The latest Team Rocket event is upon us, and it’s packed with opportunities you won’t want to miss from March 27 to 31. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned player, here’s a guide to help you make the most of it. Share this with friends who might need a heads-up!
Original article provided by Professor Hoot, GO Hub editors rephrased and published it here in agreement with Professor.
1. Remove Frustration from your Shadow Pokémon
During this event, you can use regular Charged TMs to remove the move “Frustration” from your shadow Pokémon, making them battle-ready. Frustration is considered a non-beneficial move, rendering shadow Pokémon nearly ineffective in battles.
To identify potential candidates for this upgrade, type @frustration in your Pokémon search bar (without a space). For guidance on which shadow Pokémon to prioritize, refer to the raid attacker tier list here and the PvP rankings for Little Cup (LC), Great League (GL), Ultra League (UL), and Master League (ML) at PvPoke. We also have a guide on which to prioritise if you are low on Charge TMs (though it does need updating).
2. “It’s a Rocket World” Special Research
Grab the special research titled “It’s a Rocket World” to obtain a Super Rocket Radar, which lets you locate and battle Giovanni. Defeating him rewards you with a shadow Groudon, boasting a 100% catch rate. Shadow Groudon, alongside Mewtwo, ranks as one of the most formidable shadow legendaries available. If you have been stacking your Super Rocket Radars (not using them to catch some less useful Shadow Legendaries), it may be advisable to use at least two Super Rocket Radars for a chance at this prize. Check out our PvP analysis on Shadow Groudon here.
Note: If you’re unable to access the new research, it may be due to an ongoing Super Rocket Radar quest that’s past its first stage. You need to complete or avoid advancing past stage one of any ongoing research to qualify for new ones within the event period. Details on stacking and eligibility can be found here.
3. Wild Pokémon Spawns to Watch
The event features exceptional wild spawns, including rare finds like Deino, Sableye, Scraggy, and notably, Vullaby – often an egg-exclusive Pokémon. All featured Pokémon are Dark type, so mega evolving a Dark type could enhance your Candy and XL candy acquisition from these catches. Vullaby and Sableye are both perma-boosted shinies, roughly 1/64, so well worth hunting during the event. All the other shinies so far appear to be the regular 1/500 approximate shiny encounter rate.
Vullaby, Scraggy and Sableye are also very valuable PvP Pokémon, meaning this is a great chance to grind for ideal PvP IVs, as well as Candy and XL Candy. As Vullaby isn’t usually available in the wild, this is a chance to get different IV than you would normally get from egg hatches, and therefore potentially a much more suitable IV spread for a Mandibuzz in PvP. A rank one for a Great League Mandibuzz is 0/13/15 according to PvPoke, a stat not usually available. Now is the time to hunt for one!
Zorua is also spawning more frequently in the event, so make sure you set your Buddy Pokémon as something that is easy to spot! Pro Tip: if you set your Buddy as a XXL Pumpkaboo, the Zorua will also be XXL! Ideal for anyone grinding their Jumbo Pokémon Collector Medal. Evolving the XXL Zorua will also add to your medal count.
In terms of raid attackers, Deino is the most notable as when evolved to Hydreigon is is a very powerful Dark and Dragon type attacker. Murkrow gets a mention too as a budget Dark and attacker once evolved to Honchkrow. Sableye also has a Mega Evolution, and while it isn’t the most powerful, it can provide a handy boost to both Dark and Ghost types in raids.
4. New Rocket Leader Lineups
Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff are showcasing new Pokémon in their first encounter slot. These include shadow Machop (Cliff), Trapinch (Sierra), and Cacnea (Arlo), with shadow Machop being a highlight due to its prowess as a fighter in the game. Trapinch and Cacnea are both brand new shiny shadow Pokémon, with Machop being a returning featured shiny. Rocket Leaders have higher shiny rates than grunts, a perma boosted approximately 1/64.
5. Updated Rocket Grunt Encounters
Fresh Team GO Rocket lineups are part of the event, with the newest encounters being Shadow Pidgey, Shadow Solosis, Shadow Gothita and Shadow Darumaka. You can also encounter shinies from certain grunts: Mawile, Machop, Scyther, Teddiursa, Stantler, Gible and Dratini. The rates for encountering a shiny from a grunt has been researched to be roughly 1/256.
For a PvP analysis on the new shadow Pokémon, check out JRE’s analysis.
