Should You Invest in Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Go? Yes, Here‘s Why:

Shadow Pokémon have become one of the most hotly debated additions to Pokémon Go. Their ominous dark auras and blazing red eyes seem to hint at untamed power. After much analysis and experience using top Shadow Pokémon, I confidently recommend investing in building a Shadow Pokémon attack squad.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain what exactly Shadow Pokémon are, their pros and cons, which ones are worth powering up, and tips to utilize them effectively. Let‘s shed some light on whether these controversial creatures deserve a spot on your battle team.

What Makes Shadow Pokémon Unique?

Shadow Pokémon originate from battles with the renegade Team Go Rocket Leaders. When you purify or rescue a Shadow Pokémon, their Aura reverts to normal and they become a regular Pokémon.

So what makes Shadow Pokémon so different in battle? It comes down to two stat changes:

• +20% attack – This boost makes Shadow Pokémon deal significantly more damage with fast and charged attacks.

• -20% defense – Their ability to survive attacks decreases due to lowered defense.

This trade-off results in Glass Cannon-like Pokémon with unprecedented damage output at the cost of reduced bulk.

The Pros: Why You Should Use Shadow Pokémon

Here are the main benefits you‘ll enjoy by keeping and powering up the right Shadow Pokémon:

Unrivaled DPS for Raids and Gyms

With their attack boosted by 20%, Shadow Pokémon achieve the highest possible damage per second output in Pokémon Go.

To put this in perspective, a Shadow Salamence deals approximately 17% more damage than a normal Salamence of the same CP level. Against raid bosses with hefty HP pools or type disadvantages, this burst damage can shave precious seconds off your total clear time.

The chart below illustrates how some of the top Shadow Pokémon surpass even Mega Evolutions and Legendaries of the same type:

Pokémon	Move Type	Damage Gain Over Next Best
Shadow Mewtwo	Psychic	+25% vs Mewtwo
Shadow Moltres	Fire	+20% vs Mega Charizard
Shadow Raikou	Electric	+6% vs Zekrom
Shadow Metagross	Steel	+12% vs Mega Steelix

As you can see, the improvements are remarkable and make Shadow Pokémon the optimal counters for raids.

Exclusive Rarity

Shadow Pokémon are exclusively obtained by defeating the Team Go Rocket Leaders – Arlo, Cliff and Sierra. After an encounter is earned, there is still only a chance to catch their Shadow Pokémon with Premier Balls.

This scarcity makes Shadow Pokémon quite rare compared to their regular versions which can be readily caught, hatched, or evolved. Having a built-up Shadow squad shows your dedication to tracking down these elusive Pokémon.

Visual Intimidation

Let‘s be honest – a powered-up Shadow Tyranitar or Mewtwo looks incredibly imposing in gyms with their pulsating red eyes and shrouded in a dark aura. They will surely intimidate any opposing trainer wanting to take over your gym.

Owning badass-looking Shadow Pokémon also gives your battle roster some cooler variety compared to the standard Pokémon.

The Cons: Drawbacks of Using Shadow Pokémon

Of course, it‘s not all upside when it comes to Shadow Pokémon. Here are the biggest disadvantages you‘ll have to weigh:

Costly Power-Up Investment

The stardust and candy costs quickly add up when powering a Shadow Pokémon from level 8 up to max of level 40 or 50.

To give you an idea, powering up a Shadow Metagross to level 40 costs 225,000 Stardust and 248 Candy. That‘s a heavy resource investment for a single Pokémon!

As a comparison, a normal Metagross costs only 150,000 Stardust and 198 Candy to hit level 40.

Decreased Survivability in Battle

With their defense lowered by 20%, Shadow Pokémon become glass cannons and faint more quickly in battle compared to normal Pokémon.

Charged moves from raids bosses or even fast attacks from gyms can wipe out your Shadow Pokémon if you aren‘t dodging. Having to constantly revive teammates cuts into your overall damage output.

Locked Out of Mega Evolution

Unfortunately, one big limitation of Shadow Pokémon is that they cannot Mega Evolve, even if you were to purify them later on. This locks them out of receiving that big boost in power.

For Pokémon like Charizard and Gengar that gain a lot from Mega Evolution, you may be better off using their normal versions.

Which Are the Best Shadow Pokémon Worth Powering Up?

With the pros and cons covered, let‘s get into which Shadow Pokémon are truly worth investing your hard-earned Stardust and Candy into powering up:

Shadow Mewtwo

As the king of Shadow Pokémon, Shadow Mewtwo stands far above the rest with its 300 base attack stat. After its 20% Shadow attack bonus, it surpasses Mega Mewtwo Y as the #1 Psychic and Ghost type attacker.

No other Pokémon even comes close with any moveset, making Shadow Mewtwo a must-have.

Shadow Moltres

Thanks to the Shadow attack boost, Shadow Moltres achieves the highest Fire type DPS in the game. It edges out Mega Charizard Y and Chandelure as the top counter for Grass, Bug and Steel-type raid bosses.

Flamethrower or Overheat paired with Sky Attack makes for punishing damage.

Shadow Metagross

With its monstrous attack stat, Shadow Metagross tops the Steel-type attackers, even surpassing Mega Steelix.

Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash is the moveset you want for demolishing Fairy, Ice and Rock-type raid bosses. Fitting Metagross with the Steel-type charge move also enables it to pummel aliens when they return.

Shadow Tyranitar

Shadow Tyranitar dominates as the premier Rock-type raid attacker, handily beating Rhyperior and Rampardos in DPS. With Larvitar spawning frequently from events, building a squad of Shadow Tyranitar is feasible.

Smack Down paired with Stone Edge is the ideal moveset to counter Flying, Fire, Bug and Ice-type raid bosses that are weak to Rock-type damage.

Shadow Weavile

While Glassier than Darkrai, Shadow Weavile still provides superb Dark-type DPS that can fill the gap until Darkrai returns again. It also performs excellently as an Ice-type attacker with Avalanche.

Shadow Weavile will serve you well against Psychic, Ghost and Dragon-type enemies.

Which Shadow Pokémon Are Better to Purify?

As we covered, some Pokémon stand to benefit more from the stat boosts of purification:

Shadow Sableye for PvP Great League

Purifying Sableye provides it with Return, a high-damage 3-bar charge move that pairs well with Foul Play or Power Gem. The extra defense from purification also improves Sableye‘s bulk for PvP survival.

Shadow Victreebel for PvP Great League

Purification pushes Victreebel‘s CP below 1500 while giving it the nuke Charged move Return. These boosts optimize it for the Great League where it can wreak havoc.

Shadow Politoed for PvP Ultra League

Much like the other examples, Return gives Politoed a strong nuke move in PvP. It can also reach higher CP levels closer to 2500 for Ultra League thanks to purification stat boosts.

How to Effectively Manage Your Shadow Pokémon Squad

Here are my top tips for assembling the most powerful and efficient team of Shadow Pokémon:

• Purify before evolving – This will save you tons of Candy and Stardust since the evolved form costs much more to power up.

• Don‘t transfer low IV Shadows – The Attack boost matters most, so a 0/0/0 Shadow can still outpace a 15/15/15 normal Pokémon .

• Use TMs to ensure your Shadow Pokémon have the optimal movesets. Check PvPoke.com for rankings.

• Max out 6+ of the best Shadows like Mewtwo, Metagross to have ready for Raid and Gym battles.

• Take advantage of Team Go Rocket events to farm Candy and IV rerolls for more Shadow catches.

Should You Invest Resources into Shadow Pokémon?

After taking a deep dive into the pros and cons, my verdict is clear – powering up the right Shadow Pokémon is absolutely worth the investment for their unmatched damage output.

However, be selective in which ones you choose. Prioritize legendary Shadow Pokémon and top-tier raid attackers like Mewtwo, Moltres, Metagross, Tyranitar, and Weavile. Avoid powering up Shadow Pokémon that need their Mega Evolutions like Charizard and Gengar.

The pace of earning Stardust and Candy is limited, so invest wisely into your highest impact Shadow Pokémon. Assemble a squad of theseglass cannon attackers to conquer raids faster than ever before. Just be ready to dodge and revive them frequently!

I hope this guide shed light on how to effectively utilize these powerful Shadow Pokémon to take your game to the next level. Let me know if you have any other questions!