You cannot get Shedinja by evolving Nincada in Pokemon GO: evolving Nincada only gives you a Ninjask. Shedinja comes from special encounters instead, mostly research and event rewards, or from a trade with a friend who already has one.
That makes it one of the rarer Pokemon in the game. Here is how the mechanic differs from the main series, every way Shedinja has been handed out so far, and what to do if you want one now.
Why Nincada Will Not Give You Shedinja
In the main series games, Shedinja is a bonus: when Nincada evolves into Ninjask, a Shedinja appears as well, as long as you have a free party slot and a spare Poke Ball. Pokemon GO has no party slots or leftover Poke Ball check, and it never adopted that trick.
In Pokemon GO, Nincada evolves into Ninjask for 50 Nincada Candy, and that is the whole evolution. Nothing else appears, no matter how full or empty your Pokemon storage is. Fan databases list Shedinja as part of Nincada’s Candy family, but no evolution in the game produces it. The only way to add it to your Pokedex is to encounter one directly or receive one in a trade.
Every Way Shedinja Has Been Distributed
Going by official announcements and fan trackers’ records, Shedinja has never been a regular wild spawn, Egg hatch or raid boss. It has appeared through research and reward tracks, often around October or Bug-type events:
- Research Breakthrough, October 1 to November 1, 2020: the official October 2020 announcement made Shedinja the Research Breakthrough encounter for the month.
- Level 43 challenge: fan trackers list a Shedinja encounter among the rewards for the level-up research that took players from level 42 to 43. That route is gone: the official leveling update on October 15, 2025 removed Level-Up Research for levels 41 to 50.
- Misunderstood Mischief, October 2021: according to fan trackers, a Halloween page of this Special Research included a Shedinja encounter.
- Research Breakthrough, October 2022: Fan trackers record Shedinja returning as the October Breakthrough reward, and this is when Shiny Shedinja first became available.
- Adventures Abound season (September to December 2023): Fan trackers list Shedinja as a Field Research reward that season.
- Bug Out, March 26 to 30, 2025: the official announcement listed Shedinja among the event-themed encounters in the event’s Timed Research.
- Bug Out, March 17 to 23, 2026: Fan trackers list a Shedinja encounter as the top-rank reward of that event’s GO Pass.
The pattern is research, not luck in the wild. Nothing guarantees another appearance, so keep an eye on the in-game Today View and the official news page, especially around Halloween and any Bug-type event.
How to Get Shedinja Right Now
If no current event offers it, trading is the realistic route. Shedinja is not a Mythical Pokemon, so it can be traded like most Pokemon. A few rules from the official trading help page matter here:
- You need to be level 10 or higher to trade at all.
- It counts as a Special Trade if Shedinja is not in your Pokedex yet. Special Trades cost more Stardust, and you can only complete a limited number per day.
- A Shiny Shedinja is always a Special Trade, since Shiny Pokemon are on the same list.
- A Pokemon that has been traded once cannot be traded again, so ask for one your friend caught themselves.
The Stardust cost appears on the confirmation screen before you commit, and community trade charts show it dropping as your friendship level rises, so a close friend with a spare is the cheapest option. Local community groups are the usual place to find one.
Is Shedinja Worth Chasing?
Mostly for the Pokedex. Shedinja is famous in the main series for having a single hit point, and its stats in Pokemon GO are built on the same very low base, so it is not a battler. People chase it because it is rare, because the Shiny is rare on top of that, and because it completes the Nincada line entry in your Pokedex.
If you need Nincada and Ninjask for the same entry, those are much easier: Nincada has shown up regularly in Field Research tasks and Bug-themed events, and Ninjask is a straight Candy evolution.
For other tricky evolutions, see our guides to evolving Pancham and evolving Charcadet, which both use buddy tasks, or the Syrupy Apple guide for an item that only really flows during events. The Pokemon guides hub has the full list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you evolve Nincada into Shedinja in Pokemon GO? No. Nincada only evolves into Ninjask, for 50 Nincada Candy. Shedinja has to be encountered through research or event rewards, or traded.
Can you trade for Shedinja? Yes. It is tradable like most non-Mythical Pokemon. If it is not in your Pokedex yet, the trade counts as a Special Trade, which costs more Stardust and is limited per day.
Is Shiny Shedinja available in Pokemon GO? Yes. Fan trackers record Shiny Shedinja becoming available with the October 2022 Research Breakthrough, and it has only been obtainable through the same research-style rewards since.
Does Shedinja appear in the wild, in Eggs or in raids? Not so far. Every appearance on record has been a research encounter, a Research Breakthrough, a GO Pass reward or similar.
Will Shedinja come back? There is no announcement to point to. It has returned several times, often around October and Bug-type events, so check the Today View and official news when those come around.