Should You Purify That Low Star Shadow Pokémon? Yes, but Only in Specific Cases
As an expert Pokémon GO trainer, my recommendation is generally to keep your low star shadow Pokémon unspoiled by purification. However, there are some rare exceptions where purifying a low IV shadow can be advantageous. This comprehensive guide will shed light on when to purify and when to maintain your Pokémon‘s dark power.
The Majestic Untamed Shadow
Shadow Pokémon are mysterious creatures, corrupted by Team Go Rocket experiments. When you rescue one of these poor Pokémon, they gain the shadow status – pulsating with dark energy that grants them great strength.
A shadow Pokémon receives a +20% damage bonus to all attacks. This makes even a 0% shadow a formidable fighter. However, their suffering also causes them to take +20% increased damage as well.
Purification removes the shadow status, restoring the Pokémon‘s heart but losing the attack bonus. Let‘s delve into the tradeoffs in more detail.
Pros of Purifying Low Star Shadows
IV Boost
The main incentive to purify is the +2 increase to each IV stat. Attack, defense, and HP all go up by 2 points.
For example, purifying a 10/5/5 shadow Tyranitar would result in a 12/7/7 Tyranitar.
While this IV boost seems minor, it can potentially bring a low appraisal shadow to a much higher appraisal tier.
Cheaper Power Ups
Another benefit of purification is that powered up costs are reduced.
Here‘s a comparison of the stardust and candy required to go from level 8 to 40 for a Larvitar:
| Action | Stardust Needed | Candy Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Purify then Power Up | 225,000 | 248 |
| Power Up without Purifying | 300,000 | 296 |
As you can see, purifying first saves 75,000 stardust and 48 candies. This adds up significantly over time.
Special Move
When purified, the Pokémon will learn the charged move ‘Return‘.
While not the strongest move, it provides additional type coverage. This can be useful in some cases, like giving a fighting type another potential attack against steel.
Aesthetics
Some players just prefer the visual design of purified Pokémon over the dark flaring aura of shadows.
It‘s a matter of personal taste, but for collectors who value certain appearances, purification transforms the Pokémon‘s look.
Cons of Purifying Low Star Shadows
Lose Attack Bonus
The largest downside by far is that upon purification, the +20% damage bonus is lost.
For example, a Shadow Metagross with the move Bullet Punch hitting a Blissey would do 18 damage normally. As a shadow, it would achieve 21.6 damage per use of Bullet Punch.
This adds up substantially over the course of a battle, resulting in much faster victory.
High IVs Aren‘t Everything
Due to the attack bonus, even a 0% shadow will typically out-damage a high IV non-shadow.
Moveset, type effectiveness, level, and other factors also contribute to overall performance.
A strong shadow with best moves is far superior to a purified hundo with poor attacks.
Rarity
Low IV shadow Pokémon are much rarer than perfect 4* purified versions.
While any 13/13/13 shadow can be purified to 100%, the low IV shadows themselves are uncommon and hard to obtain.
Collector Value
For collectors seeking unique specimens, a 0% shadow is far more desirable and prestigious than a common hundo.
When To Purify That Low Star Shadow
To Max Out CP For PvP Leagues
If purifying will allow a Pokémon to fit under the CP caps for Great or Ultra league, it can make sense to purify first.
The IV boost may be just enough to squeeze it into the eligible CP range.
To Evolve More Cheaply
For new players with limited candy/stardust, purifying first allows evolving at a lower cost.
Always purify before hitting that evolve button to maximize candy/stardust savings!
For Defensive Oriented Pokémon
If you primarily want a Pokémon for gym defense or raids, where the +20% damage taken will hurt, purifying removes that penalty at the cost of some DPS.
Favorite Pokémon You Want as a Hundo
For your personal favorite Pokémon like your buddy, getting a perfect 4* may be appealing even if it‘s not the optimal battle choice.
To Trade for Chance of Lucky
Trading a purified Pokémon has a higher chance of becoming lucky. Lucky IV floor is 12/12/12 so it guarantees a useful Pokémon.
When to Keep It Shadow
For Raids and Rocket Battles
To fully exploit that +20% damage bonus, keeping it shadow for challenging raid and Rocket leader battles is ideal.
Master League PvP Battles
With no CP limit, the increased attack power outweighs IVs, making shadows dominant.
If the Shadow is Already High IV
If your shadow is already 80%+ IV or level 35 weather boosted, it may not be worth the purification.
Rare/Unique Shadows
Keep special ones like starters, legendary birds, mewtwo shadow for collector value.
Even 0% IV shadows of these Pokémon are true gems.
To Mega Evolve
Mega evolved Pokémon gain the same +20% damage boost passively, so no need to purify.
An Analysis of Attack Bonus vs IV Gains – Which is Better?
Let‘s do a statistical analysis to demonstrate that the 20% attack bonus of shadows surpasses the 2 IV point gain from purification in most cases.
First, we‘ll calculate the exact percentage increase in attack from two additional IV points.
For a 10/10/10 shadow Pokémon purified to 12/12/12, the attack changes from 130 to 144 – an increase of 14 points.
14 / 130 = 10.7% increase in attack stat.
In contrast, the 20% damage bonus directly results in…you guessed it, a 20% increase in damage!
So purification gives a 10.7% attack gain, while shadow keeps a 20% damage boost. Shadow wins!
You can confirm this yourself using online raid battle simulators that clearly show even low IV shadows out-damaging high IV normals.
Should You Purify For Better IVs? Only In Specific Situations!
The reality is that the raw power of an untamed shadow almost always overpowers any small IV increase from purification. Treat your shadow Pokémon with care, and only in certain specialized cases should you consider purification.
If maximizing CP for PvP, saving on evolution costs, or wanting that 100% hundo of a favorite mon are critical, purifying has a place.
Otherwise, embrace the darkness, let the shadow‘s skillful moves speak for themselves, and unleash their wrath upon thy enemies!
Conclusion
Purifying low star shadow Pokémon is sometimes, but rarely, the wise move. You sacrifice immense strength for marginal IV gains in most cases. But for particular goals like cheaper evolutions or hitting CP caps, it can prove worthwhile.
Use this guide to make the optimal decision per each of your shadow Pokémon. Harness their power as shadows when possible, but don‘t rule out purification in special circumstances to further your objectives.
Now get out there, battle with the wisdom of these truths, vanquish every foe in your path! This is the way of the Pokémon master.
