Species guide · Ages 10+ · July 2026
Shadow Type
Say it: SHADOW TY-pe
Kids summary (simpler)Tap to expand
Shadow Type is a Shadow Pokémon from Team Rocket. It hits extra hard — use Fighting types like the counter list below.
Say it: SHADOW TY-pe
Shadow Type — no exact Game Master row for this form; stats below inherit from the base species. Shadow variant: +20% Attack, −20% Defense in GO. Super-effective Fighting attacks still apply in battle.
Type-colored placeholder — not official Pokémon artwork (see IP notice below).
Pokédex notes
Shadow Type is a Shadow Unknown 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
Type matchups
- Normal moves do not have a common super-effective target in our chart.
When Shadow Type is your opponent, Fighting hits hard.
Full type matchup guide →GO base stats
Shadow-adjusted from base Game Master row (+20% Attack, −20% Defense).
Inherits stats from Type— this costume or form may not have its own Game Master row.
- Attack
- 221
- Defense
- 147
- Stamina
- 216
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. Mega Lucario · beats Fighting
Counter + Aura Sphere
- 2. Mega Mewtwo X · beats Fighting
Counter + Focus Blast — Psychic/Fighting Mega
- 3. Terrakion · beats Fighting
Double Kick + Sacred Sword
- 4. Shadow Machamp · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 5. Lucario · beats Fighting
Counter + Aura Sphere
- 6. Conkeldurr · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 7. Machamp · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 8. Shadow Hariyama · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 9. Keldeo · beats Fighting
Low Kick + Sacred Sword
- 10. Buzzwole · beats Fighting
Counter + Superpower
- 11. Toxicroak · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 12. Breloom · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
Budget
Solid alternatives when you cannot build the Recommended picks.
- 1. Conkeldurr · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 2. Machamp · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 3. Hariyama · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 4. Toxicroak · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 5. Breloom · beats Fighting
Counter + Dynamic Punch
- 6. Poliwrath · beats Fighting
Rock Smash + Dynamic Punch
- 7. Primeape · beats Fighting
Counter + Close Combat
- 8. Heracross · beats Fighting
Counter + Close Combat
- 9. Emboar · beats Fighting
Low Kick + Focus Blast
- 10. Sawk · beats Fighting
Low Kick + Focus Blast
- 11. Throh · beats Fighting
Low Kick + Focus Blast
- 12. Hitmonchan · beats Fighting
Counter + Close Combat
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
- tackle
- take down
Charged
- tri attack
- iron head
- aerial ace
Team GO Rocket
Shadow versions hit ~20% harder and take ~20% more damage. Use Normal 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 #626 of 954 · CP 1484
Take Down + Iron Head
- Ultra League · rank #420 of 747 · CP 2493
Take Down + Iron Head
- Master League · rank #459 of 1023 · CP 3012
Take Down + Iron Head
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).
In the Competitive Guide
- Ch. 1: Understanding the Competitive Scene
# Understanding the Competitive Scene > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. Poké…
- Ch. 3: Current Meta Tier Lists (July 2026)
# Current Meta Tier Lists (July 2026) > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## S…
- Ch. 4: Best Raid Attackers by Type
# Best Raid Attackers by Type > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Section 4…
- Ch. 5: Shadow Pokémon — Complete Guide
# Shadow Pokémon — Complete Guide > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Secti…
- Ch. 7: Recommended Movesets
# Recommended Movesets > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Section 7: Recom…
- Ch. 8: Team Building Strategies
# Team Building Strategies > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Section 8: T…
- Ch. 9: Weather Boost & Game Mechanics
# Weather Boost & Game Mechanics > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Sectio…
- Ch. 10: Stardust, Investment & Seasonal Strategy
# Stardust, Investment & Seasonal Strategy > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler.…
- Ch. 11: Quick Reference Glossary
# Quick Reference Glossary > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Section 12: …
- Ch. 12: Raid Counters — 5-Star Legendaries
# Raid Counters — 5-Star Legendaries > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Se…
- Ch. 13: Raid Counters — Mega, Primal & Ultra Beasts
# Raid Counters — Mega, Primal & Ultra Beasts > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattl…
- Ch. 15: Using the In-Game Pokédex (XXS, XXL & Shiny)
# Using the In-Game Pokédex (XXS, XXL & Shiny) > Free forever in 3CL TCG. Original companion guide — not copied from game text. ## What the GO Pokédex actually tracks The in-game *…
- Ch. 16: Team GO Rocket — Grunt Identification & Counters
# Team GO Rocket — Grunt Identification & Counters > Free forever in 3CL TCG. Live slot pools: **[/card-nexus/go/rocket#grunts](/card-nexus/go/rocket#grunts)**. Verified **2026-08-…
- Ch. 17: Rocket Leaders & Giovanni
# Rocket Leaders & Giovanni > Live lineup UI: **[/card-nexus/go/rocket](/card-nexus/go/rocket)** (source of truth). Shadow bonuses: +20% ATK, −20% DEF. Lineups verified **2026-08-0…
- Ch. 18: Raid Parties & Friendship Bonuses
# Raid Parties & Friendship Bonuses ## Why party up Raids are tuned for **groups**. Soloing is possible on some tiers with high investment, but most legendaries expect **4–8 traine…
- 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.
- Ch. 24: Type Matchups — Full Guide
# Type Matchups — Full Guide > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Why types …
- Ch. 25: Mega Evolution — Full Guide
# Mega Evolution — Full Guide > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## What Mega…
Related species
Also named in the same guide chapters (text only).