Team GO Rocket Takeover Event: March 2023

The Let’s GO Event brings with it a Team GO Rocket Takeover! Giovanni returns with Shadow Regice, and for the first time ever, Team GO Rocket grunts can have shiny shadow Pokémon.

Infographics

Save Shadow Regice

Giovanni is back and feeling icy, and this time he is armed with Shadow Regice! A new special research story will be available at the start of this event. Claim it to earn a Super Rocket Radar to chase down Giovanni.

For a full PvP analysis of Shadow Regice, and the other new shadow Pokémon, check out our in-depth article.

TM Frustration Away

You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration during the event. Shadow Pokémon are incredibly powerful, so be sure to take advantage of being able to remove Frustration from them! This only happens a few times a year.

You can search ‘@frustration’ in your Pokémon search bar to discover which Pokémon currently have the move Frustration, so you know which to TM it away from.

You can also read our Best Shadow Pokémon to TM Away Frustration guide to help you out with figuring out which Shadow Pokémon to prioritise over others.

New Shadow Pokémon

For the first time ever, Pokémon that Trainers rescue from Team GO Rocket Grunts may be Shiny Pokémon—if you’re lucky. This will be a permanent change that will carry over to the future, and includes all Grunt-catchable Shadow Pokémon that are shiny eligible. How do we know? A Niantic Community Manager confirmed this to Pokémon GO Hub through Niantic’s Brand Ambassador program.

In order to find a Shiny Shadow version of a particular Pokémon, that Pokémon needs to be a catchable reward from defeating a Team GO Rocket Grunt. This extends over all categories of Pokémon, including regional variants if they are shiny eligible.

In addition to being catchable, the Pokémon needs to be shiny eligible in Pokémon GO. In other words, if a Pokémon can Shiny in regular game play, it can be Shiny in Team GO Rocket encounters as well.

Team GO Rocket is armed with new Shadow Pokémon, including the following:

Eggs

During the event the following Pokémon will hatch from 12km Strange Eggs:

Strange Eggs are Eggs collected by Team GO Rocket. These Eggs generally hatch Poison-type Pokémon, Dark-type Pokémon, or Pokémon that acquire one of those types via Evolution. Defeat a Team GO Rocket Leader to receive a Strange Egg, and walk 12km to hatch it.

Field Research

Event themed field research tasks will be available during the event that reward Mysterious Components.

Special Research – From the Shadows

Stage 1

• Defeat 3 Team GO Rocket Grunts – 5x Super Potions
• Catch 2 Shadow Pokemon – 20x Pokeballs
• Purify 1 Shadow Pokemon – 3x Revives

Stage reward: 1000XP, 500 stardust, 3x Mysterious Components​

Stage 2

• Defeat 6 Team GO Rocket Grunts – Mysterious Component
• Catch 4 Shadow Pokemon – 15x Great balls
• Purify 2 Shadow Pokemon – Mysterious Component

Stage reward: 1500XP, 1000 stardust, Rocket Radar

Stage 3

• Defeat Team GO Rocket Leader Arlo – 1500XP
• Defeat Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff – 1500XP
• Defeat Team GO Rocket Leader Sierra – 1500XP

Stage reward: 2500XP, 1500 stardust, Super Rocket Radar

​Stage 4

• Find the Team GO Rocket Boss – 10 Hyper Potions
• Battle the Team GO Rocket Boss – 10x Ultra balls
• Defeat the Team GO Rocket Boss. – 6x Max Revives

Stage rewards: 3000XP, 2000 stardust, 2x Golden Razz berries

​Stage 5

• Completed – 2500XP
• Completed – 2500XP
• Completed – 2500XP

Stage reward: 5000XP, 2500 stardust, 2x Silver Pinap berries