How to get Shadow Shards & Purified Gems in Pokemon Go

Daniel Megarry
Shadow Shards and Purified Gems in Pokemon Go

Shadow Shards and Purified Gems are useful items in Pokemon Go, but how do you get them? And what are they used for? Here’s everything you need to know.

Raid Battles are getting an upgrade in Pokemon Go with the long-awaited arrival of Shadow Raids. These limited-time Raids will feature powerful Shadow Pokemon that become enraged as you battle them, making them even harder to defeat.

While teaming up with other Trainers and bringing along a team of solid counters is just as important as ever, collecting Shadow Shards and Purified Gems could give you the edge you need to win.

Here’s how you can get your hands on them.

Contents

A Shadow Shard in Pokemon GO

What are Shadow Shards in Pokemon Go?

Shadow Shards are mysterious gem pieces dropped by Team Go Rocket Grunts in Pokemon Go. Once you’ve collected four of them, you’ll be able to assemble them together into a Purified Gem using Professor Willow’s Shard Refiner.

Purified Gems are going to come in very handy when taking on Shadow Raid Bosses. These powerful creatures will become enraged as you battle them, increasing their attack and defense, but using a Purified Gem will subdue them.

How to get Shadow Shards in Pokemon Go

There are two ways to get Shadow Shards in Pokemon Go: As a reward for defeating a member of Team Go Rocket or as a reward for winning a Shadow Raid.

The amount of Shadow Shards you receive after defeating a member of Team Go Rocket depends on their ranking. A Team Go Rocket Grunt will give you one Shadow Shard, while a Team Go Rocket Leader will provide you with three.

You can also get Shadow Shards as a reward for defeating a Shadow Raid Boss. The amount you’ll receive can vary and we’re still figuring this out, but we imagine the better you perform, the more you’ll be rewarded with.

A Purified Gem in Pokemon GO

How to make Purified Gems in Pokemon Go

You’ll need to collect four Shadow Shards before you can create a Purified Gem in Pokemon Go. Once you’ve collected enough of them, Professor Willow will appear on the screen and automatically create a Purified Gem for you.

You can hold up to 10 Purified Gems, which is very useful as their effects will stack when used in Shadow Raid Battles. The more you and your teammates use, the more you’ll decrease a Shadow Raid Boss’s attack and defense.

That’s everything you need to know about Shadow Shards and Purified Gems! While you’re here, check out some other Pokemon Go guides:

Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | All upcoming Spotlight Hours | Current Raid bosses | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters guide | Sierra counters guide | Grunt counters guide | How to catch a Ditto | What are Strange Eggs? | How to get Remote Raid Passes | Fastest way to get Best Buddy status | Pokemon Go catching tips