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.

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



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