In Pokémon GO, the big Team GO Rocket event started on March 6. New Shinies, special bonuses, and many Rocket Grunts are waiting for you.
How long does the event last? It started on Friday, March 6 at 8 AM local time. It will run all weekend and ends on Monday, March 9 at 10 PM local time.
Many bonuses related to Team GO Rocket are waiting for you. To help you prepare, we provide an overview.
Everything you need to know about the Rocket event
What bonuses are there? The list of bonuses is long and a new Shiny is waiting for you:
- Dark and Poison Pokémon appear more frequently in the wild, as well as other Pokémon related to Team GO Rocket
- Absol appears in the wild
- Shiny Pionskora debuts in Pokémon GO
- A big Rocket takeover takes place on Saturday
Which Pokémon might appear more frequently? Pokémon associated with Team GO Rocket definitely include Meowth, Smogon, and Rettan. They have been found more often in other Rocket events.
Other interesting Poison and Dark Pokémon that could appear as Shiny include:
- Fiffyen
- Alolan Rattata
- Zubat
- Nidoran
- Kramurx
- Sniebel
- Hunduster
- Zobiris
- Kanivanha
- Myrapla
- Tentacha
- Sleima
- Nebulak
- Roselia
It remains to be seen which of these monsters will actually appear more frequently. There is definitely potential for many Shiny checks.
What does Shiny Pionskora look like? You can easily recognize this Shiny. Instead of purple, it is red.
The chance of encountering Shiny Pionskora is likely again 1 in 450. This is the likelihood for most Shinies in the wild.
Rocket takeover on Saturday – What happens?
When does the event start? The Rocket takeover takes place on Saturday, March 7 between 2 PM and 5 PM. Similar to a Community Day , you can grab bonuses for 3 hours.
What bonuses are there? During the 3 hours, Team GO Rocket will take over many PokéStops and there are special bonuses:
- Rocket Grunts are available at even more PokéStops, and Giovanni and the 3 bosses Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra are also more available
- The old Pokémon of the Rocket bosses are available again
- The Charged Attack Frustration of the Crypto Pokémon can be forgotten within the 3 hours
- Rocket Grunts and bosses will provide double the amount of Stardust
- The game will feature Team Rocket music
This bonus is particularly interesting: Changing the Charged Attack Frustration is crucial. Niantic has strengthened the Crypto Pokémon, and once they can no longer have Frustration, they become strong attackers.
It is definitely worthwhile to teach a Crypto Pokémon with good IV a new and better Charged Attack.
Shiny Darkrai comes to Pokémon GO
When is Darkrai coming? During the Rocket event, Darkrai is also available. It comes on Friday at 8 AM and disappears on Monday at 10 PM.
Is Shiny Darkrai worth it? The mysterious raid boss is one of the best Dark-type attackers. Every raid pass is well invested here.
You can find a detailed analysis of Darkrai here.
What are the chances of a Shiny? Legendary Pokémon have a 1 in 19 chance of being Shiny. This should normally also apply to Darkrai.
The coronavirus also plays a role in Pokémon GO. Niantic has adjusted events accordingly:
