Sandyghast and Palossand
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How to get Shiny Sandygast and Shiny Palossand in Pokémon Go

A sand castle you don't want to mess with.

Every Pokémon Go trainer knows the struggle of catching a Shiny variant, one of the rarest creatures in the game. But, despite their rarities, there are a few ways to help you even the odds. For this guide, we’ll show you how to get a Shiny Sandygast and Shiny Palossand in Pokémon Go.

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Where to find Shiny Sandygast in Pokémon Go

Shiny Sandygasts don’t appear too often unless an ongoing event increases their spawn rate. In particular, Pokémon Go’s Holiday Part 1 celebration gives you much more chances, lasting from Dec. 17 to Dec. 22, 2024, at 9:59 a.m. local time. While this event is active, you can complete the following tasks to unlock a Shiny Sandygast in Pokémon Go:

  • Participate in One-Star Raids
  • Catch a Shiny Sandygast in the Wilds
  • Complete specific Research Tasks
  • Trading

In comparison to other techniques, Research Tasks offer a much more guaranteed method for Shiny variant farming. For example, the Holiday Part 1 event presents various objectives that reward you with Pokémon encounters. One🌌 of these tasks could result in a Shiny Sandygast pull, so try to test out your luck to see if it happens. The objectives shown there are also pretty simple to complete, such as spinning five PokéStops✅/Gyms and walking for 2km.

Holiday Part 1 Pokemon Go tasks
Screenshot by Destructoid

Here are a few Research Tasks that provide you with a possible Shiny Sandygast dro𝓰p:

  • Explore 2 km in Holiday Part 1 (1/3)
  • Complete all tasks in Holiday Part 1 (Help Spark)
  • Complete all tasks in Holiday Part 1 (3/4 Track Sierra)
  • Catch 10 Ground-Type Pokémon (Field-Research Task)

Besides Research Tasks, you can start trading with friends. Although you’ll need to give up one of your own Pokémon, it’ll still give you the Shiny Sandygast you’re looking for.

How to increase your odds for Shiny Sandygast in the Wilds

Catching a Shiny Sandygast in the Wilds is one of the most tried and true methods. The best thing you can do for this is to capture regular Sandygast, which (hopefully) leads you to its Shiny form. However, in some cases, this method doesn’t work out, no matter how many Pokémon you’ve captured. So, if you’re currently experiencing this problem, take advantage of Weather Boosts, specifically with Foggy and Sunny weather. Sandygast thrives more so in this wꦰeather, making them come out mꦰore in the Wilds.

To boost your chances even further, utilize Lure Modules and Incense. It’ll attract more Pokémon temporarily, luring all sorts of creatures in return.

Best counters to use against Sandygast in Pokémon Go

If you’re ready to duke it out with a Sandygast, use the following counters to defeat it easily in One-Star Raids:

  • Kartana
  • Mega Gengar
  • Necrozma Dawn Wings
  • Primal Kyogre
  • Shadow Tyranitar
  • Darmanitan Galarian Zen
  • Chandelure

Since Sandygast is weak against Water, Grass, Ice, Ghost, and Dark types, utilizing any of the Pokémon above is crucial. You can also select movesets with these types in mind, as they will deal significant damage to the creature. Even if you don’t have any of these Pokémon, you can settle for others that meet this criteria.

How to get Shiny Palossand in Pokémon Go

To take it to the next level, you can evolve the Shiny Sandygast to unlock a Shiny Palossand in Pokémon Go. It’ll require 50 candies, which you can earn by transferring Pokémon or setting Sandygast as a Buddy.

Palossand in Pokemon Go
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If you aren’t familiar with the transferring method, you’ll need to collect a whole bunch of Sandygast out in the Wilds. It’ll be easier to do when certain events increase its spawns. Then, once you collect enough, select the duplicates in your collection and choose to transfer them to the professor. The process can take a while, so try to capture as many Sandygast as possible to quicken the pace.


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Kristina Ebanez
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Staff Writer - Kristina has been a video game lover ever since she saw Solid Snake get under that cardboard box in Metal Gear Solid. She continues to show off her love for gaming and has been writing about it for more than two years. Aside from the Metal Gear Solid series, she enjoys playing The Sims, Call of Duty, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Horizon Forbidden West, Minecraft, and many more.