Pokemon GO guide: Pros and cons of purifying Shadow Pokemon

Trainers can rescue Shadow Pokemon after battling any member of Team GO Rocket in Pokemon GO. They are special creatures that have been corrupted. Players can choose to keep them in their original form or Purify them to remove the Shadow designation.

There are pros and cons attached to either action. It all depends on stats, the benefits of Purifying the Pokemon, and if they have an evolution. At the end of the day, players need to weigh the positives and negatives and decide for themselves which path to take.

---

Ups and downs of Purifying Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO

Pros of Purifying

• The Candy and Stardust cost to increase CP is lowered.
• The Candy cost to evolve a Purified Pokemon is lowered.
• The Candy and Stardust cost to teach a new Charged Attack is lowered.
• The defensive nerf that Shadow Pokemon have will be gone.
• The Purified Pokemon will receive a boost to its stats, making for a potential Perfect Stat Pokemon.
• The Purified Pokemon will learn Return after being Purified, removing Frustration as the Charged Attack (which can't be removed while the creature is in its Shadow form)

---

Cons of Purifying

• It costs varying Stardust and Candy to Purify a Shadow Pokemon.
• The attack buff given to Shadow Pokemon will be removed.
• The intimidating appearance of the Shadow Pokemon will disappear.
• Frustration is a powerful Charged Attack, which will be replaced with Return.
• A Perfect Stat Shadow Pokemon won't receive any stat increases if Purified.

---

Shadow vs. Purified in Pokemon GO

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to purifying Shadow Pokemon in this title. That said, some of these corrupted creatures have found a spot in the GO Battle League meta. They have great defensive capabilities, so the Shadow nerf doesn't affect them that much. Moreover, the extra attacking strength is something they benefit from greatly. This makes certain Shadow Pokemon a wonderful offensive choice,

However, a Purified Pokemon is a more balanced option in Pokemon GO. This is especially true if they are just one or two stat points away from becoming Perfect.

Players should appraise each Shadow Pokemon before deciding to Purify it. This is going to help them decide whether it will be a dominating, corrupted battler or needs to be Purified to reach the next stage of capability.

---

What are Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO?

Basic and Legendary Pokemon can be in the Shadow form in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Shadow Pokemon are corrupted by Team GO Rocket and are abandoned after its members have been defeated. This is because they are regarded as too weak to stay on the evil team.

After beating a Team GO Rocket member in battle, players will get to encounter and catch one of the Pokemon they fought. More often than not, this will involve the first Pokemon the Team GO Rocket member used.

Shadow Pokemon are identified by their red, evil-looking eyes and the purple fog that surrounds them. The latter can be removed by Purifying the creatures, but not everyone wants to do so in Pokemon GO.