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What are the best Shadow Pokemon to get in Pokemon GO's Taken Treasures event? There is a large roster of creatures to choose from, and trainers will undoubtedly want to prioritize some options over others. Fortunately, players have plenty of time to catch the Shadow Pokemon they're after, as Taken Treasures takes place between January 27, 2024, and February 1, 2024.
When picking the best Shadow Pokemon for Taken Treasures, the criteria likely come down to long-term battle viability. Shadow Pokemon are well-known for their amplified damage output, so prioritizing them can boil down to which options have an ideal outlook in PvE or PvP battles, or even both.
Whatever the case, it doesn't hurt to examine the best Shadow Pokemon to catch in Taken Treasures.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
7 of the best Shadow Pokemon to catch in Pokemon GO's Taken Treasures event
1) Shadow Kyogre
A new addition to Pokemon GO comes in the form of Shadow Kyogre, who will be a part of Giovanni's team in the new Team GO Rocket lineup. Trainers will have to snag a Super Rocket Radar to battle Giovanni and have an opportunity to catch this new Shadow Legendary. However, the payoff should be well worth the effort, considering Kyogre's status as one of the best Water-type attackers in the game.
Standard Kyogre possesses a base Attack stat of 270. The 20% damage boost for Shadow Kyogre should only make its moves, like Waterfall and Origin Pulse, even more devastating.
While it likely won't be able to activate Primal Reversion, Shadow Kyogre should prove to be one of the best Water-type offensive options in PvE and PvP arenas going forward.
2) Shadow Ho-Oh
Making its way to Shadow Raids during Taken Treasures, Shadow Ho-Oh is one of the prime targets for several Pokemon GO trainers during the event. Beating Ho-Oh in 5-star Shadow Raids won't be a simple task. However, players likely won't complain when they add this powerful Shadow Legendary to their roster, especially due to its offensive capabilities in both PvE and PvP environments.
Shadow Ho-Oh remains one of the best options as a Fire/Flying raid attacker (excluding Mega Evolutions/Primal Reversions) and has very respectable battle capabilities in the Ultra and Master Leagues despite its defensive debuff from being a shadow Pokemon.
When paired with the right team around it, Shadow Ho-Oh is nothing short of stellar in Pokemon GO.
3) Shadow Piplup
Although Shadow Piplup itself is fairly unremarkable in Pokemon GO, its arrival on Team GO Rocket Grunts' teams presents a very compelling opportunity. While it can't fight particularly well on its own, Shadow Piplup's final evolution is Shadow Empoleon, which is a respectable PvE raid attacker that also has some utility in the Great and Ultra League PvP circles.
This is due in part to Shadow Empoleon possessing a whopping 11 elemental resistances, making it a tricky opponent to counter in any battle. Toss in the fact that Empoleon can learn one of the best Water-type Charged Moves in the game in Hydro Cannon, and it won't be surprising that fans will be clamoring to collect as many Shadow Piplup as they can.
4) Shadow Chimchar
Much like its fellow Sinnoh region starter Pokemon Piplup, Shadow Chimchar won't be much use in a fight on its own. However, once it's fully evolved into Shadow Infernape, players will have a very capable Fire/Fighting-type attacker on their hands for PvE environments like raids, gym assaults, and additional Team GO Rocket battles.
Unfortunately, Shadow Infernape doesn't have the durability to accomplish much in the GO Battle League, but it can make for a very solid glass cannon of sorts in raids. This is assuming that players provide it with a solid moveset, such as the combination of Rock Smash and Blast Burn, which will require removing the Charged Move Frustration beforehand.
5) Shadow Skarmory
Skarmory won't ever be confused for one of the best attackers in Pokemon GO, but its base Defense stat of 226 makes it a durable part of the PvP meta that has persisted through the Great and Ultra League for years. This makes Shadow Skarmory a compelling creature to catch during Taken Treasures (as a 3-star Shadow Raid boss) due to its increased damage output.
Even with the defensive debuff that Shadow Pokemon incur, Shadow Skarmory still has great durability. This, combined with its defensive abilities, great Flying/Steel type combination, and access to respectable movesets including the combo of Air Slash, Sky Attack, and Brave Bird, makes it a great pick in both the Great and Ultra Leagues.
All things considered, Pokemon GO players may want to stock up on raid passes so they can defeat Shadow Skarmory in raids and catch it for their future PvP teams.
6) Shadow Murkrow
Found in 1-star Shadow Raids for the duration of Taken Treasures, Shadow Murkrow isn't much to worry about on its own in battle, but its evolution, Shadow Honchkrow, is another story. With 100 Murkrow candies and a Sinnoh Stone in Pokemon GO, players can snag themselves a very capable Dark/Flying-type fighter for PvE environments, particularly raids.
With a base Attack stat of 243, a 20% boost to damage as a Shadow Pokemon, and access to quality moves like Snarl, Peck, Sky Attack, and Dark Pulse, Shadow Honchkrow can be an effective raid attacker as both a Dark- and Flying-type creature.
7) Shadow Croagunk
Shadow Croagunk is a new arrival in Pokemon GO celebrating the Taken Treasures event. Trainers can obtain it by defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts.
Like most of the listed options, Shadow Croagunk won't be much use in a fight on its own, but this changes when it evolves into Shadow Toxicroak (by using 50 Croagunk candies).
Standard Toxicroak is a well-respected Poison/Fighting-type pick in Great League PvP, thanks in part to its base Attack stat of 211 and its intriguing type combination. It isn't the most durable, and Shadow Toxicroak will be even squishier, but there's no doubt that it can deal some damage, particularly in the Great League. It could have some applications in the Ultra League if its CP in Pokemon GO is maximized.
