Unlocking the Power of Purified Gems in Pokémon GO: A Comprehensive Guide
So, you’ve braved the Shadow Raids, collected your Shadow Shards, and refined them into Purified Gems. Now what? Using Purified Gems effectively in Pokémon GO’s Shadow Raids is crucial for taking down those enraged bosses. Here’s how it works: During a Shadow Raid battle against a Raid Boss in its enraged state, you can deploy Purified Gems to subdue it. Tapping the gem icon during the raid activates a Purified Gem. When enough gems are used collectively by the trainers in the raid, the boss will become subdued, reducing its attack and defense back to normal levels. Coordinating with your fellow raiders is key to victory!
Decoding Purified Gems and Shadow Raids
What are Shadow Raids?
Shadow Raids are a unique type of raid battle in Pokémon GO featuring powerful Shadow Pokémon as raid bosses. These Pokémon have increased attack power, making them challenging to defeat. They can also become “enraged” during the battle, further boosting their stats.
Understanding the Enraged State
When a Shadow Raid Boss becomes enraged, its attack and defense stats significantly increase. This makes it much harder to inflict damage and more likely that your Pokémon will faint quickly.
Harnessing the Power of Purified Gems
Purified Gems are items crafted from Shadow Shards. These Gems are your primary weapon against an enraged Shadow Raid Boss. They temporarily subdue the boss, reducing its attack and defense.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Using Purified Gems
- Gather Shadow Shards: Participate in Team GO Rocket battles to collect Shadow Shards.
- Refine into Purified Gems: Once you have four Shadow Shards, Professor Willow’s Shard Refiner will automatically combine them into a Purified Gem.
- Join a Shadow Raid: Find and join a Shadow Raid battle against a three-star or five-star Shadow Raid Boss.
- Wait for Enragement: Engage in the raid battle. The Shadow Raid Boss will eventually become enraged, indicated by visual cues on screen and increased difficulty.
- Deploy Purified Gems: When the boss is enraged, a Purified Gem icon will appear on your screen. Tap it to use a Purified Gem.
- Coordinate with Trainers: Communicate with other trainers in the raid. The effects of Purified Gems stack, so the more gems used collectively, the faster the boss will be subdued.
- Subdue the Boss: Once enough Purified Gems have been used, the Shadow Raid Boss will return to its normal state, becoming easier to defeat. Typically it takes 8 gems to subdue the raid boss.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Purified Gems
1. Do Purified Gems work in all Raids?
No, Purified Gems only work in Shadow Raids against three-star or five-star Shadow Raid Bosses when they are in their enraged state.
2. How many Purified Gems can I use in a single Raid?
Each trainer can use up to five Purified Gems in a single Shadow Raid Battle.
3. What happens when a Shadow Raid Boss is subdued?
When a Shadow Raid Boss is subdued, its attack and defense stats are reduced to their normal levels. This makes it significantly easier to deal damage and defeat the boss.
4. How many Purified Gems are needed to subdue a Shadow Raid Boss?
Typically, it takes a total of eight Purified Gems used collectively by all trainers in the raid to fully subdue the Shadow Raid Boss.
5. Why aren’t my Purified Gems working?
Ensure you’re using the Purified Gem when the Raid Boss is enraged. Also, give it a moment to register. Monitor the boss’s health bar, and if the gem doesn’t work, you can try again.
6. What are Shadow Shards, and how do I get them?
Shadow Shards are fragments collected by defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts in battles at PokéStops and in balloons. Four Shadow Shards can be combined to create a Purified Gem.
7. Is it better to keep a Pokémon as a Shadow or purify it?
This depends on your play style. Shadow Pokémon have a 20% damage boost but take more damage. Purified Pokémon have slightly better stats (IV increase of 2 in each stat) and cost less to power up and evolve. For damage dealing, Shadow is generally preferred, while Purified can be useful for budget players or those seeking perfect IVs.
8. Should I purify a 3-star Shadow Pokémon?
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon can increase its IVs, potentially making it a 100% IV Pokémon. If you value a perfect IV Pokémon and don’t mind the loss of the Shadow bonus, purifying a 3-star Shadow Pokémon is a good option. However, if the shadow bonus is something that you wish to keep, then you should not purify it.
9. What happens if I purify a 4* Shadow Pokémon?
It is not possible to have a 4* (100% IV) Shadow Pokémon. Purifying a Shadow Pokémon increases each IV stat by 2. Therefore, a 13/13/13 Shadow Pokemon will become 15/15/15 (100% IV) Pokemon.
10. What is the Charged Attack “Return,” and how do I get it?
Return is a Charged Attack exclusive to Purified Pokémon. When you purify a Shadow Pokémon, it forgets the Charged Attack “Frustration” and learns “Return”.
11. Is it better to purify or evolve a Pokémon first?
Always purify first before evolving. Purifying reduces the Candy and Stardust costs for evolving, saving you valuable resources.
12. How much does a Pokémon’s level increase when purified?
A Purified Pokémon’s level will increase, up to a cap of level 25. Additionally, each IV (Attack, Defense, HP) increases by 2 points.
13. Can a 2-star Pokémon become a 3-star Pokémon after purifying?
Yes, a 2-star Pokémon can become a 3-star Pokémon after purifying. Each IV stat increases by 2, potentially pushing the Pokémon into the 3-star range.
14. Do Purified Pokémon do more damage than regular Pokémon?
Purified Pokémon do not inherently do more damage than regular Pokémon. They lose the 20% damage bonus of Shadow Pokémon. However, they gain a slight boost to their HP, Attack, and Defense due to the IV increase and they learn Return.
15. Where can I learn more about the science behind games and learning?
For more information about the intersection of games and education, explore the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. The Games Learning Society focuses on research and practices related to learning through games.