Species guide · Ages 10+ · July 2026
Shadow Talonflame
Say it: SHADOW TAL-un-flame
Kids summary (simpler)Tap to expand
Shadow Talonflame is a Team GO Rocket Shadow. It hits harder and takes more damage than normal Talonflame. Same Fire / Flying typing — the same counters still work. Remove Frustration before you power it up.
Say it: SHADOW TAL-un-flame
Shadow Talonflame is the Shadow form of Talonflame (Fire / Flying) in Pokémon GO. Expect ~20% more damage dealt and taken versus the normal form.
Type-colored placeholder — not official Pokémon artwork (see IP notice below).
Pokédex notes
Shadow Talonflame is a Shadow Fire / Flying Pokémon in GO. Shadow variants deal extra damage in raids and PvP but take more hits — compare purified vs Shadow before investing.
Where in GO: Team GO Rocket Grunts, Leaders, and Giovanni
Invest tip: Power up after Frustration removal. Prefer Fire Spin + Brave Bird / Hurricane.
Type matchups
- Fire moves hit Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel hard.
- Flying moves hit Grass, Fighting, and Bug hard.
When Shadow Talonflame is your opponent, Water, Electric, Rock hits hard.
Full type matchup guide →GO base stats
Shadow-adjusted from base Game Master row (+20% Attack, −20% Defense).
Inherits stats from Talonflame— this costume or form may not have its own Game Master row.
- Attack
- 211
- Defense
- 124
- Stamina
- 186
Weak to
Resists
Best Pokémon to use against it
When this species is your opponent (Rocket battle, gym, raid, or PvP), these picks exploit its typings. Each list is a pool of options — not a required 12-Pokémon lobby.
Recommended
Strongest practical attackers for this matchup.
- 1. Primal Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse — Primal lobby boost
- 2. Shadow Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 3. Mega Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 4. Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 5. Shadow Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 6. Shadow Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 7. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 8. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 9. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 10. Samurott · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 12. Empoleon · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
Budget
Solid alternatives when you cannot build the Recommended picks.
- 1. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 2. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 3. Vaporeon · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Tail
- 4. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 5. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 6. Clawitzer · beats Water
Water Gun + Crabhammer
- 7. Floatzel · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Jet
- 8. Seismitoad · beats Water
Mud Shot + Hydro Pump
- 9. Carracosta · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Pump
- 10. Blastoise · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Wailord · beats Water
Water Gun + Surf
- 12. Golisopod · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Jet
Moves in GO
Always-available Game Master learnset (regular TMs). Community Day / Elite TM moves appear above when we have curated notes for this species.
Fast
- peck
- fire spin
- steel wing
Charged
- brave bird
- fire blast
- flame charge
- hurricane
- fly
Team GO Rocket
Shadow versions hit ~20% harder and take ~20% more damage. Use Fire/Flying typing weaknesses quickly — they punch above their weight but faint faster than normal.
Defeat the Shadow in battle, then use a Rescue Rocket Radar or standard Rocket battle rewards to catch it. Purify or keep Shadow based on whether you want bulk (purified/normal) or raid DPS (Shadow).
- Team GO Rocket Grunts (Shadow pool rotates)
- Team GO Rocket Leaders — Arlo, Cliff, Sierra (rotation)
- Giovanni (featured Shadow — rotation)
PvP league ranks (family snapshot)
- Great League · rank #36 of 954 · CP 1480
Peck + Brave Bird
- Ultra League · rank #20 of 747 · CP 2493
Peck + Brave Bird
- Master League · rank #220 of 1023 · CP 2493
Peck + Brave Bird
In your Collect
Name match only (text). Cards you have saved in Card Nexus Collect — not official art.
Sign in to see holdings, or open Collect.
Open Collect →Raid and PvP advice uses our Game Master snapshot (updated July 2026).
Raid attacker roles
In the Competitive Guide
- Ch. 3: Current Meta Tier Lists (July 2026)
…e; undisputed #1 GL pick Pokémon Type Best Fast Move Best Charged Moves Role Notesin 2026 Shadow Talonflame Fire / Flying Peck Brave Bird / Flame Charge Attacker Shadow boost elevates it above norm…
- Ch. 5: Shadow Pokémon — Complete Guide
Purify vs keep Shadow — decision tree for family raids and PvP.
- Ch. 16: Team GO Rocket — Grunt Identification & Counters
Rocket grunt Slot 1–3 pools and type counters before you battle Shadows.
- Ch. 17: Rocket Leaders & Giovanni
Current leader lineups with per-Pokémon counters and movesets.
- Ch. 19: Elite TM & Second Charged Moves
# Elite TM & Second Charged Moves ## Second charged move basics Most Pokémon can learn **two charged moves** after you pay Stardust + Candy (amount scales by tier). In PvP, a secon…
- Ch. 20: Lucky Pokémon & Family Trades
When lucky status matters for trades and Stardust savings.
- Ch. 21: Best Friends & Lucky Friends
Friendship steps for raid bonuses and lucky trades.
Related species
Also named in the same guide chapters (text only).