Pokemon GO has officially announced that Shadow Pokemon will not be eligible for Hyper Training, a feature tied to the upcoming Gold Bottle Caps item. This revelation has generated divided opinions within the player community regarding the implementation of this long-requested mechanic from the core Pokemon games.

The Gold Bottle Caps, first revealed in June, allow trainers to maximize their Pokemon's Individual Values (IVs) through a unique Hyper Training system. Unlike the main series games where stat boosts are instantaneous, Pokemon GO's version requires players to complete specific Buddy Pokemon activities including battles and exploration tasks.

Through an official social media announcement, Niantic clarified that Shadow Pokemon cannot benefit from Hyper Training via Bottle Caps. This decision affects competitive players who often seek powerful Shadow Pokemon for PvP battles and raids, as they won't be able to optimize these creatures' stats through this new system.

The introduction of Gold Bottle Caps has been controversial since their announcement. Currently available exclusively through the paid GO Pass Deluxe during the Ancients Recovered event starting June 23, many players have criticized the feature as being pay-to-win. Additional concerns include the items' limited availability and short expiration period.

Despite the criticism, some trainers are excited about the opportunity to perfect their rare shiny Pokemon through Hyper Training. The Ancients Recovered event will also feature returning Legendary Pokemon, with free GO Pass holders receiving special Regi variants and costumed Pikachu.