Pokemon Go player’s Shiny Shadow Moltres dilemma sparks damage debate

Noelle Corbett
Pokemon Go Moltres

A Pokemon Go player who managed to catch a Shiny Moltres in a Shadow Raid has turned to the community for advice on whether to Purify it, leading to a debate over Shundos and Shadow Pokemon.

Catching a Shiny is a big deal in Pokemon Go, as is catching a pocket monster with perfect IVs, a Legendary, or a Shadow Pokemon. The quest for the ideal – or even “perfect” – Pokemon is challenging and can involve some difficult decisions.

An example is the dilemma faced by one Reddit user who shared a screenshot of the Shiny Shadow Moltres they caught.

The Pokemon, which boasts near-perfect IVs, has caused some debate among the Pokemon Go comminute as they discuss whether the player should Purify Moltres for the Shundo or leave it as it is to keep the Shadow damage boost.

Most Pokemon Go players say Shadow damage is better than a Shundo

The conversation was started when Reddit user Altruistic_Fun9774 shared their dilemma in a post titled “Still can’t decide whether or not to purify for the SHUNDO or keep it as is for the shadow damage.”

On one hand, having a Shundo is a big deal, especially a Legendary one. Still, Shadow Pokemon are also quite rare, as they are exclusive to rotating Shadow Raids.

Players can improve a Shadow Pokemon’s IVs by Purifying them – which, in this case, would turn Moltres into a Shundo. That makes Purification a no-brainer for Shundo collectors, but since the process cannot be reversed, the player needs to know what they want before committing.

There are also battle considerations here. While a Pokemon with perfect IVs obviously has a better chance of winning than one with lower stats, Shadow Pokemon make things a little more complicated. They get a damage boost with Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks, but also take more damage when hit.

Assuming the player wants to use this Moltres for Raids, most agree keeping it a Shadow Pokemon for the extra damage is the best option. “Shadows effectively have the same total damage output, but they deal that damage way faster,” one player explains.

For many, though, the fact that this player has a Shiny Shadow Moltres at all is enough reason to keep it as it is. As the top commenter put it, “Shadow is cooler.”

Perhaps the best advice came from razorKazer, who gave the original poster some simple, wholesome advice: “Do whatever makes you smile more.”

If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out some of our other handy Pokemon Go guides and content:

Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | All upcoming Spotlight Hours | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters guide | Sierra counters guide | Grunt counters guide | How to catch a Ditto | What are Strange Eggs? | Pokemon Go catching tips | Pokemon Go promo codes

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