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Team GO Rocket

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Team GO Rocket

Team GO Rocket is a criminal organization and the main antagonists in Pokémon GO, aiming to take over all PokéStops around the world. Based on the original Team Rocket, Team GO Rocket is comprised of various Grunts (including Jessie and James), three Leaders, and Giovanni.

Trainers who are Level 8 or above can approach PokéStops taken over by Team GO Rocket, or interact with a Team GO Rocket balloon, and challenge the team member to a Pokémon battle. If the Trainer succeeds, they will earn items and a chance to catch a Shadow Pokémon.[1][2]

Encountering[]

PokéStops[]

Taken Over PokeStop 1

Since July 25th, 2019, Team GO Rocket members occasionally take over PokéStops. PokéStops taken over by Grunts appear differently in the Map View from standard PokéStops; when out of range, they appear darker than normal and the cube on top shakes around violently. If the Trainer approaches the PokéStop, it becomes black, the Team GO Rocket logo appears over it, and the Grunt appears next to the PokéStop. Once a PokéStop is taken over, it remains that way for 30 minutes for all nearby Trainers, but defeating the Grunt is instanced to each Trainer.

Taken Over PokeStop 2

If the Trainer spins the PokéStop's Photo Disc, they will still receive items and Field Research if applicable, but the Team GO Rocket Grunt will appear in the Photo Disc view to challenge the Trainer to a Pokémon battle. The Trainer can also tap on the Grunt directly, skipping the items and Field Research.

If a Team GO Rocket Leader or Giovanni takes over a PokéStop, it will still appear as a normal PokéStop in the Map View. It will also not behave differently from a normal PokéStop when interacted with, unless the Trainer has a Rocket Radar equipped, in which case the PokéStop will become black with the Team GO Rocket logo and the Leader or Giovanni will appear next to it.

For more information, see Team GO Rocket Leaders → Finding Leaders and Giovanni → Finding Giovanni.

Capturing a Shadow Pokémon at a PokéStop resets the PokéStop. Even if five minutes have not passed, the Photo Disc will be available to spin again.

Balloons[]

Rocket Balloon
Main article: Balloons

Team GO Rocket Balloons were introduced during July 2020,[3] They are used to battle Team GO Rocket remotely.

Battling[]

For information on battling specific members, see Team GO Rocket Grunts, Jessie and James, Team GO Rocket Leaders, or Giovanni.
Grunt Battle

Battling a Grunt

Once a Trainer encounters a Team GO Rocket member, they can initiate a Pokémon battle with them. These battles play similarly to Trainer Battles with some significant differences:

  • Team GO Rocket's Pokémon are all Shadow Pokémon.
  • The Trainer's Pokémon are not automatically healed after the battle. They must be healed using Potions or Revives if necessary.
  • The Trainer Battle Leagues are not in effect, so Trainers are allowed to use any of their Pokémon to fight the Team GO Rocket member's Pokémon.
  • Grunts, including Jessie and James, will never use Protect Shields to defend against a Trainer's Pokémon's charged attack. However, Leaders and Giovanni will use Protect Shields. They will always shield (if they have any left), regardless of the situation.

Trainers were initially unable to use items while choosing Pokémon before a Team GO Rocket battle. This is no longer the case; items can now be used before beginning the battle, similar to Gym or Raid battles.

Initiating a Pokémon battle with a Leader or Giovanni requires a Rocket Radar or Super Rocket Radar, respectively, to be equipped. Winning the battle will consume the item, but losing will not, so the Trainer can continue to challenge Leaders or Giovanni until they win.

Hero Gold

Gold Hero medal

Winning a Team GO Rocket battle rewards the Trainer with Stardust, specific items, and an opportunity to catch one of the Shadow Pokémon they faced. Defeating Grunts, Jessie, James, and Leaders will reward progress on the Hero medal; defeating Giovanni will reward progress on the Ultra Hero medal.


Rescuing Shadow Pokémon[]

Main article: Shadow Pokémon
Catching Shadow Pokemon

After winning a battle against a Team GO Rocket member, the Trainer will have an opportunity to catch one of the Shadow Pokémon that appeared in the battle. This gameplay functions similarly to the Bonus Challenge in Raid Batles; the Trainer will receive a certain number of Premier Balls to catch the Shadow Pokémon, depending on how many of the Trainer's Pokémon survived the battle and the ranks of the Trainer's Hero and Purifier medals.

The Shadow Pokémon available to catch is usually, but not always, the first one battled. If the Trainer won against Giovanni, the Shadow Pokémon available to catch is the Shadow Legendary Pokémon that Giovanni used, which will always have a 100% capture rate.

Shadow Pokémon move and attack far more often than normal, making them especially difficult to catch. Using a Nanab Berry will help stop their movement.

If the Trainer does not have any free space in their Pokémon collection, the Shadow Pokémon encounter will not appear. If the Team GO Rocket member was encountered at a PokéStop, they will not disappear; the Trainer can clear out space in their collection and tap on the Team GO Rocket member to go straight into the encounter. If the Team GO Rocket member was encountered in a balloon, the balloon will fly away and the encounter will be lost.

Special and Timed Research[]

Since July 25th, 2019, Trainers who reach Level 8 are automatically granted the A Troubling Situation set of Special Research tasks. This Special Research acts as an introduction to Team GO Rocket and Shadow Pokémon. Once A Troubling Situation is complete, Trainers gain access to the currently-active Team GO Rocket research line. Additional Team GO Rocket Special Research cannot be unlocked while a previous one is in progress past part 1,[4] making it possible to miss newer ones.

Starting from November 2019, several sets of Special Research were made available to battle the Team GO Rocket Leaders and Giovanni. Originally, they were made available to Trainers once per calendar month.[5] These Research sets were as follows:

Moreover, these Special and Timed Research campaigns revolved around Team GO Rocket as well. They can be obtained without completing any previous Special Research.

List of Team GO Rocket events[]

Events about Team GO Rocket usually include most of the following features: increased amount of Grunts in PokéStops and balloons, changes of their battle parties with new released Shadow Pokémon, a research leading to Giovanni, related Research tasks and Frustration can be changed by Charged TM.

Social media takeover[]

Team GO Rocket Invasion

Game publishers arranged social-media takeover by Team GO Rocket that took place at 9:00 PM EDT on July 26, 2019, at the official Pokémon GO Twitter page and other social media. [8] Eventually, after a various messages, Team GO Rocket announced that they will be taking over all PokéStops on July 28, 2019 for one hour beginning at 4:00 PM local time.[9] "Control" of the social media accounts were restored after 48 hours at 9:30 PM EDT on July 28, 2019.[10]

Statement[]

Trainers…

For three years, we have been watching. The world of Pokémon GO is rife with unlimited resources. This privilege is wasted on Trainers like you who lack the vision to exploit this vast world of resources and Pokémon.

You walk around and spin your PokéStops like this some kind of game. You battle in your Gyms and rejoice when they change colors. You care for Pokémon as though they're something more than tools! What a waste of potential!

We've brought our Shadow Pokémon, strengthened to unimaginable levels that you could never reach through powering up alone. We're here to take over your PokéStops and steal from their unlimited supply of resources. Can't you see the beauty of our evil?

This is just the beginning. Your resources are our resources. Your Pokémon are our Pokémon. Your world is our world! You can't stop us. Professor Willow, Spark, Blanche, Candela, and most of all, you—stay out of our way!

We follow the villainous path of those before us—and we will succeed in finally bringing Giovanni's vision to the world!

If you insist on trying to disrupt our plans, we will make you feel a world of pain!

—Team GO Rocket

Gallery[]

Non-playable characters[]

Team GO Rocket promotional images[]

Leaders promotional images[]

Rocket Balloons promotional images[]

Promotional videos[]

Photobombs[]

GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2019 Chicago
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2019 Chicago
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2019 Chicago
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2020
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2020
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2020
GO Snapshot
Pokémon GO Fest 2020

Trivia[]

  • Team GO Rocket was introduced to Pokémon GO on July 22nd, 2019,[16] but was removed the next day[17] due to an exploit related to Shadow Pokémon.[18][19] Team GO Rocket was re-introduced on July 25th, 2019.

References[]

  1. ↑ Team GO Rocket & Shadow Pokémon. Helpshift – Niantic. Retrieved on 2019-07-24.
  2. ↑ Team GO Rocket invades Pokémon GO!. Pokémon GO Live. Retrieved on 2019-07-27.
  3. ↑ Look up, Trainers—Team GO Rocket balloons have arrived in Pokémon GO! Pokémon GO Live. Retrieved on 2020-07-08.
  4. ↑ Guide: How to Stack Super Rocket Radars. /r/TheSilphRoad. Retrieved on 2024-03-28.
  5. ↑ Team GO Rocket Leaders & Giovanni. Helpshift – Niantic. Retrieved on 2020-07-13.
  6. ↑ PokemonGoApp. From 4 to 5 p.m. in your local time, we’ll be taking over ALL the PokéStops in your area.. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-28.
  7. ↑ PokemonGoApp. Attention! #TeamGORocket has started their take-over! Be prepared, as they will be at EVERY PokéStop in your region on November 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time!. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-11-24.
  8. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, July 26). R. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-28.
  9. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, July 28). From 4 to 5 p.m. in your local time, we’ll be taking over ALL the PokéStops in your area. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-28.
  10. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, July 28). We apologize for the bizarre disruption on our social media channels today. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-29.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 PokemonGoApp. (2019, September 30). Professor Willow has started to recover files from the corrupted folder, and he's uncovered these images.. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-10-29.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 PokemonGoApp. (2019, October 2). Professor Willow recovered these photos from the corrupted folder hidden on his computer.. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-10-29.
  13. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, October 30). Incoming Willow Report: A Valor recruit no more. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-10-30.
  14. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, October 26). Incoming Willow Report: The first of many cliffhangers. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-10-29.
  15. ↑ PokemonGoApp. (2019, October 28). Incoming Willow Report: A shadowy sierra. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-10-29.
  16. ↑ PokemonGoApp. Trainers, we have an incoming message from Professor Willow: “I’ve noticed an alarming number of reports from Trainers who have found PokéStops that look...discolored?”. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-24.
  17. ↑ PokemonGoApp. Professor Willow has noticed that sightings of discolored PokéStops and Pokémon enshrouded in a shadowy aura have...suddenly stopped?. Twitter. Retrieved on 2019-07-24.
  18. ↑ ekupcm. guess is that purification was fudged and was too easy to obtain a 100% IV through it. Twitter. Retrieved on 2020-07-14.
  19. ↑ iamjohndorn. People were exploiting the Purify mechanic in combination with Lucky Trades to guarantee Perfects. It'll be back, I'm guessing they're just rebalancing Purify.. Twitter. Retrieved on 2020-07-14.
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