Cliff, Sierra, Arlo, and even Giovanni have made their appearance in the world of Pokemon Go.
A major new update has launched in Pokemon Go, focused on the in-game invasion of Team Go Rocket. The three Team Go Rocket leaders — Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo — are now available to encounter and battle, but you’ll need to put in a bit of work before you can actually challenge them.
With this update, you’ll need to battle Team Go Rocket Grunts that you find at PokeStops for a chance to receive items called “Mysterious Components.” Once you’ve collected six of these items, you’ll be able to create a new item called the “Rocket Radar,” which allows you to scan the map around you to find the hideouts where Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo are located.
From there, you can travel to one of these hideouts to actually challenge Cliff, Sierra, or Arlo to a battle. Like a normal battle with a team Go Rocket Grunt, these encounters will give you the chance to rescue one of their Shadow Pokemon. In a blog post, Niantic, Pokemon Go’s developer, said these particular Pokemon “might have special qualities.”
Niantic also pointed out that while only players who have earned a Rocket Radar will actually be able to see the hideouts on the map and challenge Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo to a battle, players who have a Rocket Radar can share information with their fellow players who also have one, and they’ll find the same hideouts in the same places.
Once you’ve defeated a Team Go Rocket Leader, your Rocket Radar will disappear, and you’ll need to collect six more Mysterious Components in order to craft another. After you craft your first Rocket Radar, you’ll also have the option to purchase future Rocket Radars from the in-game store.
This event also added a new series of Special Research tasks for players to complete called “Looming in the Shadows.” As you complete these tasks, you’ll eventually receive a “Super Rocket Radar” from Professor Willow, which will allow you to track down and challenge Giovanni, the leader of Team Go Rocket (and the Team Rocket that appears elsewhere in the Pokemon universe).
Niantic said that Grunts “may pretend to be Giovanni and get in your way!” However, once players eventually defeat Giovanni, they “may be able to rescue Legendary Shadow Pokémon.”
For more information about this event, check out our guide to see what the Looming in the Shadows Special Research tasks ask you to do.
Editor’s note (11/07/2019): This post has been updated with additional information about how the Rocket Radar functions.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
