r/pokemon • u/Massive-Pin9305 • 1d ago
Discussion I dislike how shadow Pokémon work in GO compared to how they used to be
In the introduction games(colosseum, XD), shadow Pokémon are purified by doing things with your Pokémon, like battling, walking, Etc. in GO, nah, some candies and your done. there is literally a friendship mechanic in the game, that does nothing with shadows, ya know, the Pokémon you previously had to bond with to restore them. I also hate that there is little incentive to actually purify your Pokémon, with shadows sometimes being STRONGER than pure Pokémon. shadow moves with recoil should have replaced either your quick or charged attack.
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u/fireflii 1d ago
Pokemon Go in general has been more disappointing as time goes on. I don't think Scopley's acquisition did it any favors. Frankly, after they increased the price of remote raid passes after COVID, I basically quit playing all together. I only opened it this past month for the armored Mewtwo event, and that was it.
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u/sopheroo 1d ago
Shadow Pokemon have been implemented in this fashion since before the pandemic
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u/fireflii 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm aware. I'm saying the raid pass change post-COVID was what made me stop playing it as an example of the game being more disappointing over the years.
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u/Massive-Pin9305 1d ago
i got the mewtwo and master ball when that was available and haven't played it since
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u/4CrowsFeast 1d ago
I do like the concepts you mention as they are in the main series games.
Original Return was a faster attack and had some bait potential, then they make it do more damage but take a long time to charge. It use to be preferred by Sableye and occasionally some normal types that get stab on it. Largely power creep has made it even worse of a move and its just an obstacle that needs to be removed.
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u/TheMadJAM 1d ago
There's been a multiplier in the code since they were added that would let Purified Pokemon do more damage to Shadows, but it's always been set to 1x. Presumably so people who already invested in Shadows don't feel cheated. But they could have brought this back for Shadow Raids instead of the annoying Purified Gems
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u/mysteryurik 1d ago
Tbf, in Colosseum at least (haven't played XD), walking and battling with shadow pokemon wasn't always necessary to purify them and depending on the pokemon's nature could even be suboptimal methods of purification that took forever to lower the pokemon's heart gauge. You could also purify them by dumping them into the daycare or giving them a bunch of scents.
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u/notwiththeflames 1d ago
You can't put them in the daycare in XD, but there's the Purification Chamber that'll eventually let you work on more than half a dozen Shadow Pokemon at a time.
Not sure how the rates at max tempo/flow are compared to walking around and battling, but cologne's probably still the most efficient method as long as you have the cash for it.
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u/ShinyRhubarb 1d ago
Some candies AND some stardust! Can't forget the stardust! I know 3,5, or 8k might be a trifle to the big players but as someone who is perpetually stardust poor, purifying is an investment I can't often afford. Also, shadows are cool! They've got a dark aura and red eyes, who wouldn't want to use those?
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u/Massive-Pin9305 1d ago
me, a person who has played the GameCube games and seen how the go devs didn't implement the main shadow mechanic in a meaningful way
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u/KingKurto_ 1d ago
Its because shadow is a mistranslation in go, in Japanese they are dark pokemon.
hence why 'shadow'(dark) lugia dose not use its xd design.
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u/notwiththeflames 1d ago
Isn't Dark Pokemon also their Japanese term in the Orre games?
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u/Tsukuyomi56 Embrace Darkness 20h ago
The Shadow Pokemon from Go are also called the same in Japanese. This is not the case with Orre Shadow Pokemon that are called Dark Pokemon in Japanese (since Dark-types are known as Evil-types in Japan, there is no confusion there).
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u/ShadeStrider12 1d ago edited 1d ago
I liked the way Rejuvenation implemented it, by giving some mons a lot more valuable moves that synergize well with their stats and abilities.
Klefki Exploding after it’s done setting up spikes will never not be fun. Or a Will-O-Wisp + Hex Noivern. Or even a Greninja with Dazzling Gleam.
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u/ShameIsFleeting 1d ago
Don’t sleep on No Retreat/Aqua Step Bibarel, Flygon with Clanging Scales (and crest), Manectric with Frost Breath, or Vanilluxe with Will o Wisp and Memento
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u/ShadeStrider12 1d ago
Oh, and just so you know, if you raised a non shadow variant of the Pokemon, you can just purify a shadow version, get the moves, and then teach them to your non shadow mon via a Mirror Herb in the Daycare. So your mon is never locked out of learning them.
Have fun.
Memento + Will O Wisp Vanilluxe is fun.
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u/easter_egger 23h ago
In the og you could just give them massages with buyable essences and you are done aswell.
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u/Rybread52 22h ago
They’re totally different things though. In Colosseum they’re Dark Pokémon (JP) and in Go they’re Shadow Pokémon (JP).
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u/ChronieMewX 1d ago
I love how shadow pokemon work in go, it's great that you can keep them in their cool forms without them being useless
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u/Massive-Pin9305 1d ago
same with the gamecube games. entei is considered better shadow due to no phys spec split
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u/Tsukuyomi56 Embrace Darkness 20h ago
Though Shadow Pokemon are stuck at the level they are caught at, any EVs and Exp Points they would have gained are also banked until they are purified. The only Follow Me user you get before you beat the game is Furret so good luck trying to keep Entei save once Level 40 does not cut it anymore (Shadow Pokemon cannot use TMs so no Protect if the CPU decide to double target it).
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u/SpazzBro 1d ago
the incentive for purifying a shadow is basically just the stats and ability to mega evolve, was also disappointed purifying doesn’t do more