In Pokémon GO you can currently meet Jessie and James from Team GO Rocket again. When do they appear in their balloon?
This is what's happening in Pokémon GO: The new special research “A Shiny Distraction” is currently running, which started with the new event for the Pokémon movie “Secrets of the Jungle” . The focus is on Shiny Celebi, which you can catch at the end.
The unusual thing is that this time Jessie and James from Team Rocket lead the research. In the third chapter of the Celebi research, you also have to defeat them. How does that work?
This is how the battle with Jessie and James goes
This is how you find Jessie and James: To meet the two Rocket members, you must find them in their Meowth balloon. When it hovers above your avatar, you just need to click it, and the battle begins.
However, trainers report, for example in the Pokémon GO subreddit, that they hardly see the Meowth balloon and thus have problems completing the research (via reddit). Currently, Rocket balloons only appear four times a day.
- 00:00 – 05:59 AM – First balloon
- 06:00 – 11:59 AM – Second balloon
- 12:00 – 05:59 PM – Third balloon
- 06:00 – 11:59 PM – Fourth balloon
However, it seems to be left to chance whether a normal Rocket balloon with classic rascals appears or the Meowth variant with Jessie and James. It may take longer to complete this step of the research.
When does the balloon appear more often? Currently, you have to rely on your luck for now. However, there is an exception on December 25, 2020: On this day, the Meowth balloon is said to appear more frequently according to the event announcement. How often exactly is also unclear.
This is how Jessie and James fight: Once you find the balloon, the battle with the duo begins. You fight each one once, which is why you also receive two mysterious parts. The teams look like this:
- James: Pinsir, Smogon, Sleima
- Jessie: Sichlor, Rettan, Damhirplex
Pinsir and Sichlor can be caught as rewards.
Which Pokémon should I use? In general, Jessie and James are not as difficult to defeat as their Rocket boss colleagues or even leader Giovanni. If you have a few Pokémon at a high level, the duo should give in quickly.
Pinsir and Sichlor are weak against fire, flying, and rock attacks. Smogon, Sleima and Rettan have issues with ground and psychic attacks. And Damhirplex is particularly vulnerable against fighting-type monsters. If you use a team with Pokémon of these types, Jessie and James should not pose much of a problem for you.
In December, you can also get the Regi trio for your collection. The three giants appear on different weekends in raids.
