The Shadowy Threat Grows

The Shadowy Threat Grows is the fifth series of Team GO Rocket Leaders Special Research tasks. It was available in March 2020 for Trainers who finished A Troubling Situation and hadn't got any previous Team GO Rocket Leaders Special Research still ongoing.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, this Special Research was available until the end of April and since then there was no new Team GO Rocket Leaders Special Research series for half a year.

Professor Willow dialogue
Thanks for your help in defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts, TRAINER! The team leaders and I have been observing Team GO Rocket, and something tells us this is far from over. The transmission sent during the Team GO Rocket take-over had a message from an unknown sender at the end. We're going to need all the help we can get to reveal the identity of this unknown figure looming in the shadows, and you are just the Trainer for the job! Can you help us get to the bottom of this mystery?

Thank you for your continued support against those pesky Team GO Rocket Grunts. As they flee, some Grunts are leaving behind Mysterious Components. I believe these are what Team GO Rocket is using to hack and steal resources from PokéStops. Clever little devices, aren't they? There's information we can glean from these components that will help us in our fight against this dangerous organization. Once you have enough pieces, you should be able to assemble something similar to the device I've modified in my lab. It might be best to prepare yourself for whatever might come, TRAINER.

Interesting. It appears there's more to Team GO Rocket than previously thought. Their ingenuity has got me thinking there might be another use for these Mysterious Components. We shouldn't underestimate Team GO Rocket. It's time to get battle ready, TRAINER. I don't want to send you out to face another foe without some more training. While you sharpen your battle skills, I'll be sure to get this little project of mine up and operational.

Fantastic work, Trainer. I've been working on a prototype for something I call the Rocket Radar, but I was missing some critical components. Your hard work in retrieving these components actually made my device work! If we combine my research and these Mysterious Components you've found, we can create a radar-like tool to track down Team GO Rocket Hideouts! Trainers all over the world are figuring out how to put together devices like this, and they're identifying more hideouts than I originally anticipated. TRAINER, it's time to head to these hideouts and face whatever—or whomever—is there head on. Let's GO.

You battled well, TRAINER! You've done your team leaders—and me—proud. According to my observations, it appears the sender of that mysterious transmission during the Team GO Rocket take-over was not in attendance. There's someone else calling the shots—someone above Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo. I've improved on my previous invention and put together a Super Rocket Radar that should help you track this mastermind down. If it is who I think it is, he signs all his messages with "G."

Astounding work, TRAINER! You've put a stop to Team GO Rocket's plans for the time being and rescued a special Shadow Pokémon! It's unlikely that Giovanni will give up this easily, so I hope we can rely on you to take down Team GO Rocket members as they appear around your area. Spark, Blanche, and Candela will be on the lookout as well. I'm sure Team GO Rocket will try to hatch another villainous plot soon...