Are Pokémon Stronger When Not Purified? A Deep Dive into Shadow Pokémon
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Yes, generally speaking, Shadow Pokémon are stronger than their purified counterparts in Pokémon GO. While purified Pokémon gain benefits like improved IVs and reduced powering-up costs, the 20% damage boost that Shadow Pokémon possess makes them superior attackers in most scenarios. This raw power increase significantly outweighs the stat improvements gained through purification, turning otherwise mediocre Pokémon into formidable raid attackers and gym sweepers.
The Allure of Shadow Pokémon: Damage is King
The core reason Shadow Pokémon reign supreme in the damage dealing department lies in their unique attack bonus. As the article correctly stated, Shadow Pokémon deal 20% more damage than their non-Shadow counterparts. This boost is applied directly to their attacks, resulting in a substantial increase in Damage Per Second (DPS) and overall damage output. In Pokémon GO, battles are often races against the clock. This substantial damage boost that Shadow Pokemon have could be the key to victory.
This DPS boost is often far more valuable than the incremental IV improvements that purification provides. A Shadow Pokémon with even poor IVs can often outperform a purified Pokémon with perfect IVs due to this inherent damage advantage.
Why the 20% Damage Boost Matters
To truly understand the power of the Shadow bonus, consider the following points:
- Raids: The 20% damage boost translates to faster raid completions. This is crucial for maximizing rewards and efficiency.
- Gym Battles: Shadow Pokémon can quickly deplete the HP of gym defenders, making them ideal for clearing gyms.
- PvP (Player vs. Player): While Shadow Pokémon are glass cannons with reduced defense, their offensive power can allow them to quickly knock out opponents.
- Limited Resources: Stardust and candy are precious resources in Pokémon GO. Investing in Shadow Pokémon, especially those with good attack IVs, often yields a better return on investment in terms of battle performance than purifying and maxing out regular Pokémon.
The Purified Trade-Off: Convenience vs. Power
Purification offers several benefits that may seem appealing at first glance:
- Improved IVs: Purifying a Shadow Pokémon adds +2 to each of its IV stats (Attack, Defense, and HP). This can potentially bring a 2-star Shadow Pokémon up to a 3-star.
- Reduced Costs: Purified Pokémon require less stardust and candy to power up, evolve, and learn new attacks.
- Exclusive Move: Purified Pokémon learn the charged move “Return,” replacing the Shadow-exclusive move “Frustration.”
- Appraisal Increase: Purified Pokémon will have better appraisal.
- Combat Power (CP) Boost: Purified Pokémon will receive a significant boost in Combat Power (CP).
However, these benefits are often overshadowed by the loss of the Shadow damage bonus. While the IV increase is nice, it rarely makes a significant difference in battle performance compared to the 20% damage advantage.
Understanding the Limitations of IVs
Individual Values (IVs) represent a Pokémon’s hidden potential, influencing its stats in battle. While a Pokémon with perfect IVs (15/15/15) is ideal, the impact of IVs is relatively small compared to other factors like Pokémon species, movesets, and the Shadow bonus.
A perfect IV Pokémon might have only a 5-10% advantage over a Pokémon with mediocre IVs of the same species. The 20% damage boost of Shadow Pokémon therefore surpasses the benefits of perfect IVs.
Exceptions to the Rule: When Purification Might Be Okay
While generally, keeping a Pokémon as a shadow is a good idea, there are exceptions to the rule:
- Pokémon with Limited Offensive Usefulness: Pokémon that are not strong attackers to begin with might benefit more from the reduced costs of purification, especially for casual players.
- Completing Research Tasks or Medals: Some research tasks or medals require purifying Pokémon. In these cases, choosing low-cost Pokémon like Rattata or Zubat is a sensible option.
- Pokémon with Poor IVs: A Shadow Pokémon with extremely poor IVs (particularly a low Attack stat) might be a candidate for purification, especially if you are looking to max out your Pokemon stats.
- For completing the Purifier Medal.
- If you prefer a hundo, purify.
FAQs: Delving Deeper into Shadow Pokémon
Here are some frequently asked questions about Shadow Pokémon to further clarify their strengths and weaknesses:
1. Should I purify a Shadow Legendary Pokémon?
Generally, no. The Shadow bonus is even more valuable on Legendary Pokémon due to their high base stats. Unless you have a specific reason (like completing a research task) or the Legendary Shadow has extremely poor IVs, keeping it as a Shadow is almost always the better option.
2. Is a 0-star Shadow Pokémon good?
Yes, potentially! While low IVs are not ideal, the 20% damage boost can still make a 0-star Shadow Pokémon a powerful attacker. Focus on Pokémon with strong attack stats, like Shadow Machop or Shadow Beldum, even if their IVs are not perfect.
3. Should I purify before evolving?
Generally, no. The purification discount only applies to the stardust and candy costs of powering up, evolving, or learning a new attack. Whether you purify before or after evolving does not impact this.
4. What is the best Shadow Pokémon to purify?
If you are solely focused on completing purification tasks or medals, choose Pokémon with the lowest purification costs, such as Rattata, Zubat, or Purrloin.
5. Are 4-star (perfect IV) Pokémon always the best?
Not necessarily! A Shadow Pokémon with good attack IVs but not perfect IVs can often outperform a 4-star normal or purified Pokémon. IVs are important, but the Shadow bonus is a game-changer.
6. Can a purified Pokémon be lucky?
Yes, purified Pokémon can be lucky.
7. Should I purify Shadow Pokémon Reddit advice suggests?
Reddit advice often reflects the general consensus: keep strong attackers as Shadows unless you prioritize perfect IVs or have a specific reason to purify.
8. Can you mega evolve Shadow Pokémon?
No, you cannot mega evolve Shadow Pokémon.
9. What happens if I purify a Pokémon with Frustration?
When you purify a Shadow Pokémon, the move Frustration will be replaced with Return, a Charged Attack that’s exclusive to Purified Pokémon.
10. Is there a downside to purifying a Pokémon?
The primary downside is the loss of the 20% damage bonus. This significantly reduces the Pokémon’s offensive capabilities.
11. What is the point of Shadow Pokémon?
Shadow Pokémon offer increased attack damage, allowing you to defeat Raid Bosses faster.
12. Should I purify a Shadow Shiny Pokémon?
This depends on your priorities. If you value aesthetics, keep it as a Shadow Shiny. If you want to use it in battle, purify it unless you have abundant resources to invest in a Shadow version.
13. What is the strongest pure type Pokémon?
The text lists Arceus, Chansey & Blissey, Ditto, Type: Null & Silvally, Porygon2 & Porygon-Z, Snorlax, Kangaskhan, and Tauros as some of the strongest pure Normal-type Pokémon.
14. Should I power up before evolving?
The text implies it is better to evolve and then power the Pokemon up if it should have strong moves.
15. Are two-star Pokémon worth keeping?
Some two-star Pokémon are worth keeping, especially if they have rare moves or are strong species.
Conclusion: Embrace the Darkness (But Choose Wisely)
While purification offers short-term benefits, the long-term advantages of retaining the Shadow bonus are undeniable for most players. A Shadow Pokémon may have lower defense and initially low CP but it is stronger than a purified Pokemon overall. Focus on acquiring Shadow Pokémon with decent attack IVs and strategic movesets. By carefully selecting which Pokémon to invest in, you can build a formidable team of Shadow attackers that will dominate raids and gyms alike. Remember, raw power often trumps perfection in the world of Pokémon GO.
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