Pokémon Go Shadow Shards and Purified Gems explained

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 Dual Destiny Season is here! It brings the Holiday Part 2 event with it. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.

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!