Demystifying the Elusive Shiny Shadows of Pokémon GO
As an avid Pokémon GO trainer immersed in the game since 2016, Shadow Pokémon have remained one of the most intriguing mechanics keeping me hooked year after year. And the ultra rare Shiny Shadow variants ratchet up the excitement to another level entirely!
But what exactly are the odds of encountering one of these coveted black sheep? After pouring over crowdsourced research and picking the brains of fellow experts in the field, I‘ve got the answer.
The Boosted Odds of Shiny Shadow Pokémon
Shadow Pokémon boast approximately a 1 in 64 chance of appearing Shiny when you battle their Team GO Rocket overlords. For reference, that‘s nearly 8 times the standard 1 in 500 base rate governing most wild spawns!
Let‘s pause to fully appreciate how ridiculously lucky you have to be see one of those corrupted combatants glistening. I‘ve grinded Rocket Radars ‘till my phone battery died and only encountered 3 over 4 years of dedicated hunting.
The Silph Research Group substantiates these lofty numbers compiled from a mountain of aggregated trainer data:
| Encounter Type | Shiny Rate |
|---|---|
| Wild Spawns | 1 in 500 |
| Shadow Pokémon | 1 in 64 |
| Legendary Raids | 1 in 20 |
So next time you purify that dastardly Shadow Zubat hoping for perfection, remember you discarded a precious commodity!
The Implications of Purifying for Collectors
Now as an endgame player with a complete Shiny living Dex, I only purify Shiny Shadows meeting two specific criteria:
- They have high enough IVs to achieve the coveted 4* or 100% perfect status when purified
- I already own the standard variant
Earning a perfect IV version of something like Shiny Shadow Metagross to showcase might be worth the sacrifice. But obliterating the only Shiny Shadow Beldum I‘ll ever catch? No thank you!
I‘d love to hear your experiences taking the ominous aura off your prized catches below. Feel free to pick my brain on specific scenarios too!
The Power Benefits of Remaining Shadow
Here‘s where things get slightly complicated. On the one hand, keeping a Shadow intact retains that gnarly 20% damage boost in battle.
On the other hand, the stat correction and cost reductions from purification might allow powering up something only attainable as a Shadow. Think Shadow Mewtwo or the legendary Shadow birds trailing Giovanni.
Generally, I purify if:
- The Shiny Shadow has perfect IVs
- It‘s an otherwise unobtainable Pokemon
And leave as a Shadow if:
- It‘s usable as a raid attacker at high levels
- I already have the normal version
But let me know if you need advice about a specific mon! With over 200M lifetime XP, I can break down the pros and cons to guide your decision.
The Crown Jewels – My Top 5 Shiny Shadows
I realize we got a bit technical there. Now let‘s drool over the crème de le crop currently available as shiny corrupted variants!
Shiny Shadow Metagross
The beloved pseudo-legendary looks lethal coated in blue-tinted iron. Also a supreme Steel-type attacker to reckoned with!
Shiny Shadow Gyarados
Nothing strikes fear into my heart more than facing down Lance‘s ace glowing red. This golden sea monster comes close with that savage toothy grin!
Shiny Shadow Venusaur/Charizard/Blastoise
I had to group the OG Kanto starters together here. There‘s something so cool about seeing the 1st partners we chose 20 years ago tainted and overpowered!
Shiny Shadow Mewtwo
Ok, so this one is almost impossibly rare. But just imagine a neon green and purple Mewtwo with PSystrike crashing gyms left and right!
Shiny Shadow Sableye/Mawile
I‘ll cheat and combine two for the last slot. Both Sapphire homages rocking jewel-encrusted corrupted sprites. So cute yet so evil!
Let me know which shiny shadow you desire most. I‘ll be grinding Rocket Radars all month trying to snag that blasted Shiny Shadow Scyther!
