Purification

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If you were looking for the process in Pokémon GO, see Shadow Pokémon (GO) → Purification.

Purification (Japanese: リライブ Relive), or "opening the heart's door", is the only known method of changing a Shadow Pokémon back into a normal Pokémon. It is used in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness to restore any Shadow Pokémon that Wes or Michael have snagged. Purification can be seen as a main goal in those games.

Croconaw was purified

Purifying a Pokémon

Main article: Heart Gauge

In most cases, a Shadow Pokémon's heart can only be fully opened once its Heart Gauge has been completely depleted. This is denoted by the message, "The door to its heart is about to open. Undo the final lock!"

The following actions will open the door to a Pokémon's heart by varying amounts:

  • Sending a Shadow Pokémon into battle
  • Calling a Shadow Pokémon out of Hyper Mode or Reverse Mode in battle
  • Walking with a Shadow Pokémon in the party
  • Walking with a Shadow Pokémon in the Day Care (in Pokémon Colosseum only)
  • Using Scents on a Shadow Pokémon
  • Placing a Shadow Pokémon in the Purification Chamber (in Pokémon XD only)

In Pokémon Colosseum, the player may use a Time Flute to instantly purify any Shadow Pokémon by summoning Celebi at the Relic Stone, regardless of the status of its Heart Gauge.

In Pokémon XD, Shadow Lugia can only be purified if it is put into one of the Purify Chamber's Sets when all nine slots have achieved maximum tempo. Its Heart Gauge will reset if the process is interrupted, such as by removing Shadow Lugia from the chamber.

Purification ceremony

Once a Pokémon's Heart Gauge is completely depleted, it is time to "undo the final lock," the final step in opening the door to a Shadow Pokémon's heart. This is done through a purification ceremony. In Pokémon Colosseum, these ceremonies can only be performed at the Relic Stone in Agate Village, but in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, they can also be performed in any Set of the Purify Chamber at Pokémon HQ Lab.

After purification

Once a Pokémon is purified, any Shadow moves are replaced with other moves. In Pokémon XD, this always includes at least one special move (that it cannot learn through level up, TM, or as an Egg Move).

When a Pokémon is purified, it immediately gains any experience and friendship that it has earned in battles prior to the purification, meaning that it may gain one or more levels (however, no effort values are tracked from battles while it is a Shadow Pokémon). Additionally, it gains 70 friendship and the National Ribbon for being purified. At this point, the player can give the Pokémon a nickname.

Once purified, the Pokémon can be traded to Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen.

Special moves

The following Pokémon can only gain certain moves if they are a Shadow Pokémon purified in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness:

A move marked with an asterisk (*) below indicates that, in Generation III, the Pokémon has that move as an Egg Move, but there are no Pokémon it can breed with that can learn the move, making this the only method to breed the move as an Egg Move.

# Pokémon Move(s)
012   Butterfree Morning Sun
015   Beedrill Baton Pass
017   Pidgeotto Refresh
020   Raticate Refresh
021   Spearow Baton Pass
024   Arbok Refresh
037   Vulpix Charm
046   Paras Refresh
049   Venomoth Refresh
051   Dugtrio Charm
Sandstorm
052   Meowth Sing
055   Golduck Charm
057   Primeape Helping Hand
058   Growlithe Charm
062   Poliwrath Helping Hand
070   Weepinbell Morning Sun
078   Rapidash Baton Pass
082   Magneton Refresh
083   Farfetch'd Baton Pass
085   Dodrio Baton Pass
086   Seel Helping Hand
088   Grimer Helping Hand
090   Shellder Refresh
Take Down*
097   Hypno Baton Pass
100   Voltorb Refresh
103   Exeggutor Refresh
105   Marowak Sing
106   Hitmonlee Refresh
107   Hitmonchan Helping Hand*
108   Lickitung Helping Hand
112   Rhydon Helping Hand
113   Chansey Sweet Kiss
114   Tangela Morning Sun
115   Kangaskhan Sing
121   Starmie Refresh
122   Mr. Mime Follow Me
123   Scyther Morning Sun
Razor Wind*
125   Electabuzz Follow Me
126   Magmar Follow Me
127   Pinsir Helping Hand
128   Tauros Refresh
131   Lapras Heal Bell
143   Snorlax Refresh
Fissure*
144   Articuno Haze
Heal Bell
Extrasensory
145   Zapdos Baton Pass
Metal Sound
Extrasensory
146   Moltres Morning Sun
Will-O-Wisp
Extrasensory
149   Dragonite Heal Bell
165   Ledyba Refresh
167   Spinarak Refresh
175   Togepi Tri Attack
Helping Hand
177   Natu Baton Pass
179   Mareep Heal Bell
204   Pineco Refresh
216   Teddiursa Refresh
219   Magcargo Refresh
Heat Wave*
220   Swinub Charm
228   Houndour Charm
249   Lugia FeatherDance
Psycho Boost
261   Poochyena Heal Bell
273   Seedot Refresh
277   Swellow Baton Pass
280   Ralts Sing
285   Shroomish Refresh
296   Makuhita Refresh
299   Nosepass Helping Hand
301   Delcatty Sweet Kiss
302   Sableye Helping Hand
303   Mawile Sing
310   Manectric Refresh
315   Roselia Sweet Kiss
316   Gulpin Sing
318   Carvanha Refresh
322   Numel Charm
334   Altaria Heal Bell
335   Zangoose Refresh
337   Lunatone Baton Pass
338   Solrock Baton Pass
343   Baltoy Refresh
354   Banette Helping Hand
355   Duskull Helping Hand
361   Snorunt Sing
363   Spheal Charm
373   Salamence Refresh

In other languages

Language Title
  Japanese リライブ Relive
  French Purifier
  German Crypto-Erlösung
  Italian Purificazione
  Spanish Purificación


  This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.