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Understanding Pokemon Purification: How Strong Will Your Pokemon Be?

Purifying a Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO is a significant decision with a direct impact on its strength and usability. In short, purifying a Shadow Pokemon will improve its appraisal, reduce the Stardust and Candy cost for power-ups and evolutions, and change its Charged Attack from Frustration to Return. While it increases the Individual Values (IVs), it’s crucial to understand the implications for its overall battle performance. The key takeaway? Purification makes your Pokemon easier and cheaper to power up and evolve, but it also removes the significant attack bonus that makes Shadow Pokemon so powerful.

Decoding the Purification Process

The process of purifying a Shadow Pokemon essentially transforms it from a darker, more aggressive version to a more “normal” state. Here’s a detailed look at what changes occur:

IV Enhancement: Purification adds +2 to each Individual Value (Attack, Defense, HP). Since the maximum IV for each stat is 15, if any stat is at 13 or higher before purification, it will become a perfect 15 after purification. This makes it easier to obtain a 100% IV Pokemon.
Level Adjustment: Purified Pokemon are automatically set to Level 25. This can be beneficial if your Shadow Pokemon was below this level, saving you Stardust and Candy.
Charged Attack Change: Shadow Pokemon have a unique Charged Attack called Frustration, which is generally weak. Purification replaces Frustration with Return, a Normal-type attack exclusive to Purified Pokemon. While Return can be useful, it’s generally not as powerful as some other Charged Attacks.
Stardust and Candy Discount: Purified Pokemon require 10% less Stardust and Candy for power-ups, evolutions, and unlocking a second Charged Attack. This is a significant long-term benefit, especially for Pokemon you plan to use extensively.
Loss of Shadow Bonus: This is the most critical trade-off. Shadow Pokemon gain a 20% damage boost but also take 20% more damage. Purifying removes this powerful bonus.

Shadow vs. Purified: The Strength Trade-Off

The core question is whether the advantages of a Purified Pokemon outweigh the loss of the Shadow bonus. In most cases, especially for raids and high-level PvP battles, the answer is no.

The 20% attack bonus of Shadow Pokemon provides a significant damage output increase that often makes them superior to even 100% IV normal or Purified Pokemon. While the 20% defense decrease makes them more vulnerable, the increased damage output usually translates to faster wins and more efficient resource use, especially when the player is skilled.

However, there are specific scenarios where purification might be beneficial:

Budget Players: If you lack the resources to power up a Shadow Pokemon to a competitive level, purification can provide a more affordable alternative. The level boost and discount on power-ups can make it easier to reach a usable CP.
PvP (Specific Leagues): In some PvP leagues with CP restrictions (like Great League or Ultra League), a Purified Pokemon might have a more favorable CP and stat distribution than its Shadow counterpart. Consider the specific Pokemon and its moveset in these scenarios.
Collection Purposes: If you prioritize having a 100% IV Pokemon or a Shiny Purified Pokemon for your collection, then purification is a worthwhile goal.
Completionists: Some players may want to purify for the Purifier medal, increasing the medal’s rank with each purification.

Making the Right Choice

Ultimately, the decision to purify a Shadow Pokemon depends on your individual goals, resources, and play style. Carefully consider the trade-offs before purifying any Shadow Pokemon. Shadow Pokemon with good IVs are generally more valuable left as Shadows, whereas lower IV Shadow Pokemon can be candidates for purification, especially if you’re a newer or more casual player.

FAQs: Purification Demystified

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of Pokemon purification:

Should I purify a 4-star Shadow Pokemon? Due to the high investment pre- and post-purification, it may not be worth purifying the Shadow Pokemon to some trainers. However, a Shadow Pokemon will sometimes earn more IVs once it’s been Purified. This can raise them up a ranking if players are lucky.
Is a 0-star Shadow Pokemon good? Shadow Pokemon that are Purified will sometimes have their Appraisal increased. It will also lose the Shadow Bonus effect. So, if a Shadow Pokemon is 0-stars but has decent Attacks and CP, it’s better to leave it unpurified for future battles.
What happens if you purify a maxed Pokemon? A 100% IV Pokémon has the best possible combination of individual values for its species, meaning it has maximum potential in terms of base stats. Purifying it will not improve its IVs beyond the already perfect 15/15/15 combination.
How much does CP go up after purifying? When it comes to Pokemon GO’s purification, there are also some upsides: A Purified Pokemon’s CP level is boosted to level 25. This is beneficial in the event powering up a Shadow Pokemon past that level is resource-consuming for the player.
Do Pokemon get better when you purify them? Purifying a Shadow Pokémon will improve their appraisal and reduce the amount of Stardust and Candy required for them to Power Up, Evolve, or learn a new attack. When Purified, a Shadow Pokémon will forget Frustration and learn Return, a Charged Attack that’s exclusive to Purified Pokémon.
How many IVs does purifying add? The Purified Pokémon will learn Return – a 3 bar Normal type move, which is great for Normal type Pokémon. IVs will be increased by 2 in every stat – Attack, Defence, HP.
Is Shadow Pokemon better than 100 IV? Shadow Pokémon with any IVs are better than even perfect IVs of their normal forms thanks to the 20% attack boost (the defense nerf means far less for raids).
What is the best Shadow Pokemon to purify? If trainers are hoping to level up their Purifier Medal, which increases as purifications occur, then Rattata is a prime choice. This is because creatures like Shadow Rattata, Patrat, Zubat, Magikarp, Starly, Purrloin, and more have a very low cost of 1,000 Stardust to purify.
Should I keep all purified Pokemon? If you’re attempting to complete research, attain a goal, or some other third oddity in the game, by all means, Purify all your Pokemon. But if you’re seeking the most rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO, or you like Pokemon that WIN in Raids, keep your Shadows!
Can you mega evolve Shadow Pokémon? You cannot mega evolve shadow or clone Pokémon. You can mega evolve purified Pokémon, but they won’t have a swirly white aura when mega evolved. You cannot use a mega evolved Pokémon to defend a gym.
Can a purified Pokemon be lucky? You’re highly likely to get a lucky Pokémon with each IV being at least 13, meaning most Lucky Purified Pokémon will be 100% or close to it.
Can you trade Shadow Pokémon? Unfortunately, in Pokemon GO, Trainers cannot trade Shadow Pokemon. Since July 2019, Niantic’s trading rules have banned the exchange of Shadow-type creatures in any trade. Additionally, transfers to Pokemon HOME for Shadow Pokemon are also not permitted.
Should you evolve a 3 star Pokemon? So, if a 0-star Pokemon has 1000+ CP, it may be worth evolving instead. This is due in part to the Candy and Stardust cost to Power Up a Pokemon (i.e, raise its CP). However, if both Pokemon have low CP and one is a 3-star, it’s better to choose the 3-star.
Is it better to raise CP then evolve? Cp is determined by base stats of a pokemon, the pokémon’s level, and its ivs. Because evolving a pokemon only changes the base stats not the level or ivs, it doesn’t matter if you power up a pokemon before evolving or after the cp it gets to won’t change.
Should I purify or evolve? Purifying gives the Pokémon a significant increase in Combat Power and it will cost less candies to evolve. Make sure you Purify a Pokémon BEFORE you evolve it so you can use less candies. Just FYI, if you already evolved a Shadow Pokemon, you can still purify it.

Delving deeper into the game:

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In conclusion, purifying a Shadow Pokemon is a complex decision that requires careful consideration. While it offers benefits such as improved IVs, reduced costs, and access to the Return Charged Attack, it also removes the potent Shadow bonus that makes these Pokemon exceptionally strong in battle. Weigh your priorities and resources carefully to make the best choice for your team and your Pokemon GO journey.

How strong will my Pokemon be after purifying?