In Pokémon GO today, on March 4th, a bonus hour focusing on Team Rocket starts. We will show you what happens and how you can take advantage of the event.
What is a bonus hour? This event is happening for the first time in Pokémon GO. A special feature will be highlighted for one hour and will receive a special bonus.
In the first week, it revolves around Team Rocket. More Rocket balloons are expected to appear, which you can then defeat.
All info about the bonus hour with Team Rocket
When does the bonus hour start? It kicks off at 6:00 PM local time. The hour is thus comparable to raid and spotlight hours.
What exactly happens during the bonus hour? Rocket balloons appear more frequently. According to initial reports, the balloons are expected to appear every 12 minutes.
So you can encounter and challenge a maximum of 5 Rocket balloons in an hour. However, there are also reports from players who found fewer balloons in their hour.
What are Rocket balloons anyway? The hot air balloons of Team Rocket regularly fly over the map of Pokémon GO. If you click on the balloon, you challenge a Rocket Grunt who is usually sitting at PokéStops.
If you have a complete Rocket Radar, one of the Team Rocket bosses is even waiting for you in the balloon. If a Meowth balloon appears, Jessie and James will challenge you, and you must defeat both of them.
Grunts fight with Shadow Pokémon. These are altered monsters that are slightly stronger in battle. After you defeat the 3 Pokémon from the villain, you can catch one of the Shadow Pokémon as a reward and use it in battle.
Is the hour worth it? The big advantage of the event is that the balloons come to you, and you don’t have to walk to them. So you can relax and play from the couch and defeat the villains there.
Currently, there is a new special research regarding Giovanni, where you need to defeat Grunts and bosses from Team Rocket. You can make good use of the bonus hour to work on your special research.
Otherwise, this is also an event that you don’t necessarily have to take advantage of. In the end, you can challenge 5 Rocket Grunts or bosses. While that’s nice, it’s also something you can accomplish just as quickly with a round through your city.
What’s next? In March, several events are still waiting for you. There are still 2 more bonus hours, but also raid and spotlight hours every week.
The first event with a new shiny for the month of March has also been announced. There will also be a community day this weekend. An overview of all the upcoming events can be found in this article:
Pokémon GO: All events in March 2021 – Which ones are worth it?
