Skip to main content

Pokémon Go - Distracted by Something Shiny quest tasks and rewards: How to get shiny Celebi

How to get a shiny mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Distracted by Something Shiny is a special research questline in Pokémon Go, which will eventually lead you to catching shiny Celebi.

Celebi was originally released into Pokémon Go during 2018 as one of the final rewards for the A Ripple in Time special research.

Distracted by Something Shiny not only allows you to add a second Celebi to your collection, but it will be the latest shiny mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Aside from Celebi, you can also add fellow mythical Pokémon Mew, Jirachi, Meltan and Victini to your Pokédex by completing their special research questlines.

On this page:

Watch on YouTube

Update (1st February): Distracted by Something Shiny will no longer be available from Sunday, 28th February 2021 onwards.

How the Shiny Celebi quest 'Distracted by Something Shiny' works in Pokémon Go

Research quests allow players to complete various challenges for rewards and were released in March 2018. There are a number of different types of research quest, including field, timed and special.

Distracted by Something Shiny is a special research quest and was released on Monday, 14th December as part of the Secrets of the Jungle event. Though, thanks to it being a special research quest, Distracted by Something Shiny has no deadline, you can only receive it if you play Pokémon Go during the Secrets of the Jungle event.

This means that Distracted by Something Shiny is available from Monday, 14th December to Thursday, 17th December ending at 10pm your local time. Remember - you'll have as long as you like to complete Distracted by Something Shiny once you've collected it.

Distracted by Something Shiny is divided into four steps, with each individual step containing three challenges for you to complete. You'll be rewarded for every challenge and overall step you complete, with the final reward being shiny Celebi.

Once you've unlocked Distracted by Something Shiny, you'll be able to complete the quest whenever you like, but, remember, you must log into Pokémon Go during the Secrets of the Jungle event to access the quest.

'Distracted by Something Shiny' quest steps in Pokémon Go

Below you'll find all the steps and confirmed rewards for the Distracted by Something Shiny special research. This section does, however, contain spoilers for the quest, so, if you'd rather be surprised, we recommend skipping this section.

Thank you to redwineandbeer from reddit for the help with this information.

Celebi.

'Distracted by Something Shiny' Step 1 of 4

  • Transfer 10 Pokémon - x20 Ultra Balls
  • Catch 10 Grass-type Pokémon - Nuzleaf encounter
  • Evolve 3 Grass-type Pokémon - Cottonee

Rewards: 500 Stardust, 1000 XP and a Diglett encounter

'Distracted by Something Shiny' Step 2 of 4

  • Play with your Buddy 10 times - Poffin
  • Take a snapshot of a Grass-type Pokémon - Combee encounter
  • Give your Buddy 10 treats - Cherubi encounter

Rewards: 500 Stardust, 1000 XP and a Pinsir encounter

'Distracted by Something Shiny' Step 3 of 4

Rewards: 500 Stardust, 1000 XP and a Vibrava encounter

'Distracted by Something Shiny' Step 4 of 4

  • Claim reward - 500 XP
  • Claim reward - Oddish encounter
  • Claim reward - Foongus

Rewards: 500 Stardust, 1000 XP and a shiny Celebi encounter


The Dual Destiny Season is here! It brings the Holiday Part 1 event with it. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Tips for completing 'Distracted by Something Shiny' in Pokémon Go

Here are some tips that will help you complete the 'Distracted by Something Shiny' quest in Pokémon Go:

  • The best time to complete this quest is during the Secrets of the Jungle event; not only will grass-type Pokémon by appearing more frequently in the wild, but, during the event and in the weeks after, Jessie and James' balloon should be easier to find.
  • If you're having trouble finding grass-type Pokémon, then try placing a Mossy Lure at a PokéStop. This will draw a range of bug, grass and poison-type Pokémon to your location.
  • Incense will also cause more Pokémon to appear close to you and, if you're lucky, one of these might be a grass-type Pokémon.
  • If you're having trouble landing a great curveball throw, then try aiming for Pokémon with large catch rings such as Wailmer or Mr. Mime.

Good luck unlocking shiny Celebi in Pokémon Go!

Read this next