It’s trouble in Pokémon GO – make that double. Team Rocket is ready to denounce the evils of truth and love during a big event in Pokémon GO, going on right now.

The evil organization has taken over PokéStops around the world, turning these discolored locations into Gym-like battles with their shadow Pokémon. Upon winning the battle, trainers get the opportunity to capture these strange Pokémon, which have been artificially enhanced by Team Rocket.

Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded but can be purified by spending 2000 Stardust and 2 Candy. A purified Pokémon will be stronger than its standard counterparts, making battling and capturing them a worthy endeavor.

The Team Rocket Special Research task has four stages, represented by Professor Willow and all three faction leaders coming together to defeat Team Rocket. Tasks include evolving Pokémon, catching and purifying shadow Pokémon, and defeating Team Rocket Grunts. Many of the task rewards result in the opportunity to catch a Team Rocket-themed Pokémon, like Ekans and Koffing.

The Team Rocket special event is ongoing now in Pokémon GO. An end date has not yet been announced. Pokémon GO is free to download on iOS and Android mobile devices.


This article was written by

Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.