Some Pokemon GO players are reporting specific Shiny Pokemon going missing from their accounts, with many fans claiming to have mysteriously lost their Shiny Cetitans. Throughout the nearly 10 years since the beloved monster-catching mobile game burst onto the scene, Niantic and later Scopely have added a plethora of popular creatures. Pokemon GO now spans all nine main-series generations of the Pokemon franchise, including many of the regional variants added in games like Pokemon Sun and Moon and Pokemon Legends: Arceus. However, one particular type of Pokemon serves as one of the game’s most elusive and highly sought-after variants.
Shiny Pokemon have been a staple of the Pokemon franchise since the alternate color variants were first introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Each Pokemon throughout the extensive history of the series has received its own Shiny version, often featuring different color patterns from its standard counterparts. Pokemon GO makes catching Shiny Pokemon particularly easy for fans, often increasing the encounter rates for Shiny Pokemon during events like Community Days and Raid Hours. Now, some Pokemon GO fans are noticing a specific Shiny Pokemon being mysteriously removed from their accounts with no explanation.
Some Pokemon GO Fans Are Losing Shiny Cetitans
The Pokemon GO subreddit has seen multiple posts recently about fans finding that Shiny Cetitans had vanished from their account. Reddit user legitimateaccount2 shared their story of the unexpected removal of a Shiny Cetitan from their account, having only traded for the Cetoddle the night before, when going to leave the Pokemon in a Gym. Another user by the name of Yakill4635 confirmed that they had received a notification about the Shiny Cetitan being removed, having a complaint tag next to its name before being removed entirely. The Reddit user even revealed that the Shiny variant of Cetitan had been completely removed from their in-game Pokedex.
The unexpected removal of the Shiny Cetitan prompted many fans in the second post to suggest a potential reason for the disappearing Pokemon. Another Pokemon GO fan in the post’s replies suggested that the Cetitan may have been removed as part of Scopely’s anti-cheat measures, with the company said to be ramping up its efforts to combat cheaters. Some fans suggested there may be some issues with the Pokemon’s Shiny variant, with another fan in the post’s replies claiming to have lost a Shiny Cetoddle they had traded for. The issue does seem to be exclusive to recent Shiny Cetoddles, with other users still having older versions of the Pokemon.
Pokemon GO Has Holiday Festivities and More On The Way
The mysterious Shiny Pokemon removals come as the mobile game is in the midst of its holiday festivities. Pokemon GO officially kicked off Part 2 of its ongoing Winter Holiday event on December 24, adding Rolycoly to the game alongside some Christmas-themed variants. Cetoddle is also one of the featured Pokemon for Pokemon GO‘s winter event, with fans able to find the Gen 9 Ice Pokemon at increased rates and with better chances to find a Shiny Cetoddle. Cetoddle will see boosted spawns throughout the rest of the event, scheduled to end on December 29.
Beyond its holiday festivities, Pokemon GO looks to have lots in store to kick off 2026 with a busy January. The mobile game will host two unique Community Day events during January, starting with a Community Day Classic featuring Piplup and later putting the spotlight on Grookey on January 18. Pokemon GO is also set to run a New Year’s event starting on December 31, featuring costumed variants of Hoothoot and Pikachu to ring in the new year. Fans of Pokemon GO should be able to hit the ground running in 2026 with plenty of special events and new Pokemon on the way.
