Team GO Rocket

Team GO Rocket Details

Team GO Rocket are an offshoot of the Team Rocket from the main series games. In Pokémon GO, Team GO Rocket will appear at PokéStops at times. When a PokéStop is darker blue and the cube on it is spinning, that means a member of Team GO Rocket is there. When you spin the stop, they will appear and challenge you.

The battles are standard Trainer Battles, but you have to use a team while they use two Pokémon at CP of around 2200-2500 and a final one of CP around 3200 for Great League, 3300-3500 for the first two and ~4500 for the final one for Ultra League and exceeeding that with Master League and higher making the battle very tough.

Team GO Rocket

Shadow Pokémon

After defeating the Team GO Rocket grunt, you'll get the chance to capture their Pokémon. This Pokémon is a strange Pokémon known as a Shadow Pokémon. You will have only a few Premier Balls to capture the Pokémon in, with the Ball Bonus increasing as you Purify Shadow Pokémon and defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts.

Each Shadow Pokémon has only a base 5% chance of capture and they attack far more often than their standard counterparts.

Once you have captured the Pokémon or failed to capture the Pokémon, the stop returns to normal.

Team GO Rocket

Team GO Rocket Balloon

After July 7th 2020, the Team GO Rocket balloon started to appear. Sometimes, while you have the game open, a balloon will drop down above you, only for you, and will off you a Team GO Rocket battle. If you have no Rocket Radars, you will face a grunt. If you have a Rocket Radar, you will get a Team GO Rocket Leader and if you have a Super Rocket Radar you will encounter Giovanni or his decoys.

The balloons will appear once in every 6 hour period from 12am to 6am, 6am to 12pm, 12pm to 6pm and 6pm to 12am.

Team GO Rocket

Team Rocket Meowth Balloon

For some events, a Meowth Balloon will also appear in place of the standard Team GO Rocket Balloon. This balloon is unique in that it brings Jessie & James of the Pokémon anime for a battle. You battle both of them and they both count as grunts so you will get 2 Mysterious Components. They will give Shadow Ekans and Shadow Koffing and both have the capability of being shiny.

Jessie

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
Jessie Jessie Scyther
Scyther
Ekans
Ekans
Stantler
Stantler


James

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
James James Pinsir
Pinsir
Koffing
Koffing
Grimer
Grimer
Team Rocket

Choosing Teams

As you have to choose your team before you battle Team GO Rocket, you'll typically not be able to know what Pokémon to bring which can put you at a disadvantage. There is, however, a trick with this. When you're about to battle, the Grunt will provide a sentence that gives you details on what you should expect so you can plan your team out accordingly.

Type Text
Mixed Winning is for winners.
Don't bother, I've already won
Get ready to be defeated!
Bug Go, my super bug Pokémon!!
Dark Wherever there is light, there is also shadow!
Dragon ROAR!... how does that sound?
Fairy Check out my cute Pokémon!
Fighting This buff physique isn't just for show!
Fire Do you know how hot Pokémon fire breath can get?
Flying My Flying-type Pokémon wants to battle with you
Ghost Ke...ke...ke...ke...ke...
Grass Don't tangle with us!
Ground You'll be defeated into the ground!
Ice You're gonna be frozen in your tracks
Normal Normal does not mean weak
Poison Coiled and ready to strike!
Psychic Are you scared of psychics that use unseen power?
Rock Let's rock and roll!
Water The waters are treacherous!
Team GO Rocket

Finding Team GO Rocket Leaders

As of November 5th 2019, Team GO Rocket Leaders are available to fight. Sometimes, when you beat a grunt at the Team GO Rocket Poké Stops, you will receive a Mysterious Component. If you collect 6 of these, you can make the Rocket Radar item. This item allows you to find special PokéStops that feature the Team GO Rocket Leaders of Cliff, Sierra or Arlo which you have to battle to defeat.

These bosses are harder than usual GO Grunts in that they use Shields. However, they also produce Shadow Pokémon as well as various rewards including the Unova Stone for defeating them. As of October 2020, you will also get a rare 12km Egg. The Shadow Pokémon they give can also be shiny

Arlo

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
Arlo Arlo Cacnea
Cacnea
Hypno
Hypno

Golurk
Golurk

Charizard
Charizard
Scizor
Scizor

Dragonite
Dragonite

Salamence
Salamence
Obtainable Shadow Pokémon
No. Pic Name Type
#0331
Cacnea

Shiny Capable


Sierra

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
Sierra Sierra Trapinch
Trapinch
Milotic
Milotic

Sableye
Sableye

Honchkrow
Honchkrow
Houndoom
Houndoom

Alakazam
Alakazam

Victreebel
Victreebel
Obtainable Shadow Pokémon
No. Pic Name Type
#0328
Trapinch

Shiny Capable


Cliff

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
Cliff Cliff Machop
Machop
Aerodactyl
Aerodactyl

Gallade
Gallade

Kingdra
Kingdra
Tyranitar
Tyranitar

Crobat
Crobat

Cradily
Cradily
Obtainable Shadow Pokémon
No. Pic Name Type
#0066
Machop

Shiny Capable


Giovanni

Trainer Name Pokémon 1 Pokémon 2 Pokémon 3
Giovanni Giovanni Persian
Persian
Nidoking
Nidoking

Garchomp
Garchomp

Rhyperior
Rhyperior
Groudon
Groudon
Obtainable Shadow Pokémon
No. Pic Name Type
#0383
Groudon
Team GO Rocket