Shiny Pokemon are a rare and exciting sight no matter where you encounter them. But Shiny hunting has become especially popular in Pokemon Go, as gamers chase down variants in the real world. For competitive players, having a perfect Shiny, aka Shundo, is ideal, and that often means evolving your Shiny to its highest form. But certain Pokemon are just too perfect in their early stages to evolve. Recently, Pokemon Go fans revealed the early-stage Shiny Pokemon they just can’t bear to evolve.
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Let’s face it, not all Shiny Pokemon are created equally. Some designs are flawless, while others are barely different from the originals. In some cases, both extremes can exist in the same evolutionary line. When that happens, trainers might refuse to evolve their Pokemon and mess up the glory of its original Shiny vibe.
Often, the decision comes down to pure cuteness. Some Pokemon just need to stay smol, especially in their extra-adorable Shiny forms. But other times, trainers won’t evolve a Shiny because the next stage is just too hideous. For whatever reason, there are some Shiny Pokemon that Pokemon Go players simply must leave as they are.
Top Shinies Ruined by Evolution, According to Fans
Based on fan responses an upvotes, here are the Pokemon that most Pokemon Go players prefer to leave involved in their Shiny forms.
Shiny Pysduck

I’m pleased to report that the top vote for the Shiny Pokemon gamers never evolve is one of my personal favorites. Shiny Psyduck is a lovely ice blue color, quite a big difference from its usual yellow hue. By contrast, evolving it to Shiny Golduck is basically a crime. This is one of the least exciting Shiny Pokemon, as it’s simply a slightly darker shade of blue. Talk about boring.
Shiny Skorupi

Psyduck isn’t the only Shiny that gamers don’t want to evolve, however. Another top contender, at least according to Reddit upvotes, is Shiny Skorupi. This Shiny takes the usual purple hue and gives it a bright red and maroon twist. By contrast, its evolution Drapion is downright uninteresting. The color variation in the evolved form is simply much less intense, making it a serious downgrade.
Shiny Slakoth

Next on the list is Slakoth, which is bright pink in its Shiny form. Those who evolve before they look up Shiny variants will be disappointed to learn that Vigoroth and Slaking are both much less colorful as Shiny Pokemon. Both are just slight shifts from their regular hue rather than the cotton candy pink of Slakoth.
Shiny Wooloo

I’ll be honest. After the first time, I never evolve Wooloo. It’s just too cute compared to Dubwool. And clearly, I’m not alone. Many gamers confess they can’t bear to evolve cute little black sheep Wooloo into its larger, less adorable counterpart. Yes, Shiny Dubwool retains the black sheep vibes, but the neck flull being grey rather than white really takes away from the contrast that makes Shiny Wooloo so perfect.
Shiny Dragonair

At last, there’s Shiny Dragonair. Many jokes have been made about the way Dragonair changes when it evolves into Dragonite. From a slim blue dragon in its first two forms, Dragonair suddenly becomes a chunky bipedal creature. But in Shiny form, it’s even worse. Both Shiny Dratini and Shiny Dragonair are a pretty cotton candy pink. By contrast, Shiny Dragonite is an odd shade of green that many gamers just aren’t interested in having on their team.
What Shiny Pokemon do you keep unevolved in your Pokemon Go bag? Let us know in the comments below.