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Is It Worth Keeping 3-Star Pokémon in Pokémon GO? A Comprehensive Guide

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Absolutely! Keeping 3-star Pokémon in Pokémon GO is generally a very good idea, especially if you’re aiming for strong battle teams or want to optimize your resource usage. While not always essential (especially with limited storage), 3-star Pokémon represent a fantastic balance of accessibility and power. They possess high Individual Values (IVs), leading to better stat growth and combat performance compared to lower-rated Pokémon. This guide dives deep into why 3-star Pokémon are valuable and how to best utilize them.

Understanding Pokémon GO Appraisal System

Before we get into the specifics of why 3-star Pokémon are worth keeping, let’s briefly review what the appraisal system tells us. Pokémon GO uses a star rating system to indicate the quality of a Pokémon’s IVs. These IVs—Attack, Defense, and HP—are hidden stats that contribute to a Pokémon’s overall power.

0-Star Pokémon: These Pokémon have low IVs, typically with appraisal values that sum to less than 24 out of a possible 45 (15 for each stat).
1-Star Pokémon: These have slightly better IVs, usually falling in the range of 24-29 total.
2-Star Pokémon: The IV total is better yet, with 30-36 total.
3-Star Pokémon: This is where things get interesting. These Pokémon have IVs totaling between 37-44. A red stamp along with the three stars indicates a perfect IV of 100%. An orange stamp along with the three stars indicates a total IV in the range of 80-99%.
4-Star Pokémon: A 4-star Pokémon, indicated by a red appraisal and a red background, signifies a perfect IV Pokémon (100% IVs).

Why 3-Star Pokémon Are Valuable

Superior Stats

The primary reason to keep 3-star Pokémon is their higher potential stats. IVs directly influence a Pokémon’s Combat Power (CP), Hit Points (HP), Attack, and Defense. While the difference between a 0-star and a 3-star Pokémon might not seem significant initially, these differences compound as you power up your Pokémon. Over time, a 3-star Pokémon will consistently outperform a lower-rated one of the same species and level.

Resource Efficiency

Investing in 3-star Pokémon is often more resource-efficient than powering up Pokémon with lower IVs. You’re spending your valuable Stardust and Candy on a Pokémon that has a greater return on investment. While a perfect (4-star) Pokémon is ideal, finding them can be challenging, making 3-star Pokémon a more readily available and practical option.

Battling in Raids and Gyms

In the competitive environments of raids and gym battles, every advantage matters. A team of 3-star Pokémon will give you a noticeable edge, allowing you to take down tougher opponents and contribute more effectively to raids. While it can be fun, if you are looking for additional information about games and their potential to enhance learning and engagement in educational settings, you can visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Trading

While you can’t directly improve a Pokemon’s IVs through trading, trading can reroll the IV stats. If both players are best friends, they will both be guaranteed a minimum of 5/5/5 IV for that Pokemon which is far better than catching it in the wild. Trading is a good option to give you the potential to upgrade your low IV Pokemon.

Filling Dexes

Sometimes you will need to evolve certain Pokemon to complete certain special researches. If you do not want to waste candy and resources on evolving a weak Pokemon, but do not want to wait for a perfect IV, a 3-Star Pokemon is a perfect compromise to use to complete the research.

When to Prioritize Other Factors

While 3-star Pokémon are generally worth keeping, there are situations where other factors might take precedence:

Shiny Pokémon: Shiny Pokémon are highly sought-after for their rarity. Even if a Shiny Pokémon has low IVs, many players prefer to keep it for its aesthetic appeal.
Shadow Pokémon: Shadow Pokémon receive a significant attack boost but have reduced defense. The higher attack boost makes these Pokémon valuable, regardless of their IVs. It’s generally advised to keep shadow Pokemon unpurified, since Purifying a shadow Pokemon improves their stats, but loses the powerful attack boost.
Legendary Pokémon: Legendary Pokémon are powerful and often rare. Even with lower IVs, they can be valuable additions to your roster.
Event-Exclusive Pokémon: Pokémon with special moves obtained during events are worth holding onto, even if their IVs aren’t perfect. These moves can significantly enhance their combat capabilities.

Managing Your Pokémon Storage

Pokémon GO’s storage can fill up quickly. If you’re struggling with storage space, here’s a general guideline:

Prioritize 3-star and 4-star Pokémon.
Keep Shiny, Shadow, and Legendary Pokémon, regardless of IVs.
Consider transferring duplicate Pokémon with low IVs.
Invest in storage upgrades if possible. Storage Expansions can be bought for 200 Coins at the Shop, adding 50 Slots to the Storage. Players can have up to 6250 Pokémon at max storage.

FAQs About 3-Star Pokémon

1. What exactly are IVs in Pokémon GO?

IVs (Individual Values) are hidden stats that determine a Pokémon’s potential. Each Pokémon has three IVs: Attack, Defense, and HP, each ranging from 0 to 15. These values add to a Pokémon’s base stats, influencing its overall performance in battles.

2. How rare are 3-star Pokémon?

A 3-star Pokémon is one that has 37 total IV or higher. For a wild Pokémon, the chance of this is only 4.028%. For a weather boosted wild Pokémon, the chance is 9.549%.

3. Can you make a 3-star Pokémon perfect (4-star)?

No, you cannot change a Pokémon’s IVs. Evolving or Powering Up a Pokémon will not improve its appraisal. The only exception is Purifying a Shadow Pokémon will improve its appraisal.

4. Should I evolve a 3-star Pokémon?

Yes, if you want to use that Pokemon and it evolves into a higher level Pokemon, you should evolve it! If you have a Pokemon that is in the highest or second highest IV tier, it really is not that far away from perfect Max CP. So evolving a Pokemon with IV’s in the first or second tier is a good idea, you don’t need to wait for the perfect IV’s.

5. What is the difference between a 3-star and a 4-star Pokémon?

A 4-star Pokémon has perfect IVs (15/15/15) in Attack, Defense, and HP. A 3-star Pokemon ranges in IVs from 37-44.

6. Should I get rid of 0-star Pokémon?

Generally, yes. If players don’t have another Pokemon of the same species, it may be worth holding onto the 0-star until it can be replaced by one with a better Appraisal. A fully 0% IV Pokemon is extremely rare, even when compared to their 4-star/Perfect IV counterparts. Players may want to keep it just for the rarity.

7. Is it better to evolve a 3-star Pokémon or a higher-CP 0-star Pokémon?

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. However, if both Pokemon have low CP and one is a 3-star, it’s better to choose the 3-star.

8. What is the point of 3-star Pokémon?

A 3-star Pokémon offers excellent potential for battles and raids due to its high IVs. They represent a good balance of accessibility and power, making them practical choices for most players. If your Pokémon has three stars and a red stamp, it means that it has 100% perfect IVs. If it has three star with an orange stamp, it has around 80-99% perfect IVs.

9. Should I keep 0-star Shiny Pokémon?

Yes! Always keep Shiny Pokémon, regardless of their IVs. Shinies are extremely rare and valuable for their aesthetic uniqueness.

10. Should I power up before evolving?

It doesn’t matter if you power up before or after evolving. The overall cost and result will be the same. If you’re powering up over time, evolve first to see what moves your Pokémon learns.

11. Should I purify a 3-star Shadow Pokémon?

Generally, no. Shadow Pokémon deal more damage, so it’s generally better to keep them unpurified.

12. Can you solo a 3-star raid with 3-star Pokémon?

Yes, often you can. But it depends on the Pokémon and your own Pokémon’s levels. A 3-star raid can be easily soloable with appropriate 3-star or better Pokémon.

13. How rare is a 0% IV Shadow Pokémon?

A fully 0% IV Pokemon is extremely rare, even when compared to their 4-star/Perfect IV counterparts. Players may want to keep it just for the rarity.

14. Are stars or CP more important?

Rating stars represent the potential, and CP represents the current state. If you power up a Pokemon with 3 stats to the same level as a 0 star Pokemon of the same species, the 3 star one will have more CP. Usually CP is your best indicator of your strongest fighters (but there are TONS more factors).

15. Should I transfer all low-star Pokémon?

Yes, I recommend always transferring low-level Pokemon except for the following cases: You only have one of that Pokemon. I like to have one of each so I can have a “living Pokedex” You have enough candies to evolve that Pokemon (even when you evolve starting from high-CP).

Conclusion

In conclusion, 3-star Pokémon are definitely worth keeping in Pokémon GO. They offer a solid balance of accessibility and power, making them valuable additions to your battle teams. While other factors, like Shiny status or event-exclusive moves, may sometimes take precedence, a 3-star rating is a reliable indicator of a Pokémon’s potential. By understanding the appraisal system and prioritizing your storage, you can build a strong and competitive Pokémon GO team with 3-star Pokémon as a core component. And, for more on the intersection of games and learning, explore resources from the GamesLearningSociety.org!