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Purify Then Evolve? Unveiling the Pokémon GO Conundrum!

The short answer is: generally, no, it is not always better to purify before evolving in Pokémon GO. The optimal choice depends heavily on your goals, the specific Pokémon, and its current stats. Shadow Pokémon offer a significant 20% damage boost, making them incredibly powerful attackers. Purifying, while improving IVs and reducing costs, removes this crucial advantage. Therefore, understanding the trade-offs is paramount to making the best decision.

Diving Deep: Purifying vs. Evolving – The Full Story

The decision to purify before evolving is a complex one, influenced by several factors that warrant careful consideration. Let’s break down each aspect to help you determine the best course of action for your specific Pokémon.

The Shadow Advantage: Raw Power

Shadow Pokémon are inherently stronger than their normal or purified counterparts. This stems from the 20% damage bonus they receive, a substantial boost that significantly impacts their effectiveness in raids, gym battles, and PvP combat. While they also suffer a defense penalty, the offensive advantage often outweighs this drawback, especially in situations where maximizing damage output is critical. This is why seasoned players often covet Shadow versions of meta-relevant Pokémon, prioritizing their raw power over potentially higher IVs through purification.

The Allure of Purification: Streamlining and Enhancement

Purifying a Shadow Pokémon offers several benefits. Firstly, it provides an immediate +2 boost to each Individual Value (IV). This can potentially transform a low-IV Shadow Pokémon into a respectable contender or even a near-perfect or perfect specimen, depending on its initial stats. Secondly, purification reduces the Stardust and Candy costs associated with powering up, evolving, and learning new moves. Thirdly, purified Pokémon learn the move Return, a Normal-type charged attack. While Return isn’t always the most optimal move, it can be situationally useful, especially for Normal-type Pokémon.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis: Making the Right Choice

Ultimately, the decision to purify before evolving hinges on a careful evaluation of these factors:

The Pokémon’s Potential: Some Pokémon are simply more valuable as Shadows due to their high attack stats and powerful movesets. These are usually the ones you’d want to keep in their Shadow form. Consider Pokémon like Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Machamp, and Shadow Salamence as prime examples. Their Shadow forms are top-tier attackers in their respective types.
IVs and Resource Investment: If a Shadow Pokémon has poor IVs and you lack the resources to invest heavily in powering it up, purifying it might be a reasonable option to improve its stats and reduce costs. However, even a low-IV Shadow can outperform a perfect IV normal or purified Pokemon in many combat scenarios due to the raw power.
Role in Combat: Consider the role you want the Pokémon to play. If you need a hard-hitting attacker for raids, a Shadow Pokémon is generally the better choice. If you’re looking for a more balanced Pokémon for PvP or want to complete your Pokédex, a purified Pokémon might be more appealing.
Purification Goals: If you’re aiming to complete your Purifier Medal for the bonuses it provides, purifying inexpensive Pokémon like Rattata, Zubat, or Magikarp is the most efficient way to rack up purifications quickly without draining your resources.
Shiny Considerations: Shiny Shadow Pokémon are incredibly rare and valuable. Purifying a Shiny Shadow is a highly debated topic. While a purified Shiny can be a beautiful and unique addition to your collection, many collectors prefer to keep them in their Shadow form to showcase their rarity and distinct appearance. The decision ultimately comes down to personal preference.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether you should purify before evolving. Assess the Pokémon’s potential, its IVs, your resource availability, your combat needs, and your personal preferences. Remember, Shadow Pokémon are powerhouses, but purified Pokémon offer cost savings and potential IV improvements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can a Pokémon become a perfect (100% IV) Pokémon after purifying?

Yes, it can. Purifying adds +2 to each IV stat. Therefore, a Shadow Pokémon with 13/13/13 IVs will become a perfect 15/15/15 IV Pokémon upon purification.

2. Is it worth keeping Shadow Pokémon?

Generally, yes. Shadow Pokémon deal 20% more damage, making them incredibly valuable for raids and other combat situations. Their increased attack power often outweighs the defensive penalty.

3. Is a 0-star Shadow Pokémon good?

Even a 0-star Shadow Pokémon can be good if it’s a species with a high attack stat and a useful moveset. The Shadow bonus significantly boosts its damage output, often making it more effective than a higher-IV normal or purified Pokémon.

4. Which Shadow Pokémon should I purify?

Focus on purifying Shadow Pokémon that are:

Inexpensive to purify (e.g., Rattata, Zubat, Magikarp) to progress your Purifier Medal.
Not particularly strong in their Shadow form.
Have the potential to become a perfect or near-perfect IV Pokémon after purification.

5. What happens if you purify a maxed-out Pokémon?

If you purify a Pokémon that already has perfect IVs (15/15/15), purifying it will not change its IVs as they are already at their maximum potential.

6. Is a Shadow Pokémon stronger than a Mega Pokémon?

While Shadow Pokémon are strong, Mega Pokémon generally outclass them in terms of overall stats and performance. However, Mega Pokémon are temporary transformations, whereas Shadow Pokémon retain their boosted power at all times.

7. Can you evolve Shadow Pokémon without purifying them?

Yes, you can evolve Shadow Pokémon without purifying them. The evolution process is independent of the purification process. However, evolving before purifying only adds to the “Purified” counter of the evolved form in your dex.

8. Is there a downside to purifying Pokémon?

The main downside is the loss of the 20% damage bonus that Shadow Pokémon possess. Additionally, the purified Pokemon looses the dark aura.

9. How rare is a perfect purified Pokémon?

The chance of obtaining a perfect purified Pokémon depends on the IVs of the Shadow Pokémon before purification. A Shadow Pokemon must have a minimum of 13 in each stat to become a perfect after purified. The chance is about 0.66%

10. What is the benefit of Shadow Pokémon?

The primary benefit of Shadow Pokémon is their 20% increase in attack damage. This makes them powerful attackers in raids, gym battles, and PvP combat.

11. Should I purify my Shiny Shadow Pokémon?

This is entirely a matter of personal preference. Purifying a Shiny Shadow will give it better IVs, but it will also lose the Shadow bonus and the dark aura. Many collectors value Shiny Shadows for their rarity and unique appearance.

12. Do Shadow Pokémon get better stats when purified?

Yes, purified Pokémon get a +2 increase in each IV value. A Shadow Pokémon with 13/13/13 IVs is guaranteed to become a 100% Purified Pokémon.

13. Can purified Pokémon Mega Evolve?

Yes, purified Pokémon can Mega Evolve. However, they won’t have the same swirly white aura as regular Mega Evolved Pokemon. Shadow Pokémon cannot mega evolve.

14. Is Shadow Pokémon better than a 100 IV normal or purified Pokemon?

In most cases, yes. The 20% attack boost of a Shadow Pokémon outweighs the IV difference. Even a Shadow Pokémon with lower IVs can often outperform a perfect IV normal or purified Pokémon in damage output.

15. What is the rarest perfect Pokémon?

The rarest perfect Pokémon depends on availability and encounter rates within the game. Pokémon that are only available through specific events or limited-time research often have lower chances of being found with perfect IVs. At the time of writing, Salandit and Salazzle are two of the rarest Pokémon in the game.

This information is part of ongoing research in the field of games and learning. To learn more about how games can be used for educational purposes, visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org for interesting publications!

Is it better to purify before evolving?