gible Community Day will always be impressive, but can't we all agree that Niantic has monetized this thing enough?

It's Deino's time to be the hyper-rare spawn that Niantic uses to completely drain us of our funds!

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