Pokémon Go Shadow Shards and Purified Gems explained
How to get Shadow Shards and Purified Gems.
Shadow Shards and Purified Gems are important mechanics connected to Shadow Raids in Pokémon Go.
If you want to make a Shadow Raid Boss in Pokémon Go easier to defeat, or if it becomes enraged, then you can use a Purified Gem to weaken its defences. First, however, you need to collect some Shadow Shards.
Below you’ll learn how to get Shadow Shards and Purified Gems in Pokémon Go, so you can get an edge on a Shadow Raid Boss.
On this page:
How to get Shadow Shards in Pokémon Go
You need to get Shadows Shards before you can make a Purified Gem in Pokémon Go.
Shadow Shards can be earned by defeating Team Go Rocket Grunts, Team Go Rocket Leader, Giovanni and winning Shadow Raids.
The amount of Shadow Shards you receive differs depending on the difficulty of the battle you’ve won to earn. We, for example, won five Shadow Shards from successfully winning a one-star Shadow Raid, but only one Shadow Shard from defeating a Team Rocket Grunt.
At the time of writing, we don’t know whether you receive a different amount of Shadow Shards from completing three and five-star Shadow Raids.
Defeating a Team Rocket Leader, meanwhile, will reward you with three Shadow Shards and, if you defeat Giovanni, you’ll earn four Shadow Shards.
Thank you to rs_xmas and Hazyd from reddit for the help with the above information.
How to get Purified Gems in Pokémon Go
To get a Purified Gem in Pokémon Go, you first need to collect four Shadow Shards.
The first time you accomplish this, you’ll get to watch a short kind-of-cutscene with Professor Willow where he’ll use the Shard Refiner to combine the Shards together and create a Purified Gem. From this point onwards, four Shadow Shards will automatically combine into a Purified Gem after you’ve collected them.
Usefully, much like the Mysterious Components, a counter may appear on-screen after you earn some Shadow Shards so you know how many you need to create a Purified Gem.
At the time of writing, you carry up to 10 Purified Gems at a time. You can also find all of the Shadow Shards and Purified Gems you currently have in your Item Storage.
The Season of Hidden Gems has arrived, bringing with it a new Go Battle League season. Depending on your region, you can currently battle Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf in five-star raids. Elsewhere, be sure to compete in Shadow Raids, use Daily Adventure Incense for the chance of encountering Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. This incense may also give you encounters with other rare Pokémon in Pokémon Go.
What are Purified Gems used for in Pokémon Go?
Purified Gems are used to calm enraged Pokémon during three-star and five-star Shadow Raids in Pokémon Go.
There’s a chance during these particular raids that the Shadow Pokémon you’re battling will become enraged - increasing their attack and defence. When this happens you can use up to five Purified Gems to help reduce these stats and, in doing so, make the Shadow Pokémon easier to catch.
The effects of Purified Gems also stack when other trainers use them too, which is great for battling five-star Shadow Raid Bosses.
Good luck collecting Shadow Shards and Purified Gems!
