5 Shadow Pokemon that you should purify in Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO's inclusion of Team GO Rocket years ago introduced Shadow Pokemon, corrupted creatures that receive a boost to their attack damage at the cost of their defense. However, players can choose to purify these creatures, removing their damage buffs but increasing their IV stats, removing the Charged Move Frustration, and boosting the species' CP.

For the most part, the majority of Pokemon GO players opt to keep their catches in the shadowy state due to the attack damage bonuses. Be that as it may, some creatures do indeed benefit from being purified.

If Pokemon GO trainers are curious about which creatures they should consider purifying, it doesn't hurt to take a look at some of the most notable examples.

---

Pocket Monsters that trainers should consider purifying in Pokemon GO

1) Any Mega Evolution-Capable Pokemon

This point isn't necessarily saying that just because a species can Mega Evolve it should be purified on the spot in Pokemon GO. Some creatures that can undertake this powerful evolutionary step, like Charizard for example, can still perform well in its shadow form.

However, if trainers already have a shadow variant of a Mega Evolution-capable creature, they may want to consider purifying the next one they catch. This is especially true due to the fact that the increase in IV stats from purification helps maximize a Pokemon's performance after it Mega Evolves.

Alternatively, if a Pokemon GO player obtains a shadow species and wants to Mega Evolve it regardless of its stats or performance in its base form, purification is the primary option. This is due to the fact that shadow species are incapable of activating Mega Evolution at all.

---

2) Sableye

Sableye isn't quite as capable in Pokemon GO as it is in the main series, but it can still be a fantastic fighter in the Great League. Despite a poor stat total, Sableye's Ghost/Dark-typing makes it weak only to Fairy-type moves. Additionally, purification improves the potential IV stats for Sableye, which will certainly need to be utilized to optimize the creature in PvP.

The real appeal of purifying Sableye comes from the Charged Move Return, which replaces the move Frustration after purification. Return provides Sableye with a Normal-type move to improve its type coverage in battle, as Return deals neutral damage to most opponents and can give Sableye diversity for its traditionally Ghost/Dark moveset.

---

3) Wobbuffet

Wobbuffet can be plenty of things in Pokemon GO, but an attacker isn't one of them. It has incredibly paltry Attack IVs, but its Stamina stat ranks in the top five in the game when maxed out. Since this is the case, if players have a Shadow Wobbuffet that is close to having maximum IVs, there's no real reason not to purify it.

Furthermore, purification gives Wobbuffet access to Return, providing it one more attack option since its lone Charged Move is Mirror Coat. This improves Wobbuffet's utility in Great League PvP, where it can be an outstanding defender and method of stalling opponents.

---

4) Rattata

This entry might sound somewhat crazy, but there's a certain rationale behind it. While Shadow Rattata/Raticate aren't really viable in the traditional PvE and PvP meta, the common Rat Pokemon serves another purpose when it comes to purification in Pokemon GO.

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. Doing so is much cheaper for making progress toward upgrading the Purifier Medal.

---

5) Pokemon close to reaching 100% IVs

This may be more of a thing to keep in mind than a specific Pokemon to list, but it's something that trainers can apply to essentially any Pocket Monster they catch in a shadow form. If the creature appraises incredibly well and is close to having maximum IV stats in its shadow variant, then purification may be a good call.

Obviously, this is something to consider on a case-by-case basis. However, if Pokemon GO players have an individual shadow monster on the cusp of having 100% IV stats, purifying it will give it two IV points to each stat, which may be enough to max it out.

Although Pokemon GO's appraisal system can roughly determine a Pokemon's IVs, it may be best to use an IV calculator app or site to check the specifics. Pocket Monsters that have been purified to gain max IVs may lose their shadow form, but a "hundo" creature can often be more valuable both in some battles and in trades.