Team GO Rocket and Shadow Pokémon: beat Grunts, defeat Giovanni and purify

Since 2019, Team GO Rocket has been invading PokéStops to capture Pokémon and turn them Shadow. Beating them lets you rescue these Pokémon… which are among the most powerful in the game. Here is how to go about it, from your first Grunts all the way to Giovanni.

Grunts

A PokéStop that shakes and darkens has been taken over by Team GO Rocket. Walk up to challenge the Grunt. Their opening line gives away the type of their Pokémon: prepare your team accordingly. Each victory earns you a Mysterious Component and the chance to catch a Shadow Pokémon.

The Leaders and Giovanni

1. Gather six Mysterious Components to assemble a Rocket Radar.
2. The Radar reveals the hideouts of the three Leaders: Arlo, Cliff and Sierra. Their teams are tougher than those of the Grunts.
3. Beating the Leaders rewards you with 12 km Mystery Eggs.
4. The Super Rocket Radar, obtained through certain Special Research or event GO Passes, leads to Giovanni, who usually guards a Shadow Legendary.

Shadow Pokémon

A Shadow Pokémon deals 20% more damage, but also takes 20% more. It comes with the Charged Attack Frustration, which is weak and can only be replaced during certain events, using a Charged TM.

Purify or keep?

Purification costs Stardust and Candy. In the game data, the most common cost is 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy, rising to 20,000 and 20 Candy for Legendary Pokémon. A purified Pokémon:

• gains 2 IV points in each stat and goes up to level 25;
• replaces Frustration with the attack Return;
• costs less Candy to evolve (for example 90 instead of 100) and is a bit cheaper to power up.

#150MewtwoPsyShadow via Giovanni or Shadow Raids#249LugiaPsyVolShadow Legendary#144ArtikodinGlaceVolThe legendary bird trio exists as Shadow Pokémon

Their full Pokédex entries: Mewtwo, Lugia and Articuno.

Shadow Raids

Some Shadow Pokémon, including Legendary ones, can also be fought in Shadow Raids. The Boss gets more and more enraged as the battle goes on: Purified Gems, shared among all players, calm it down. You then catch a Shadow Pokémon.