Should You Always Purify Your Pokémon in Pokémon GO? A Deep Dive
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The short answer is a resounding no. While there are benefits to purifying Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO, the advantages of keeping them in their shadowy state often outweigh the perks of purification, especially for competitive players. Let’s break down why.
Understanding Shadow Pokémon and Purification
Shadow Pokémon are Pokémon that have been corrupted by Team GO Rocket. They possess a distinctive red aura and a significant 20% attack boost in both Player vs. Player (PvP) and Player vs. Environment (PvE) battles, such as raids and gym battles. However, this boost comes at the cost of a 20% reduction in their defense.
Purification, on the other hand, reverses this corruption. It offers several immediate benefits:
- Improved Appraisal: The Pokémon’s Individual Values (IVs) – Attack, Defense, and HP – each receive a +2 boost. This can turn a mediocre Shadow Pokémon into a more competitive one.
- Reduced Costs: Powering up, evolving, or teaching a new Charged Move to a Purified Pokémon requires less Stardust and Candy than its Shadow counterpart.
- Move Change: Purification replaces the Shadow Pokémon’s exclusive Charged Attack, Frustration, with Return, a move exclusive to Purified Pokémon.
- Combat Power (CP) Boost: Purifying a Pokémon gives it a significant increase in Combat Power.
Why Shadow Pokémon Are Often Superior
Despite the benefits of purification, the 20% attack boost of Shadow Pokémon is a game-changer, particularly in PvE scenarios. The increased damage output far outweighs the reduced defense in most raid battles and gym attacks. This is because defeating raid bosses quickly is often more important than survivability. A Shadow Pokémon can deal significantly more damage within the same timeframe, contributing substantially to raid success.
Furthermore, even with the increased Stardust and Candy costs, the sheer power of Shadow Pokémon makes them invaluable assets for serious players. Think of it as an investment: you’re paying more for a significantly more potent Pokémon.
However, it’s important to consider the Pokémon’s role. For example, a Shadow Pokémon with a naturally high defense stat, like Shadow Registeel, might not benefit as much from the attack boost, as its main role is to tank damage.
Situations Where Purification Might Be Beneficial
While keeping Pokémon in their Shadow state is generally optimal, there are situations where purification makes sense:
- Improving IVs for PvP: If you have a Shadow Pokémon with near-perfect IVs but just missing the mark, purification could push it over the edge, making it a competitive contender in Master League or other PvP formats where IVs are crucial. Remember, purifying a Pokémon with at least 13 Attack, Defense, and Stamina will turn it into an 100% IV Pokémon.
- Lowering Costs for Casual Players: If you’re not focused on maximizing damage output and prefer to save Stardust and Candy, purifying Pokémon can be a more economical choice.
- Completing Research Tasks: Some Special Research tasks require purifying a certain number of Shadow Pokémon.
- Specific Pokémon: Certain Pokémon benefit more from purification due to their movepools and optimal roles. For example, a Pokémon that primarily serves a defensive purpose might benefit more from the IV boosts than the attack buff.
- Getting a Hundo: As stated previously, if a Shadow Pokémon is close to being a Hundo, purifying it could make it one.
Should You Purify a Shiny Shadow Pokémon?
This is a highly debated topic. Shiny Shadow Pokémon are incredibly rare and valuable. Purifying a Shiny Shadow Pokémon would grant it the IV boost and change Frustration to Return, but at the cost of the Shadow boost. Most seasoned players would advise against purifying a Shiny Shadow Pokemon because of its rarity, especially if it has decent stats.
Making the Decision
Ultimately, the decision of whether to purify a Shadow Pokémon depends on your individual play style, goals, and resources. Consider the following factors:
- The Pokémon’s species: Is it a strong attacker or a defensive tank?
- The Pokémon’s IVs: How close is it to being a perfect IV Pokémon?
- Your Stardust and Candy reserves: Can you afford to power up a Shadow Pokémon?
- Your play style: Are you a hardcore raider or a casual collector?
Games Learning Society and Strategic Thinking
The decision of whether to purify or not purify Pokémon showcases the strategic thinking required in Pokémon GO. Understanding the trade-offs and optimizing your resources are crucial for success. This strategic element aligns perfectly with the goals of the Games Learning Society and their work on using games to promote learning and critical thinking skills. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about their fascinating research.
FAQs: Shadow Pokémon and Purification
1. Is it always better to keep Shadow Pokémon for raids?
In most cases, yes. The 20% attack boost provides a significant damage advantage in raids.
2. Can Shadow Pokémon be traded?
No, Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded in Pokémon GO.
3. Can Shadow Pokémon be shiny?
Yes, Shadow Pokémon can be shiny, making them exceptionally rare and sought-after.
4. Does purifying a Pokémon make it lucky?
You can find a Lucky Shadow Pokémon, meaning you can also have a Lucky Purified Pokémon.
5. What is the best way to get rid of Frustration on Shadow Pokémon?
During specific Team GO Rocket events, you can use a Charged TM to replace Frustration with a different move.
6. Are 0-star Shadow Pokémon worth keeping?
If a 0-star Shadow Pokémon has decent Attacks and CP, it’s better to leave it unpurified for future battles because of the Shadow damage bonus.
7. Can you evolve Shadow Pokémon?
Yes, you can evolve Shadow Pokémon.
8. Is it better to evolve a Shadow Pokémon before or after purifying it?
Purify a Pokémon BEFORE you evolve it so you can use less candies.
9. Does purifying a Pokémon change its moves?
Yes, purifying a Pokémon replaces Frustration with Return.
10. How do you get Shadow Pokémon?
You obtain Shadow Pokémon by defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts and Leaders at PokéStops.
11. What is the rarest shiny in Pokémon GO?
The Shiny variant of Darkrai falls under some of the rarest.
12. Can a Pokémon lose its shiny status?
No, a shiny Pokémon cannot lose its shininess.
13. Can I transfer Shadow Pokémon to Pokémon HOME?
Transfers to Pokemon HOME for Shadow Pokemon are not permitted.
14. What are the odds of getting a perfect Shadow Pokémon?
The odds of getting a “ShaShundo” (that is, a Shadow Shiny Pokemon with Perfect IVs) are approximately 1 in 25,000,000.
15. Why can’t I trade Shadow Pokémon?
Niantic’s trading rules have banned the exchange of Shadow-type creatures in any trade to protect the rarity and value of these Pokémon.
By understanding the nuances of Shadow Pokémon and purification, you can make informed decisions that optimize your Pokémon GO experience and build a powerful team.