Team GO Rocket is stirring up trouble again, and the new “Shadowy Skirmishes” Special Research puts you right in the middle of their latest plot. Track down their shadowy leaders, rescue corrupted Pokémon, and uncover what’s fueling their rise before their influence spreads even further.
Shadowy Skirmishes is part of a long line of Giovanni research quests, which started back in 2019 with A Troubling Situation. If Shadowy Skirmishes is not appearing, first clear the most recent Giovanni quest in your quest log – the previous one was November 2022’s Ultra Beast Protection Efforts – to allow this new quest to become available.
The second half of the Crackling Voltage event also ushers in changes to Eggs, Shadow Pokémon and Field Research, which will be active until the event concludes on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Shadowy Skirmishes tasks and rewards
Shadowy Skirmishes tasks challenge trainers to face off against Team Go Rocket Grunts, Leaders, and Giovanni while rescuing Shadow Pokémon along the way. Each stage includes objectives such as purifying Pokémon, defeating Team Go Rocket members, or powering up Pokémon. Completing the research steps rewards players with useful items like Stardust, Poké Balls, TMs, and encounters with Shadow Pokémon-culminating in a chance to catch the current Shadow Legendary from Giovanni.
The Shadowy Skirmishes Special Research will be available to unlock until the next Giovanni quest and highlighted Shadow Legendary encounter arrives in three to four months. Once unlocked, there is no time limit to complete the quest.
Step 1 of 5
- Defeat 6 Team Go Rocket Grunts (Helioptile encounter)
- Make 3 Nice Curveball Throws in a row (Helioptile encounter)
- Earn 2 Candies exploring with your Buddy (Helioptile encounter)
Rewards: 2,000 XP, 15 Poké Balls, 10 Revives
Step 2 of 5
- Defeat 6 Team Go Rocket Grunts (10 Hyper Potions)
- Catch 4 Shadow Pokémon (10 Poké Balls)
- Purify 2 Shadow Pokémon (10 Pinap Berries)
Rewards: 2,000 XP, 15 Great Balls, 1 Rocket Radar
Step 3 of 5
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Sierra (1,500 XP)
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff (1,500 XP)
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Arlo (1,500 XP)
Rewards: 2,500 XP, 1,000 Stardust, 1 Super Rocket Radar
Step 4 of 5
- Find the Team Go Rocket Boss (5 Max Potions)
- Battle the Team Go Rocket Boss (20 Ultra Balls)
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Boss (5 Max Revives)
Rewards: 3,000 XP, 1 Lucky Egg, 2 Golden Razz Berries
You’ll be able to catch the final Shadow Pokémon in Giovanni’s team once you have used your Super Rocket Radar. This varies depending on when you play the quest; from February 2023 until the next Giovanni quest debuts, this will be Shadow Registeel.
Step 5 of 5
- Claim reward (2,500 XP)
- Claim reward (2,500 XP)
- Claim reward (2,500 XP)
Rewards: 5,000 XP, 2,500 Stardust, 2 Silver Pinap Berries
Team Go Rocket Take-Over event changes
Team Go Rocket’s Take-Over event alters Shadowy Skirmishes rewards with extra encounters against Shadow Pokémon during specific hours. Players face more Rocket Grunts at PokéStops, yielding higher chances for rare catches like Shadow Mewtwo. Special Research tasks adjust to include battles against Giovanni, who appears more often in balloons and hideouts. These shifts boost Shadow Ball access for purification or powering up, running from February 2 to February 10.
As well as the above quest steps, the second half of the Crackling Voltage event also hosts a Team Go Rocket Take-Over until Sunday, Feb. 5 at 11:59 p.m. local time, with the following changes:
- Boosted Team Go Rocket balloon spawns and PokéStop encounters
- Shadow Pokémon can forget Charged Attack Frustration with a Charged TM
- Rocket Grunts changing their Shadow Pokémon line-ups, which include Alolan Vulpix, Spoink, Blitzle, Joltik, and more
- Leaders Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo changing their team line-ups
- New Field Research featuring Mysterious Component reward (specific task unknown at the time of writing)
12km Egg changes
- Absol
- Deino
- Larvitar
- Pancham
- Pawniard
- Salandit
- Sandile
- Scraggy
- Skorupi
- Skrelp
- Vullaby
Best teams to defeat Giovanni for Shadow Registeel
Giovanni’s current lineup in Pokémon Go rotates, but Shadow Registeel remains a frequent final Pokémon in certain lineups tied to the Shadowy Skirmishes quest, typically after Shadow Persian (phase 1) and options like Shadow Nidoking, Cloyster, or Garchomp (phase 2).
To catch Shadow Registeel, prioritize high-level Fighting-types for its Steel/Fighting moveset, while covering earlier phases with versatile counters.
Recommended Lead (vs. Persian)
Use a strong Fighting-type to break shields quickly on Persian’s Normal/Dark moves.
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Mega Lucario (Counter + Shadow Ball/Dynamic Punch)
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Terrakion (Double Kick + Sacred Sword)
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Conkeldurr (Counter + Dynamic Punch)
Phase 2 Counters
Adapt based on Giovanni’s second pick:
| Pokémon | Best Counters |
|---|---|
| Nidoking | Swampert (Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon), Mamoswine (Powder Snow + Avalanche), Excadrill |
| Cloyster | Mega Lucario, Raikou (Thunder Shock + Wild Charge), Lucario |
| Garchomp | Weavile (Ice Shard + Avalanche), Articuno (Frost Breath + Triple Axel), Mamoswine |
Shadow Registeel Counters
Fighting-types exploit its double weakness; dodge Fire Blast if present.
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Mega Lucario (Counter + Power-Up Punch)
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Machamp (Counter + Dynamic Punch)
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Lucario or Shadow Conkeldurr (Counter + Dynamic Punch)
Power up your team to level 40+ with optimal moves via TMs, dodge frequently, and aim to burn two shields early. Giovanni’s team as of early 2026 may feature Shadow Palkia instead in some rotations, so scout with a throwaway lead.
Best movesets for Mega Lucario against Giovanni
Mega Lucario excels against Giovanni due to its Fighting-type STAB moves that shred Persian, Registeel, and most phase 2 options like Nidoking or Cloyster.
The optimal moveset prioritizes low-energy charged moves for shield pressure and high-DPS finishers.
Best Moveset
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Fast Move: Force Palm (elite preferred for higher damage over Counter in PvE).
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Charged Moves: Power-Up Punch (cheap shield breaker, boosts Attack) + Aura Sphere (high STAB DPS).
Why This Works
Force Palm generates energy quickly for spamming Power-Up Punch to burn Giovanni’s two shields early, then Aura Sphere for neutral or super-effective damage on Steel/Fighting foes like Shadow Registeel.
Unlock the second charged move beforehand (ideally on Riolu pre-evolution to save resources). Power up to level 50 with XL Candy for maximum impact; dodge Fire Blast on Registeel.
