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What Does Purify Mean In Pokemon Go

What Are Team Go Rocket Invasions

Pokemon Go Purifying a pokemon

Team GO Rocket is explained as an off-shoot of Team Rocket from the mainline Pokémon games. These so-called Team GO Rocket invasions introduce brand-new game mechanics to Pokémon GO. Players can battle Team GO Rocket Grunts at invaded PokéStops and capture their Shadow Pokémon upon winning. These Shadow Pokémon start out weak, but after purifying them, theyll receive a handful of boons like a higher level and additional IVs.

To get started with the process of battling Team GO Rocket and getting a Shadow Pokémon, youll first need to find a Team GO Rocket PokéStop.

Is It Worth It To Purify Shadow Pokemon

In short, if you’re a competitive player or someone who wants to have the rarest versions of every Pokémon in the game then keeping them in their Shadow form is likely the best choice for you. … Conversely, when you purify the Pokémon they will lose this bonus in favor of cheaper power up costs to Stardust and Candy.

Purifying A Shadow Pokmon

Once a trainer has caught a Shadow Pokémon, they have the ability to purify it, if they so choose. The trainer can select the Shadow Pokémon and click the purify option.


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In order to purify the Shadow Pokémon, the trainer will need to spend a certain amount of Stardust and Candy, with the amount depending on the specific Pokémon. Once the Pokémon has been purified, it will no longer be surrounded by the dark aura and will instead be surrounded by sparkles to reflect its new status as a purified Pokémon.

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What Is An Iv In Pokemon Go

Each Pokemon has 3 separate IVs: these are hidden values between 0 and 15 for the Attack, Defense, and Stamina stats. These values determine how powerful a Pokemon will be at its maximum level.

Not all Pokémon are equal: two max-level Pokémon can have different IVs, resulting in one which will be more powerful then the others. For example, a level 40 Lapras can have a CP of between 2,229 and 2,603.


This means that in the worst case, you could end up with a Lapras which is only 85% as powerful as it could be!

So When Should You Purify

What is this blue star?! Pleeaaase! Tried looking it up ...

The above means your Shadow Pokemons CP is basically irrelevant. Youre not going to use them in battle and if you do purify it, it wont matter whether its CP is 20 or 600 as itll end up the same, regardless.

However, the IVs are important to look at. Shadow Pokemon are clearly an excellent opportunity to get high IV options, and if youre really lucky the coveted perfect IVs.

A quick calculation shows there is a one in 125 chance of, essentially, nabbing yourself a 100% IV when catching a Shadow species. Theres a one in five chance of getting a 13 IV or higher on each stat, which equates to one in 125 when you multiply them together.

So, if you find one with 13s or higher across the board then, unless its a Rattata, you should probably spend the Stardust and do it. There are other things to consider, though.


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What Does The Pokemon Go Blue Snowflake Symbol Mean

There are a lot of intricate mechanics at work within Pokemon Go. In fact, theres so much going on that you may occasionally forget what basic on-screen icons stand for. One of the symbols not so often seen looks like a blue snowflake, and it shows up directly next to your Pokemon. What does this icon mean, and where did it come from? Read on to find out.

Pokmon Go Guide: How To Purify Shadow Pokmon And Why You Should

Time to stock up on stardust and candy.

In the latest update to Pokémon Go, Team Rocket trainers have been turning Pokémon into Shadow Pokémon.

When you beat a Team Rocket trainer in battle, youll get a chance to capture one of these Shadow Pokémon.


These Pokémon are angrier and darker than their uncorrupted counterparts, but you can purify them to restore them to their former selves.

Whats different about these Shadow Pokémon?

The Shadow Pokémon are all part of a Special Research Quest in Pokémon Go called A Troubling Situation.

All of the Shadow Pokémon have a move called Frustration, which in traditional Pokémon games does more damage the more the Pokémon dislikes you.

If you manage to purify them, Frustration is replaced with Return, which does more damage the more they like you.

However, since there are no friendliness modifiers in Pokémon Go, the amount of damage done by Frustration and Return is actually the same.


Why should you purify a Shadow Pokémon?

A purified Pokémon costs less candy to evolve and less stardust to power up.

Purified Pokémon get IV boosts when powered up and each stat goes up by two when purified. IVs determine the maximum power potential of a Pokémon. So if a Shadow Pokémon has 13 Attack, Defense and Stamina, it will turn into a 100% IV Pokémon since these stats max out at 15.

How do you catch a Shadow Pokémon?

To catch a Shadow Pokémon, you will probably need more Pokéballs than normal.

How do you purify a Shadow Pokémon?

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Pokemon Go: Breaking Down Shadow Pokemon And Purification

When Shadow Pokemon were introduced alongside Team GO Rocket in July 2019, they added an entirely new dynamic to Pokemon GO. Since then, Shadow Pokemon have grown in popularity due to their abilities as attackers, getting a damage boost to their moves when in battle.


However, this comes at a cost, as Shadow Pokemon are stuck with the charged move Frustration and are unable to remove it without purification in most circumstances. There are times, similar to Pokemon GO’s recent Luminous Legends event, where Shadow Pokemon can gain a charged attack that isn’t Frustration, but they are few and far between.

Given that Frustration deals a paltry 10 damage, it may seem like a significant hindrance. However, Shadow Pokemon can excel in certain scenarios due to the strength of their fast attacks. Shadow Pokemon such as Swampert, Machamp and Politoed can still perform very well in Pokemon GO’s PvP modes, and those such as Shadow Mewtwo, Mamoswine, Hariyama, and Metagross are exceptional in Pokemon GO’s raid battles.

So which is the ideal method? The short answer is that it depends on what the particular player is after. Breaking down the two states of Shadow and Purified, there are pluses and negatives to both, and some will outweigh others depending on what players are aiming to do with it within Pokemon GO.

The upsides to keeping a Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO are:

Some cons to keeping a Shadow are:


When it comes to Pokemon GO’s purification, there are also some upsides:

Pokmon Go: Why Youll Want To Keep Shadow Pokmon

Why You Should NEVER Purify Your Shadow Pokemon In Pokémon GO! (2021) | Purifying For Better IVs?

Shadow Pokemon just got an upgrade. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Team Rocket GO upgrade.

Shadow Pokémon arent a new thing to Pokémon GO but theyve been upgraded in the latest patch. Released on 3/2/20, Shadow Pokémon have been given a significant boost in power. Not only are they stronger, theyre also cheaper to upgrade, costing less stardust and candy. Before, there was almost no reason not to simply purify your Shadow Pokémon and unlock the enhanced versions. Now you just might want to hold off and keep your Shadow Pokémon.

Even better, special Pokémon saved from Giovanni now get an even bigger power boost compared to the standard Shadow Pokémon you can acquire from Team Rocket GO grunts. In the guide below, Ill go over all the changes to Shadow Pokémon, and provide a quick refresher to explain what Shadow Pokémon are, how to catch them, and why you might not want to purify them.

More Pokémon GO guides:


All The Shadow Pokémon You Can Catch | Full List | How To Catch Shadow Pokémon | Capture Guide | How To Fight Team Rocket GO | Invasion Event Guide | How To Fight Rocket Leader Giovanni | Legendary Shadow Pokémon Guide | How The Buddy System Works | How To Earn Buddy Hearts Easily | How To Catch New Unova Pokémon | Trade Evolutions Guide | How To Trade & Evolutions List

  • Shadow Pokémon deal more damage with Quick or Charged Attacks.
  • Shadow Pokémon also receive more damage from enemy attacks.

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How Do Team Go Rocket Battles Work In Pokmon Go

If youre used to doing regular PvP battles in Pokémon GO, Team GO Rocket battles shouldnt be totally unfamiliar to you. But just in case you arent used to them, heres how Team GO Rocket battles work.

  • Team GO Rocket Grunts use a mono-Typed team comprised of Shadow Pokémon.
  • Battles are in a 3-versus-3 format .
  • For Great League players, Team GO Rocket Grunts carry two Pokémon of around 2,200 to 2,500 CP and a third of around 3,000 CP.
  • For Ultra League players, Team GO Rocket Grunts carry two Pokémon of around 3,300 to 3,500 CP and a third of around 4,500 CP.
  • Team GO Rocket Grunts carry Pokémon with boosted stats and CP values otherwise unobtainable in-game.
  • Youll be able to swap between any of the three Pokémon in your party during the battle.
  • Team GO Rocket Grunts will give hints regarding what Pokémon theyre going to use. This makes it easy to plan your team ahead of the battle. Refer to the list of Shadow Pokémon available in the game below to get an idea of what Pokémon the Grunt will use.
  • If the Grunt says Do you know how hot Pokémon fire breath can get? before the battle, theyll use a Fire-type.
  • If the Grunt says Dont tangle with us! before the battle, theyll use a Grass-type.
  • If the Grunt says Normal does not mean weak! before the battle, theyll use a Normal-type.
  • If the Grunt says Coiled and ready to strike! before the battle, theyll use a Poison-type.
  • If the Grunt says The waters are treacherous! before the battle, theyll use a Water-type.
  • Should You Purify Shadow Ho

    What should you do?

    Image via Pokémon Gos Twitter


    Whenever you capture a shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Go, theres a small debate if you should purify it or not. A shadow Pokémon has 20% more attack power than its regular form, but it also lowers its defenses by 20%. Also, shadow Pokémon know the default charged move frustration, and they can only remove it during specific times in Pokémon Go. Beyond these time frames, theyre stuck knowing frustration. By purifying a shadow Pokémon, they return to their standard form, their attack and defense power are normal, and they can learn charged moves. Do you want to purify shadow Ho-Oh?

    For most shadow Pokémon, it all comes down to if you can remove frustration. Niantic has gotten better about having more events that make it so players can remove a shadow Pokémons frustration. Shadow Ho-Oh is the same way. However, because it is a legendary Pokémon, obtaining its shadow version is much more difficult. The only way you can do that is by defeating Giovanni, and the shadow legendary Pokémon he captures rotates out pretty often. It also comes down to obtaining a Super Rocket Radar, the only way to locate Giovanni.

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    Why Purify Shadow Pokemon

    There are a lot of reasons why you’d want to Purify your Shadow Pokemon, and Reddit user ControvT compiled a list of them.

    • IV levels in each stat will increase by 2, which is handy if you’re trying to get a perfect Pokemon
    • Level increases, up to level 25
    • Learns Return, a 3-bar Normal-type move
    • Candy cost for strengthening or evolving the Pokemon decreases by 10%
    • Stardust cost for strengthening or teaching a secondary move decreases by 20%

    Another reason to Purify is thanks to an update introduced on July 25. Along with decreasing Shadow Pokemon capture rates as mentioned, the update makes it impossible to trade Shadow Pokemon.

    Purified Pokemon can be traded, though. Given the IV improvements Purifying offers, it means your chances of getting a perfect ‘mon ultimately improve when you Purify, i.e. a 13/13/13 Shadow Pokemon would be perfect after Purification.

    Everything You Need To Know About Shadow Pokemon In Pokemon Go

    Shadow Pokemon GO and the best Pokemon potential

    After defeating a Team Go Rocket grunt or leader, players are given the opportunity to catch a shadow Pokemon. One of the more difficult choices players face in Pokemon GO is whether to raise the shadow Pokemon, or purify it for an IV and CP boost.

    The choice is a tough one that needs to be looked at on an individual basis, and thats something that requires a deeper dive. Heres how to approach shadow Pokemon, when to purify, and how to best utilize them.

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    Pokmon Gos Hero Medals

    To obtain the Hero medal, youll need to defeat a certain number of Team GO Rocket Grunts. Like all other medals, there are bronze, silver, and gold variations.

    • To get a bronze Hero medal, defeat 10 Team GO Rocket Grunts.
    • To get a silver Hero medal, defeat 100 Team GO Rocket Grunts.
    • To get a gold Hero medal, defeat 1,000 Team GO Rocket Grunts.

    Pokmon Go Purified Pokmon Benefits

    Purified Pokémon have a number of perks that set them apart from other Pokémon, which include:

    • The Candy cost for powering up or evolving the Pokémon will decrease by 10%.
    • The Stardust cost to powering up or teaching the Pokémon a secondary move will decrease by 10%.
    • The Purified Pokémon will learn Return – a 3 bar Normal type move, which is great for Normal type Pokémon.
    • IVs will be increased by 2 in every stat – Attack, Defence, HP.
    • Finally, a Purified Pokemon’s level will increase – the cap on this increase is level 25.

    Thank you to ControvT from reddit for the help with this information.

    Purified Pokémon will have a blue star next to them in your Pokémon storage.

    Due to the Candy cost, it’s worth catching non-Shadow Pokémon as you play, so that you will be able to quickly purify Shadow Pokémon after you catch them. This will help you build up a strong collection of new Pokémon and level up your Purifier medal.

    Below you’ll find a complete list of all the currently released Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Go – it will help you plan out your new catching regime!

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    What Are The Benefits Of Purifying A Shadow Pokemon

    Firstly, lets look at what the purification process actually does. It does more than just saving them so you can feel good about yourself, but makes the purified species more powerful which naturally makes it worth doing. They are as follows:

    • Increase to level 25, from between level 1 and 10
    • Increase each IV by +2
    • Replaces the charge-move Frustration with Return, a three-bar normal-type move
    • 90% of the Stardust and Candy to Power Up or Evolve

    The IV increase means a Shadow Pokemon with IVs of 13 are guaranteed to become perfect when purified. If it already has an IV 14 or more than that particular IV will go to 15.

    Pokmon Go Shadow Pokmon Currently Available

    Top 5 Pokemon Worth Purifying In Pokemon Go! Shadow Garchomp Coming Soon!

    On May, 18th, 2021, the following Shadow Pokémon were introduced as part of the Luminous Legends Y event:

    • Tangela
    • Horsea
    • Snubbull
    • Poochyena
    • Makuhita
    • Electrike
    • Starly
    • Skorupi

    On April, 1st, 2021, the Shadow versions of Aipom and, in turn, Ambipom were introduced.

    On February, 2nd, 2021, the following Shadow Pokémon were introduced:

    • Swinub
    • Nosepass

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    Things Beginners Should Know About Shadow Pokemon

    Shadow Pokemon are a special typing within Pokemon Go. Here is everything a beginner would need to know about them.

    While there are many different types of Pokémon that appear in Pokémon GO, the Shadow type Pokémon operate differently than the others. Originally appearing in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Shadow Pokémon are Pokémon that have been stripped of their emotions, making them into cold-hearted creatures designed specifically for battling.

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    Shadow Pokémon certainly look cool, but it is important to understand how they function and what makes them different. As trainers encounter Shadow Pokémon, they are forced to make a number of decisions such as whether or not to purify the Pokémon and whether or not the Pokémon is worth powering up.

    With new Pokémon GO Shadow Pokémon being added as time goes on, the meta surrounding them changes. However, the importance of these Pocket Monsters remains. Because of the nature of Shadow Pokémon GO creatures, they tend to be very useful for raid battles. While some are also viable in the GO Battle League, this is not true of all of them. One thing is certain: Shadow Pokémon were a game-changing addition to Pokémon GO, and they are here to stay.

    How Do I Get More Balls To Catch Shadow Pokmon

    When you go to catch your first Shadow Pokémon, you may only get 4 or 5 Premiere Balls to do the job. Just defeating the Grunt will get you 2, and youll get an additional ball for every Pokémon you have still standing at the end of the fight.

    There are two other sources thatll increase your Premiere Balls: Hero and Purifier. When you start out, youll always see these listed as +0 balls at the end of the fight. They are tied to two medals with the same names. Getting the Bronze Hero medal requires defeating 10 Grunts in total. Getting the Bronze Purifier medal requires purifying 5 Shadow Pokémon. Both of these should come naturally.

    As you move up the ranks in each of these medals, youll get more balls to catch Shadow Pokémon with.

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