Pokemon GO Rocket Takeover Event (March 2026) Ultimate Guide

Updated by Soumya Thakur
January 22, 2026
Gaming

Get ready, Trainers! Team GO Rocket is staging their most ambitious takeover yet in Pokemon GO with the “Precious Pals: Taken Over” event running from January 23-25, 2026. This comprehensive guide will equip you with everything you need to know about this limited-time event, including start dates, exclusive bonuses, new Shadow Pokemon releases, battle strategies, and the special Raikou Shadow Raid Day.

Whether you’re a seasoned Rocket hunter or new to battling Team GO Rocket, this event offers unprecedented opportunities to catch powerful Shadow Pokemon, earn rare rewards, and progress through Special Research. With new Shadow Kalos starters making their debut and Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus joining Giovanni’s lineup, this is one event you won’t want to miss!

Event Feature	Details
Event Name	Precious Pals: Taken Over
Duration	January 23-25, 2026 (12 AM to 8 PM local time)
Main Highlight	New Shadow Kalos starters + Shadow Thundurus
Special Feature	Raikou Shadow Raid Day (January 24, 2-5 PM)
Research	Special Research with Super Rocket Radar
Collection Challenge	Catch Shadow Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie

Event Dates and Times

The Team GO Rocket Takeover event follows a precise schedule that Trainers need to mark on their calendars:

Main Event Schedule

Start Date: Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 AM local time
End Date: Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 8:00 PM local time
Total Duration: 3 days (68 hours)

Raikou Shadow Raid Day

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time
Duration: 3 hours

Special Research Availability

Claim Period: Until March 3, 2026, at 9:59 AM local time
Season: Pokemon GO: Precious Paths

This extended availability for Special Research gives you plenty of time to complete the tasks, even if you can’t play during the main event weekend.

Event Bonuses and Features

Core Event Bonuses

During the main event period, Trainers will enjoy these significant advantages:

Increased Team GO Rocket Encounters: Team GO Rocket grunts will appear more frequently at PokeStops and in balloons, maximizing your opportunities for battles and Shadow Pokemon encounters.
Frustration Removal: You can use a Charged TM to help any Shadow Pokemon forget the Charged Attack Frustration. This is crucial for optimizing your Shadow Pokemon’s movesets for both battling and raiding.
Enhanced Shadow Raid Stats: Pokemon caught from one-star and three-star Shadow Raids during the event will have a wider variance of Attack, Defense, and HP, potentially giving you better individual values (IVs) than usual.

Raikou Shadow Raid Day Bonuses

During the special Raikou Shadow Raid Day on Saturday, January 24, these additional bonuses apply:

Free Raid Passes: Earn up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (total of six for the day)
Increased Shiny Chance: Higher probability of encountering Shiny Raikou from Shadow Raids
Remote Raid Limit Increase: The Remote Raid limit increases to 20 between Friday 4:00 PM and Saturday 7:00 PM PST

Event Ticket Bonuses (Raikou Shadow Raid Day)

For $4.99 (or local equivalent), Trainers can purchase the Raikou Shadow Raid Day ticket, granting these exclusive bonuses:

Additional Raid Passes: Receive eight extra Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs (daily total of 14)
Rare Candy XL Boost: Increased chance to get Rare Candy XL from Raid Battles
XP Bonus: 50% more XP from Raid Battles
Stardust Bonus: 2x Stardust from Raid Battles

The ticket is available in the in-game shop until 5:00 PM local time on January 24 and can be gifted to friends at Great Friends level or higher.

New Shadow Pokemon Debut

This event introduces several highly anticipated Shadow Pokemon to the game:

Featured Shadow Pokemon

Pokemon	Type	GO Rocket NPC	Shiny Available
Thundurus (Incarnate)	Electric/Flying	Giovanni (Boss)	Yes
Fennekin	Fire	Cliff (Leader)	Yes
Froakie	Water	Arlo (Leader)	Yes
Chespin	Grass	Sierra (Leader)	Yes

Shadow Kalos Starters

The three Kalos region starters make their Shadow debut during this event:

Shadow Chespin: Grass-type starter, evolves into Chesnaught
Shadow Fennekin: Fire-type starter, evolves into Delphox
Shadow Froakie: Water-type starter, evolves into Greninja

All three can be encountered as Shiny variants, making this an excellent opportunity for collectors and competitive players alike. Shadow Pokemon benefit from a 20% attack boost, making Shadow Greninja particularly valuable for PvP battles.

Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus

Giovanni’s new Shadow Legendary is Thundurus in its Incarnate Forme. This Electric/Flying type brings powerful potential to raids and PvP battles:

Type Advantages: Strong against Water, Flying, Bug, and Fighting types
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to Ice and Rock types
Shadow Bonus: 20% attack boost makes it exceptionally powerful
PvP Viability: Excellent for Great and Ultra League with proper movesets

Team GO Rocket Leader Lineups and Counters

Updated Leader Teams

With this event, all three Team GO Rocket leaders have updated their first Pokemon:

Cliff: Now leads with Shadow Fennekin (Fire)
Arlo: Now leads with Shadow Froakie (Water)
Sierra: Now leads with Shadow Chespin (Grass)

Complete Leader Counters Guide

Sierra Counters

Sierra’s Team:

Feebas (Water)
Ferrothorn (Grass/Steel), Mismagius (Ghost), OR Staraptor (Normal/Flying)
Houndoom (Dark/Fire), Drapion (Poison/Dark), OR Camerupt (Fire/Ground)

Top Counters for Sierra:

Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Rhyperior with Mud-Slap and Earthquake
Kyogre with Waterfall and Origin Pulse
Primarina with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon
Galarian Darmanitan with Ice Fang and Avalanche
Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
Lucario with Force Palm and Aura Sphere
Delphox with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing

Arlo Counters

Arlo’s Team:

Wobbuffet (Psychic)
Steelix (Steel/Ground), Crobat (Poison/Flying), OR Slowbro (Water/Psychic)
Scizor (Bug/Steel), Alolan Muk (Poison/Dark), OR Alakazam (Psychic)

Top Counters for Arlo:

Electivire with Thunder Shock and Wild Charge
Zekrom with Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt
Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Rhyperior with Mud-Slap and Earthquake
Chandelure with Hex and Shadow Ball
Delphox with Fire Spin and Blast Burn

Cliff Counters

Cliff’s Team:

Larvitar (Rock/Ground)
Honchkrow (Dark/Flying), Skarmory (Steel/Flying), OR Annihilape (Fighting/Ghost)
Tyranitar (Rock/Dark), Machamp (Fighting), OR Luxray (Electric)

Top Counters for Cliff:

Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Delphox with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power

Pro Battle Tips

Shield Management: Leaders use shields on the first two Charge Attacks. Use fast-charging moves to burn through shields quickly.
Scout First: Use your first battle attempt to identify the leader’s full team, then adjust your lineup accordingly.
Type Coverage: Bring diverse Pokemon types to handle multiple potential matchups.
High CP Pokemon: Use your highest CP Pokemon if struggling, as leaders have high-CP teams.
Multiple Attempts: You can retry leader battles with one Rocket Radar, so don’t worry about losing.

Special Research and Field Research

Special Research: “Precious Pals: Taken Over”

A new Special Research story unlocks at the event’s beginning, offering these key benefits:

Super Rocket Radar: Progress through the research to receive this item needed to locate Giovanni
Shadow Thundurus Encounter: Battle and catch Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus
Extended Availability: Can be claimed until March 3, 2026, at 9:59 AM local time

Field Research Tasks

Event-themed Field Research tasks will be available during the event, rewarding:

Fast TMs: Essential for optimizing Pokemon movesets
Charged TMs: Crucial for removing Frustration from Shadow Pokemon
Mysterious Components: Collect six to craft a Rocket Radar

While specific task details aren’t revealed until the event begins, typically these involve defeating Team GO Rocket grunts, catching Shadow Pokemon, or using certain types of attacks in battles.

Collection Challenge

Challenge Details

Complete the event-themed Collection Challenge by catching these Shadow Pokemon:

Shadow Chespin
Shadow Fennekin
Shadow Froakie

Rewards

Upon completing the Collection Challenge, you’ll receive:

XP: Experience points to level up
Stardust: Currency for powering up Pokemon
Rocket Radar: Essential item for locating Team GO Rocket leaders

This challenge is straightforward and should be completable by defeating enough Team GO Rocket grunts during the event period.

Raikou Shadow Raid Day Strategy

Preparation Checklist

Before the Raikou Shadow Raid Day on January 24, 2-5 PM local time:

Stock Up on Raid Passes: Take advantage of the increased free Raid Pass limit
Prepare Counter Teams: Raikou is weak to Ground, Rock, and Water types
Coordinate with Friends: Shadow Raids require multiple trainers
Consider the Event Ticket: If planning extensive raiding

Top Raikou Counters

Best Pokemon for Shadow Raikou Raids:

Rhyperior with Mud-Slap and Rock Wrecker
Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
Landorus (Therian) with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Excadrill with Mud-Slap and Drill Run

Shadow Raid Mechanics

Remember that Shadow Raids have unique mechanics:

Shadow Rage: The boss becomes enraged at low health
Subdued State: Use Purified Gems to calm enraged Shadow Pokemon
Multiple Phases: Battles have different phases as the boss’s health decreases

Medal Progression Opportunities

This event is perfect for advancing several Team GO Rocket-related medals:

Ultra Hero Medal

Requirement: Defeat Giovanni 1/5/20/50 times
Rewards: Giovanni outfit pieces
Strategy: Focus on completing Special Research quickly

Hero Medal

Requirement: Defeat Team GO Rocket members 10/100/1000/2000 times
Strategy: Grunts appear more frequently during the event

Purifier Medal

Requirement: Purify 5/50/500/1000 Shadow Pokemon
Strategy: Look for 1000 Stardust Shadow Pokemon for efficient purification
Pro Tip: Use this search string to find cheap Shadow Pokemon: shadow&10-22,25-26,35-36,39-42,74-76,129-130,161-174,218-219,223-224,261-269,276-277,283-284,293-295,304-306,316-317,320-321,325-326,333-334,339-340,396-402,412-414,420-421,504-510,519-521,527-528,540-550,556-558,587,580,590,602-604,659-663,819-820

Candy Farming Strategies

Maximizing Thundurus Candy

To maximize candy from catching Shadow Thundurus:

Silver Pinap Berries: Use these to double candy rewards (2.5x with first throw bonus)
Excellent Throws: Aim for excellent throws for additional candy bonuses
Friendship Bonuses: Trade with friends for extra candy
Pinap Berry First: Use Pinap/Silver Pinap on first encounter for maximum efficiency

General Candy Tips

Transfer Duplicates: Transfer extra Shadow Pokemon for candy
Use Rare Candy: Save Rare Candy for legendary Shadow Pokemon
Event-Specific Spawns: Focus on event Pokemon while they’re boosted

Platform-Specific Information

iOS Users

Push Notifications: Enable event notifications for timely reminders
Battery Optimization: Disable low power mode during extended play sessions
Storage Space: Ensure sufficient storage for potential app updates

Android Users

Background Location: Enable precise location for accurate PokeStop detection
Battery Saver: Use Pokemon GO’s built-in battery saver mode
Performance Settings: Adjust graphics settings for smoother gameplay during raids

Remote Raiding Tips

Stable Internet: Ensure strong WiFi or cellular connection
Pre-Join Raids: Join raids a few minutes early to avoid connection issues
Ticket Management: Keep Remote Raid Passes organized and accessible

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Preparation Mistakes

Not Stocking Up: Running out of TMs, Potions, or Revives during the event
Ignoring Type Matchups: Bringing unprepared teams to leader battles
Forgetting Collection Challenge: Missing out on easy rewards
Wasting Charged TMs: Using them on the wrong Shadow Pokemon

Battle Mistakes

Poor Shield Management: Not saving shields for crucial moments
Wrong Movesets: Not optimizing Shadow Pokemon movesets after purification
Ignoring Weather Boosts: Not taking advantage of weather-boosted catches
Rushing Battles: Not scouting leader teams before committing

Resource Management Mistakes

Overspending: Wasting coins on unnecessary items during the event
Poor Storage Management: Running out of Pokemon or item storage
Missing Limited-Time Offers: Not checking the shop for event-exclusive deals

Advanced Strategies

Efficient Grinding Routes

Plan your route to maximize PokeStop spins and Rocket encounters:

Urban Areas: High density of PokeStops with short walking distances
Parks and Plazas: Multiple stops in concentrated areas
Shopping Centers: Indoor locations with multiple accessible stops
Event Coordination: Join local Discord groups for coordinated hunting

Shadow Pokemon Investment Strategy

Prioritize which Shadow Pokemon to invest resources into:

Meta-Relevant Shadows: Focus on Pokemon useful in raids and PvP
Legacy Moves: Some Shadow Pokemon have exclusive moves
Purification Benefits: Consider purified vs. shadow forms carefully
Future Potential: Invest in Pokemon that may gain relevance with future updates

Community Coordination

Maximize event benefits through community engagement:

Local Discord Groups: Real-time coordination for raids and information sharing
Social Media: Follow local Pokemon GO communities for updates
Raid Organizing: Pre-organize Raikou raid groups for the Shadow Raid Day
Information Sharing: Share leader encounter locations and team compositions

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Team GO Rocket Takeover event start and end?

The Team GO Rocket Takeover event runs from Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 AM local time to Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 8:00 PM local time. The special Raikou Shadow Raid Day occurs on Saturday, January 24, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time.

Can Shadow Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie be shiny?

Yes! All three new Shadow Kalos starters (Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie) can be encountered as Shiny variants during the event. Additionally, Shadow Thundurus can also be shiny when encountered from Giovanni.

How do I get a Super Rocket Radar for Giovanni?

Complete the Special Research story that unlocks at the beginning of the event. Progressing through the research tasks will reward you with a Super Rocket Radar, which allows you to locate and battle Giovanni to rescue Shadow Thundurus.

What are the best counters for Shadow Raikou during the Raid Day?

Top counters for Shadow Raikou include Rhyperior (Mud-Slap/Rock Wrecker), Groudon (Mud Shot/Precipice Blades), Landorus Therian (Mud Shot/Earth Power), Garchomp (Mud Shot/Earth Power), and Excadrill (Mud-Slap/Drill Run).

Is the Raikou Shadow Raid Day ticket worth it?

The $4.99 ticket provides excellent value if you plan to raid extensively, offering 14 total Raid Passes, 2x Stardust, 1.5x XP, and increased Rare Candy XL chances. However, free players can still participate and enjoy the increased shiny chance and free Raid Passes.

Can I remove Frustration from any Shadow Pokemon during this event?

Yes! During the event period, you can use a Charged TM on any Shadow Pokemon to help them forget the Charged Attack Frustration. This is a limited-time opportunity, so take advantage of it to optimize your Shadow Pokemon’s movesets.

How long do I have to complete the Special Research?

You can claim the Special Research until the end of the Pokemon GO: Precious Paths season on March 3, 2026, at 9:59 AM local time. However, once claimed, there’s no deadline to complete the research tasks.

What happens if I can’t play during the main event weekend?

While you’ll miss the increased spawn rates and some bonuses, you can still claim and complete the Special Research until March 3. The Collection Challenge might be more difficult without the increased Team GO Rocket encounters, but it’s still possible to complete.

Conclusion

The Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover Event January 2026 offers an incredible opportunity for Trainers to expand their Shadow Pokemon collection, battle powerful opponents, and earn exclusive rewards. With new Shadow Kalos starters, Shadow Thundurus, and the special Raikou Shadow Raid Day, this event packs significant value into its three-day duration.

Remember to prepare your teams, stock up on necessary items, and coordinate with your local community to maximize your event experience. Whether you’re hunting for shinies, building your Shadow Pokemon collection, or working on medals, this event provides something for every type of player.

Don’t forget to bookmark this guide for quick reference during the event, and share it with your fellow Trainers to help them make the most of this exciting Team GO Rocket takeover!