The question should you purify shadow Pokémon Pokémon GO is one of the most common debates among Pokémon GO players. Shadow Pokémon behave differently from regular Pokémon, offering powerful attack boosts but also coming with certain drawbacks. Because purification permanently changes the Pokémon, many trainers want to understand whether it is worth doing before making the decision.
In Pokémon GO, Shadow Pokémon are rescued from Team GO Rocket encounters. After defeating Rocket Grunts, Leaders or Giovanni, players have the chance to capture a Shadow Pokémon and decide whether to keep it in its shadow form or purify it. The decision has important implications for raids, PvP battles and overall team strength.
Understanding the advantages and disadvantages will help determine should you purify shadow Pokémon depending on your goals in Pokémon GO.
What Is A Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO
Shadow Pokémon are corrupted versions of normal Pokémon that have been taken over by Team GO Rocket. These Pokémon have glowing red eyes and an ominous purple aura surrounding them.
The key difference between Shadow Pokémon and normal Pokémon is their battle statistics. Shadow Pokémon receive a 20 percent attack boost, making them extremely powerful in battles. However, they also take 20 percent more damage, making them more fragile.
Because of this trade off, Shadow Pokémon are often stronger damage dealers but require careful use in battle.
Another important detail is that Shadow Pokémon initially know the charged move Frustration, which cannot normally be removed unless a special Team GO Rocket event allows it.
These unique mechanics are why players often ask should you purify shadow Pokémon before investing resources into them.
What Happens When You Purify A Shadow Pokémon
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon removes the dark aura and transforms it into a regular purified Pokémon. This process costs Stardust and Candy, but it provides several benefits.
When a Pokémon is purified, the following changes occur:
• Each IV stat increases by 2 points
• The move Frustration is replaced with Return
• The Pokémon becomes cheaper to power up and evolve
• The Pokémon gains a special purified visual effect
Purified Pokémon also receive a small Stardust discount for powering up, which can be useful for trainers trying to conserve resources.
However, purification permanently removes the Shadow attack bonus. This is the main reason many experienced players hesitate when deciding should you purify shadow Pokémon.
The Biggest Advantage Of Shadow Pokémon
The primary reason many players keep Shadow Pokémon is their huge attack boost.
The 20 percent attack bonus means Shadow Pokémon can deal significantly more damage than their normal or purified counterparts. In raids and gym battles where damage output matters most, Shadow Pokémon are often considered the best option.
For example, a Shadow version of strong attackers such as:
• Shadow Mewtwo
• Shadow Metagross
• Shadow Salamence
• Shadow Tyranitar
can outperform their regular versions by a noticeable margin.
Because of this damage advantage, many high level players will say the answer to should you purify shadow Pokémon is usually no, especially for strong raid attackers.
The Benefits Of Purifying Shadow Pokémon
Despite the power of Shadow Pokémon, there are still situations where purification can be beneficial.
Purifying can be useful when:
• The Pokémon already has strong IVs and purification pushes it closer to perfect
• You want a cheaper Pokémon to power up
• You are completing purification related research tasks
• The Pokémon is not useful as a raid attacker
Purified Pokémon also receive the move Return, which can sometimes be useful in certain PvP situations.
Additionally, some trainers simply prefer purified Pokémon for collection purposes, especially if they become a perfect 100 percent IV Pokémon after purification.
These scenarios explain why the question should you purify shadow Pokémon does not have a single answer for every situation.
Next Read: How to Catch Mewtwo Pokémon GO: Best Tips for a Successful Legendary Catch
When You Should NOT Purify Shadow Pokémon
In most cases, it is best not to purify Shadow Pokémon that are already strong attackers.
High value Shadow Pokémon should almost always remain shadow if they are useful for raids or PvP. This is because the attack bonus often outweighs the small IV improvements gained through purification.
Examples of Shadow Pokémon worth keeping include:
• Shadow Mewtwo
• Shadow Machamp
• Shadow Dragonite
• Shadow Metagross
• Shadow Swampert
Purifying these Pokémon removes their strongest advantage and can make them weaker overall compared to their shadow form.
Because of this, many experienced players recommend keeping powerful Pokémon in their shadow form.
When you encounter a rare Pokémon after a battle, using a Golden Razz Berry can dramatically increase your capture chance. Our guide on how to get Golden Razz Berries in Pokémon GO explains the best ways to collect them.
When You SHOULD Purify Shadow Pokémon
There are still some situations where purification makes sense.
You may want to purify a Shadow Pokémon if:
• The Pokémon has low IVs and will never be useful in battle
• Purification will create a perfect 100 percent IV Pokémon
• You need purified Pokémon for research tasks
• You are saving Stardust by using purified power up discounts
For example, a Shadow Pokémon with IVs of 13/13/13 will become a perfect 15/15/15 after purification. In this case, purification could be worthwhile depending on the Pokémon.
These scenarios are important to consider when deciding should you purify shadow Pokémon.
Purify Shadow Pokémon Pokémon GO? – Quick Answer
In most cases, you should not purify Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Shadow Pokémon receive a 20 percent attack boost, making them significantly stronger in raids and battles. Purifying a Pokémon removes this bonus permanently.
However, purification can still be useful if the Pokémon will become a perfect IV Pokémon, if you need purified Pokémon for research tasks, or if the Pokémon is not useful as a raid attacker.
Should You Purify Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO
The answer to should you purify shadow Pokémon ultimately depends on the Pokémon and how you plan to use it.
If the Pokémon is a strong raid attacker, keeping it as a Shadow Pokémon is usually the better option because of the massive attack boost. Shadow Pokémon are often among the strongest attackers in the entire game.
However, purification can still be useful for completing research tasks, creating perfect IV Pokémon or reducing Stardust costs.
For most experienced players, the general rule is simple. Keep powerful Pokémon as Shadow Pokémon, and only purify weaker ones that will not benefit from the shadow attack boost.
Understanding these mechanics will help you make the right decision when encountering Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
