“Can you trade Shadow Pokémon?” It’s a popular question among Pokémon GO players. Many trainers hope to optimize their Shadow Pokémon teams or help friends complete their collections. However, trading Shadow Pokémon isn’t straightforward. In this guide, we will show you some useful tips about shade Pokemon in Pokemon GO, maximizing your collections.
In this article:
Part 1: Can You Trade Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO?
As of now, Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded in Pokémon GO since July 2019, which can be frustrating for trainers wanting to share these unique Pokémon with friends.
Why Can’t You Trade Shadow Pokémon?
Shadow Pokémon are rare and powerful, with a unique connection to Team GO Rocket. These Pokémon have been “corrupted” and carry a high attack stat, making them useful for battles but unable to reach their full potential until purified.
Due to their rarity and strength, Niantic has made the decision to restrict Shadow Pokémon trading. This prevents easy access to high IV (Individual Value) Shadow Pokémon through trades, keeping the gameplay more balanced.
However, while Shadow Pokemon can not be traded, you can purify the Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
Part 2: Shadow Pokémon vs. Purified Pokémon
Understanding Shadow and Purified Pokémon is crucial to making the most of your team in Pokémon GO. Here, we’ll explore the differences and answer the burning question: Should you keep a Pokémon as Shadow or purify it?
An Overview of Shadow Pokémon and Purified Pokémon
Shadow Pokémon are a unique type of Pokémon that have been corrupted by Team GO Rocket. They’re identifiable by their red eyes, dark aura, and powerful moveset with an increased attack stat. However, this increased attack stat comes with a penalty — Shadow Pokémon suffer a defense reduction, making them less durable in battle.
When you purify a Shadow Pokémon, you remove its corruption, which increases its defense and adds an additional power boost, making it slightly stronger overall.
Is It Better to Keep a Pokémon as Shadow or Purify?
Whether to keep a Pokémon as Shadow or purify it depends on your gameplay style. Shadow Pokémon offers a significant attack boost, which is valuable in Raids and PvP (Player vs. Player) battles. However, purifying your Pokémon will increase their CP (Combat Power), make them more resilient in battles, and give them an overall boost in stats. So, if you value raw attack power, it’s better to keep them as Shadow. For trainers seeking more balanced stats, purification might be the better route.
In short, purifying a Shadow Pokémon is generally depended on whether you value attack power or a more balanced stat set.
Part 3: How to Purify Shadow Pokémon And Trade It?
As we all know, trading Pokémon can lead to more favorable results. Since Shadow Pokémon can’t be directly traded, if you want to optimize your Pokémon collection, or simply clean up your Shadow Pokémon inventory, Pokémon purification is an important step before trading. In this section, we will discuss the requirements for purifying and trading Shadow Pokémon, as well as the steps involved.
Requirements of Pokemon Purification:
- You need 1,000 Stardust to purify a Shadow Pokémon.
- Common Pokémon (like Pidgey or Rattata) typically require 1 candy.
- Rare or Legendary Pokémon (like Mewtwo or Lugia) require 20 candies.
After gathering the required Stardust and candies, you simply need to confirm the purification process in the game.
How to Trade Purified Pokemon in Pokemon GO?
Step 1: Meet your friends first, and make sure you and the other player are in the same physical location, within 100 meters. Otherwise, check part 4 to learn how to trade Pokemon if you are not near your Friends.
Step 2: Tap on your trainer avatar to access your Friend List, then select the friend you want to trade with.
Step 3: Select the “Trade” button and choose the purified Shadow Pokémon from your inventory.
Once the trade begins, the two trainers will have a chance to swap the Pokémon. After the trade is complete, there may be a difference in stats, including IVs, which may be higher for certain Pokémon.
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon before trading can not only make the trade easier but also increase the chances of obtaining a higher-quality Pokémon with better stats for your collection.
Part 4: How to Trade Pokemon without Distance Limits
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon is essential before trading it. However, many players want to know how to optimize trades over long distances, especially when trading rare or regional Pokémon.
Using WooTechy iMoveGo is an effective way to bypass distance limits in Pokémon GO, which is ideal for trading Pokémon with friends who live far away or in different countries. This tool allows you to change your device’s GPS location on both Android and iOS. By setting your location near your friend’s location, you can trade Pokémon regardless of the actual distance between you.
Step to Trade Pokémon Without Distance Limits with WooTechy iMoveGo
Here’s how you can use WooTechy iMoveGo’s app to trade Pokémon without needing a computer. [If you prefer to change location with PC, you can choose to install iMoveGo on your computer.]
Step 1: Download and install the iMoveGo app on your mobile device.
Step 2: Follow the app’s instructions to set iMoveGo as the Mock Location App in the Setting.
Step 3: Select Game Mode to change location in Pokemon GO. The default mode is for faking location on social apps like WhatsApp, dating apps like Tinder, or tracking apps like Life360.
Step 4: Set your GPS location to anywhere close to your friend’s location. Click Move and the location will be updated on Pokemon GO instantly. Now, launch Pokémon GO, and start a trade with your friends as though you were physically close to them.
Step 5: To follow a Pokemon GO route, hatching eggs, or getting walking rewards, you can set a path to make your character to follow with.
Conclusion
While Shadow Pokémon can not be traded in Pokémon GO, the game still offers plenty of opportunities to trade other Pokémon with the right tools, like Purify Pokemon. Furthermore, by using WooTechy iMoveGo, you can bypass distance limitations, making it possible to trade rare Pokémon with friends anywhere.
If you’re ready to start your Pokemon GO trades wherever you and your friends are, give WooTechy iMoveGo a try and enjoy seamless trading without physical boundaries.