Purification
Purification, 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.
Purifying a Pokémon
Heart Gauge
Before completely opening the door to a Shadow Pokémon's heart, its Heart Gauge must first drop to zero, turning completely white.
The following things will slowly open the door to a Pokémon's heart:
- Walking with a Shadow Pokémon
- Sending a Shadow Pokémon into a Pokémon battle
- Calling a Shadow Pokémon to its senses from Hyper Mode or Reverse Mode
- Using a cologne on a Shadow Pokémon
- Keeping a Shadow Pokémon in the Pokémon daycare
- Keeping a Shadow Pokémon with other Pokémon in the Purify Chamber
(note, using hoppip in the purification chamber is recommended, because hoppip is good against itself. Tropius can also be used but is not catchable in game)
Purification Stages
- 0% Purified: The Pokémon has at least one Shadow move, its nature is unknown. This is the state at which a Shadow Pokémon is snagged.
- 20% Purified: When at this stage, the Shadow Pokémon will relearn a move.
- 40% Purified: The Shadow Pokémon's nature is revealed (though it was determined when the Pokémon was snagged).
- 60% Purified: Another move is relearned.
- 80% Purified: The Shadow Pokémon will enter Hyper Mode more frequently.
- Empty Shadow Bar: Shadow Pokémon's heart is 'ready to open', the Purification process can be finished, turning the Shadow Pokémon back into a normal Pokémon.
Purification Ritual
Once a Pokémon's Heart Gauge is completely white, 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 Ritual. In Pokémon Colosseum, Purification Rituals can only be performed at the Relic Stone in Agate Village, but in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, they can be performed in a Set of the Purify Chamber at Pokémon HQ Lab as well.
Time Flute
A special item, the Time Flute, can be used to purify any Shadow Pokémon instantly. Playing this item will make Celebi appear, and it will open the door to a Shadow Pokémon's heart. A Time Flute can only be used once, and only a few appear in Pokémon Colosseum.
Time Flutes do not appear in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
Shadow Lugia
Shadow Lugia, (codename: XD001), is a special case and can only be purified if it is put into one of the Purify Chamber's Sets with all nine slots set to maximum tempo.
After Purification
Once a Pokémon is purified, any Shadow moves are replaced with other moves. In Pokémon XD they learn each of these moves: one move learned through level up, one move learn through a TM, one egg move and a special move. It gains any Experience that it has earned in battles prior to the purification meaning that it may gain one or more levels. The Pokémon receives a special Ribbon for "clearing all difficulties", and at this point the Pokémon Trainer may choose a nickname for it. The player may also trade the purified Pokémon with the GBA games Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen using a Gamecube/GBA cable, but only if the player has defeated the Elite Four () or located the Ruby and Sapphire and given them to Celio (Template:Gameabbrev). The player of the GBA games must also save in a Pokémon Center with the Pokémon they wish to trade to the Gamecube game.
Special moves
The following Pokémon can only gain certain moves if they are a Shadow Pokémon purified in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness:
Moves like Helping Hand, Heal Bell, and Follow Me are present because almost every battle in Pokémon XD is a double battle. These moves can then be used in order to assist or protect the player's other Pokémon in these situations, making progress through the game easier.