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Should You Keep Return on Purified Pokemon? A Comprehensive Guide

The short answer: it depends. While Return is a decent Normal-type Charged Attack that Purified Pokémon automatically learn, its usefulness is highly situational. It’s worth keeping if you need a Normal-type attacker for specific PvP scenarios or to quickly break through Protect Shields. However, for most situations, especially in PvE (Raids and Gyms), a different Charged Attack will likely provide better overall performance. Let’s dive deeper into the nuances of Return and Purified Pokémon to help you make the best decision.

The Power of Return: An In-Depth Look

Return is a Charged Attack exclusive to Purified Pokémon. It has a base power of 130 in Trainer Battles. While this sounds impressive, several factors influence its overall effectiveness:

Type Coverage: Normal-type attacks are only super effective against nothing. This means that Return will deal neutral damage to most opponents and be resisted by Rock and Steel types. This limited coverage severely restricts its strategic value.
Alternatives: Many Pokémon can learn other, more versatile Charged Attacks with better type coverage (like Fighting, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Dark, Steel, Fairy, Dragon, Bug, Ghost, Rock, Ground, Flying, and Poison), which offer significant advantages against specific opponents.
PvP Shield Breaking: One of the primary uses of Return is its ability to quickly deplete an opponent’s Protect Shields in PvP. The high damage output forces the opponent to shield, buying you valuable time and potentially leaving them vulnerable later in the match.
PvE Weakness: In Raids and Gym battles (PvE), the Normal-type limitations of Return are particularly apparent. Pokémon with super effective Charged Attacks will generally deal significantly more damage per second (DPS).

When to Consider Keeping Return

There are a few specific scenarios where keeping Return on your Purified Pokémon might be worthwhile:

Budget PvP: If you’re a relatively new player or have limited resources, a Purified Pokémon with Return can be a decent, readily available option for Trainer Battles, particularly in lower leagues.
Shield Pressure: Some trainers use Return strategically to apply shield pressure in PvP, forcing opponents to burn their shields early. This can be a viable tactic, but it requires careful team composition and strategic timing.
Niche Normal-type Attackers: If you desperately need a Normal-type attacker for a specific niche, a Purified Pokémon with Return might fill that role. However, even then, there are often better alternatives with more flexible movepools.

When to TM Away Return

In most situations, you’ll want to use a Charged TM to replace Return with a more effective move. Here’s why:

Superior Type Coverage: As mentioned earlier, Normal-type attacks are only effective against nothing. Swapping Return for a Charged Attack that’s super effective against common Raid Bosses or PvP opponents will significantly boost your damage output.
PvE Dominance: In Raids, DPS is king. Choosing a Charged Attack that exploits the Raid Boss’s weaknesses will dramatically improve your contribution to the battle.
PvP Versatility: While Return can be useful for shield pressure, it lacks the versatility of other Charged Attacks. A well-chosen move can provide better coverage against a wider range of opponents, increasing your chances of winning Trainer Battles.

FAQs About Purified Pokémon and Return

1. Are Purified Pokémon always weaker than Shadow Pokémon?

Generally, Shadow Pokémon are preferred for Raids due to their 20% attack bonus. However, Purified Pokémon can be valuable for PvP, especially in lower leagues, or if you are collecting hundo (100% IV) Pokémon. Shadow Pokémon receive a 20% attack buff but also a 20% defense nerf.

2. Is it worth purifying a 0-star Shadow Pokémon?

If the 0-star Shadow Pokémon has decent CP, it’s generally better to keep it as a Shadow due to the attack bonus. If you are wanting to purify for the “purifier” medal, then it may be worth it.

3. Can a Purified Pokémon become perfect (100% IV)?

Yes! Purifying a Pokémon increases each of its IVs (Attack, Defense, and HP) by 2. Therefore, if you purify a Shadow Pokemon with at least 13 in Attack, Defense and HP IVs it will become a perfect Pokemon.

4. Is it cheaper to evolve a Pokémon before or after purifying?

It is cheaper to evolve a Purified Pokémon. Purifying it first will reduce the required Candies and Stardust.

5. Does purifying a Pokémon change its moveset?

Yes, Purifying a Shadow Pokémon will cause it to forget Frustration and learn Return. Frustration can only be removed during special events.

6. Can I change Return using a Charged TM?

Yes, unlike Frustration which is only removed during certain events, Return can be replaced at any time using a Charged TM.

7. Are Lucky Purified Pokémon better than regular Lucky Pokémon?

Lucky Purified Pokémon benefit from both the Lucky Stardust discount and the Purified CP boost, making them easier and cheaper to power up.

8. Is there a downside to purifying Pokémon?

The main downside is losing the Shadow bonus, which provides a 20% damage boost at the expense of the Shadow Pokémon’s defense.

9. Do Purified Pokémon have better stats than regular Pokémon?

Purified Pokémon receive a +2 boost to each of their IVs when purified.

10. How rare is a perfect Purified Pokémon?

The chance of getting a perfect Purified Pokemon depends on the shadow IVs. To obtain a perfect purified Pokémon, you must have at least 13 in each of the shadow Pokemon IVs.

11. What level will my Pokémon be after purifying?

Purifying a Pokémon raises its level to 25 and boosts its Attack IV, Defense IV, and HP IV stats by 2.

12. Does purifying Pokémon give better IVs?

As mentioned earlier, 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. When should I purify a Pokémon?

Purify if you want to reduce the Stardust and Candy cost for powering up or evolving it. Also, purify if you want to increase the IV’s of the Pokemon.

14. Can a purified Pokemon be lucky?

Yes, a purified Pokemon can be lucky. A Lucky Purified Pokémon will be much cheaper to upgrade.

15. What are the stardust costs for purification?

The stardust cost to purify a Pokemon varies depending on the type of Pokemon. It can range from 1,000 to 5,000 stardust.

Conclusion: Make an Informed Decision

Ultimately, the decision of whether to keep Return on your Purified Pokémon depends on your specific needs and goals within the game. If you require a Normal-type attacker for niche situations, or you are using it for shield pressure in PvP then it may be worth keeping. However, in most cases, replacing it with a Charged Attack that offers better type coverage will significantly improve your overall performance in both PvE and PvP. Remember to carefully consider your team composition, available resources, and the specific challenges you’re facing before making a decision. Good luck, trainer!

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Should you keep return on purified Pokemon?