Team GO Rocket takeover brings Shadow Lugia & Shadow Cresselia to Pokémon GO

Tom Bull

Tom Bull

Get your hands on Shadow Lugia and Shadow Cresselia.

Adventure Week is being interrupted by a Team GO Rocket takeover event in Pokémon GO. From Thursday, August 8 until Monday, August 12 there will be a huge increase in the number of GO Rocket Grunts, Balloons and the debut of all new Shadow Pokémon.

Among those debuts is Shadow Cresselia, that will be avaliable by defeating Giovanni in Pokémon GO.

Shadow Cresselia debuting in latest Pokémon GO Team GO Rocket takeover

Every team GO Rocket takeover event debuts a new powerful Legendary Shadow Pokémon into the game. For the Adventure Week takeover, that debut will be Shadow Cresselia.

You can encounter Shadow Cresselia through a new Special Research story that will be avaliable when the event starts. Progress through it to receive a Super Rocket Radar and chase down Giovanni!

You can claim this Special Research until the end of Pokémon GO: Shared Skies on September 3, at 9:59 a.m. local time.

Shadow Lugia returns to Pokémon GO

Also returning to the game is Shadow Lugia. However, this will be the standard form of Shadow Lugia, rather than the Apex form like some people speculated.

Shadow Lugia will return in five-star Shadow Raids on August 10 and August 11.

Stay tuned for more details on how to take on Shadow Lugia in Pokémon GO.

Team GO Rocket takeover Event bonuses

The following bonuses will be in place during the event.

  • Team GO Rocket will appear more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons.
  • You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration.

New leader lineups and Shadow Pokémon

The lineups for Arlo, Cliff, Sierra, Giovanni and all Team GO Rocket Grunts will be refreshed when this event starts. Included in these will be three new Shadow Pokémon:

  • Shadow Timburr
  • Shadow Tirtouga
  • Shadow Archen

In particular, Shadow Conkdleurr, evolving from Shadow Timburr, will be a very powerful Fighting-type Pokémon.

Pokémon GO Team GO Rocket takeover Shadow Raids

The following Pokémon will appear in Shadow Raids! Gyms not under Team GO Rocket control may still host other raids.

One-Star Raids

  • Shadow Mareep
  • Shadow Wooper
  • Shadow Cranidos
  • Shadow Shieldon

Three-Star Raids

  • Shadow Nuzleaf
  • Shadow Manectric
  • Shadow Vibrava

Field Research Task Rewards

Additionally, event-themed Field Research tasks will be available! Field Research rewards include the following.

  • Mysterious Components
  • Charged TMs
  • Fast TMs

There will also be a special bundle for $9.99 in the Pokémon GO web store that will include a range of helpful items to help you during the latest Pokémon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest esports news and more Pokémon GO news.