Which Pokémon Are Good to Purify?
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The decision of whether to purify a Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO is a complex one, often sparking debate among trainers. The short, direct answer is this: very few Pokémon are truly “good” to purify, especially if you’re focused on maximizing combat effectiveness. The core mechanic of Shadow Pokémon is their 20% attack boost, a significant damage increase that often outweighs the benefits of purifying them. However, there are some niche situations and reasons why a trainer might choose purification. This article will dive deep into those situations, and we’ll uncover which Pokémon are sometimes worth purifying.
Understanding the Purification Mechanics
Before we get into specifics, let’s recap what purification does. When you purify a Shadow Pokémon:
- It receives a +2 boost to each of its Individual Values (IVs). This can turn a low-IV Shadow Pokémon into a decent one, or even a perfect 100% IV Pokémon.
- It learns Return, a unique Charged Attack exclusive to purified Pokémon.
- It gets a significant boost in Combat Power (CP).
- The Stardust and candy cost for powering up, evolving, or learning a new attack becomes less expensive.
- Most importantly, it loses the 20% Shadow damage bonus.
When Purification Might Be Considered
The crucial factor for deciding to purify or not usually comes down to one question: Do you value raw power or a potential perfection?
1. Completing the Purifier Medal
For completionists aiming to max out their Purifier Medal, purifying is a necessity. The most efficient way to achieve this is to focus on low-cost Shadow Pokémon that require only 1,000 Stardust and 1 Candy to purify. Pokémon like Rattata, Zubat, Magikarp, Starly, Patrat and Purrloin fit this bill. These Pokémon are primarily purified for medal progress rather than their competitive value.
2. Striving for 100% IVs
If you are a collector who loves perfect IV (100%) Pokémon, then purifying may be appealing, especially with Shadow Pokémon that are already very close to perfection. A Shadow Pokémon with, for example, 13/13/13 IVs can become perfect 15/15/15 when purified. This is one of the few reasons to sacrifice the Shadow boost.
3. Specific PvP Scenarios
There are very rare instances where Return, the exclusive purified attack, might be desired for specific Player vs. Player (PvP) matchups. This is an extremely niche use, and most experienced PvP players prefer the raw power of Shadow attacks.
4. Desire for Mega Evolution
While you cannot Mega Evolve Shadow Pokémon, you can Mega Evolve purified Pokémon. If you have a very strong purified Pokemon that is also able to Mega Evolve, then that might be a reason to purify. Note that purified Mega Evolved Pokemon will not have the swirling white aura that normal Mega Pokemon do.
5. Low-Tier Shadow Pokémon with Poor IVs
If you have a Shadow Pokémon of a species that isn’t useful in combat, and it has bad IVs, then you may decide to purify it. This is a rare scenario where you are not losing much in terms of battling strength, but potentially gaining a collectible. This is usually done for a 100% IV or if the player is just not interested in using it as a shadow and wants to fill a pokedex spot with a purified version.
Pokémon to Avoid Purifying
In most cases, you will want to avoid purifying a Shadow Pokémon. Here are some of the specific types of Pokémon that should almost always stay as Shadows.
1. Top-Tier Shadow Attackers
Pokémon like Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Mamoswine, Shadow Weavile, Shadow Machamp, Shadow Moltres, Shadow Entei, Shadow Hariyama, and Shadow Tyranitar are significantly more powerful as Shadow Pokémon due to their 20% damage boost. Purifying these would dramatically reduce their combat effectiveness. This is the most important category that trainers should not purify if they value their Pokemon’s battling strength.
2. Any Shadow Pokémon With Good IVs
Even low IV Shadow Pokémon typically perform better than their normal or purified counterparts due to the damage boost. The 20% damage bonus vastly outweighs the benefit of a +2 IV increase. This applies to nearly every type of battling, including raid battles and fighting in gyms.
3. Pokémon With a Shadow-Boosted Community Day Move
Many Community Days have boosted moves that will make a Pokemon even more powerful. If a pokemon has a community day move, it is typically better to keep that version as Shadow. This is because of the synergy between the move and the shadow boost.
Key Takeaways
The key takeaway here is that Shadow Pokémon are almost always better left as Shadows if you care about their battling ability. The 20% damage bonus is a game-changing advantage. Purifying is generally only recommended for:
- Completing the Purifier Medal.
- Seeking a perfect 100% IV collectible.
- Specific niche PvP scenarios (very rare).
- Having a specific Pokemon that has a powerful Mega Evolution.
- Having low-tier Shadow Pokémon with poor IVs and just wanting to fill out your Pokédex.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are IVs?
Individual Values (IVs) are hidden stats that contribute to a Pokémon’s overall strength. They determine how high a Pokémon’s Attack, Defense, and HP can be. They range from 0-15 for each stat.
2. Does purifying a 0 IV Shadow Pokémon make it stronger than a 100 IV normal one?
Yes! Even a 0 IV Shadow Pokémon deals more damage than a 100 IV regular Pokémon because of the 20% attack boost. This makes it preferable in many battle situations.
3. Should I power up my Shadow Pokémon before purifying?
No, it doesn’t matter if you power up a shadow Pokemon before purifying, the end result will be the same. If you choose to purify it will still gain the bonus IVs when you purify. The CP of a Pokemon will not change if you power it up before or after an evolution.
4. Will purifying improve my Shadow Pokémon’s CP?
Yes, purifying a Shadow Pokémon will boost its CP significantly. The primary reason for this is the 2 IV bonus to each stat. The 2 IV bonus is also the reason that the base stats will also change after you purify the Pokemon.
5. Can I evolve a Shadow Pokémon before purifying?
Yes, you can evolve a Shadow Pokémon before purifying, but it will cost you more candies. It is recommended to purify a Pokémon before evolving it, if you decide you are going to purify.
6. Is it better to purify or evolve a Shadow Pokémon first?
It’s generally better to purify before evolving a Shadow Pokémon, as purifying reduces the Candy cost for evolving.
7. Can a 2-star Shadow Pokémon become a 3-star?
Yes, if the IVs are high enough, a 2-star Shadow Pokémon can become a 3-star after purification. However, this is not a guarantee. Remember that only a 2 star that is close to perfect will become a three star.
8. What happens to a 100 IV shadow Pokemon when purified?
Nothing. A purified version of a 100% IV Pokemon will not be a stronger Pokemon. It will simply lose the 20% shadow boost. Purifying a 100% IV shadow Pokemon is one of the least useful things you could do with it.
9. Is there any way to change a Pokemon’s star rating after it is caught?
No. There is not any way to change a Pokemon’s star rating after it has been caught.
10. Can purified Pokemon be used in GBL (Go Battle League)?
Yes. Purified Pokemon can be used in the Go Battle League.
11. Can a Shadow Pokémon become perfect (100% IV) after purifying?
Yes. If a Shadow Pokémon’s IVs are close enough to perfect (13/13/13 or 14/14/14), purifying it will indeed make it 100% IV by increasing each stat by +2.
12. How rare is a 100% IV Shadow Pokémon?
The chances of obtaining a 100% IV Shadow Pokemon is extremely rare. The chance of any combination of IVs is 1 in 4096. This does not change for shadow Pokemon.
13. Is Shadow Aerodactyl worth purifying?
No. Shadow Aerodactyl, like most Shadow Pokémon, is more powerful as a Shadow due to the 20% damage boost.
14. Does the shadow damage boost apply to every attack?
Yes. The shadow boost applies to every attack that a shadow pokemon does.
15. Can I use a Mega Evolved Pokemon to defend a gym?
No. Mega Evolved Pokemon cannot be used to defend a gym. This is true of normal, purified, and shadow Mega Evolved Pokemon.