Pokémon GO Crown Clash Taken Over Event and Special Research Guide

Team GO Rocket is back with a vengeance in Pokémon Go’s latest Special Research event, “Crown Clash: Taken Over.” From May 14 to June 3, 2025, trainers must battle through a new wave of Shadow Pokémon and confront the infamous Giovanni to save the Legendary Dialga from his dark grasp-are you ready to take on the ultimate Rocket showdown?

The evil part of Pokémon Go’s ongoing “Crown Clash” event has begun. “Crown Clash: Taken Over” brings the stuff that the usual “take over” events do: Team Rocket Leader and Giovanni line-up changes, new Shadow Pokémon, and a new set of research to earn a Super Rocket Radar (and thus take on Giovanni). This part runs from May 14-18 and the bonuses from the regular “Crown Clash” part of the event are still active during this time.

Notably, you should use this event has an opportunity to use Charged TMs on any of your meta-relevant Shadow Pokémon to get rid of the move Frustration – a perk that is only active during these “take over” types of events.

Team Go Rocket balloons will also appear more frequently during the event, showing up approximately every two hours.

Below, we’ve listed the other event perks, like the “Crown Clash: Taken Over” Special Research, raid changes, and Field Research.

Pokémon Go ’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ Special Research and rewards

The Pokémon Go “Crown Clash: Taken Over” Special Research event, running from May 14 to May 18, 2025, features a series of tasks centered around battling Team GO Rocket. Players complete five stages of Special Research involving catching Pokémon, purifying Shadow Pokémon, and defeating Team GO Rocket grunts and leaders. Rewards include XP, Stardust, Pinap Berries, Mysterious Components, and encounters with special Pokémon like Crown Nidoqueen, Crown Nidoking, and Absol. Completing the research also grants a Super Rocket Radar to locate Giovanni. Additionally, a premium timed research is available for $4.99, offering extra encounters and items such as Premium Battle Passes and more Super Rocket Radars. The event encourages using Charged TMs to remove Frustration from Shadow Pokémon and features increased Team GO Rocket balloon appearances.

If this research isn’t showing up for you, it’s likely because you still have another Team Rocket Special Research set active. Make sure to complete that one if you want to unlock this one.

Step 1 of 5

Catch 15 Pokémon (5 Pinap Berries)
Purify 2 shadow Pokémon (10 Poké Balls)
Defeat 3 Team Go Rocket grunts (1 Mysterious Component)

Rewards: 1,500 XP, 500 Stardust, Combee encounter

Step 2 of 5

Catch 20 Pokémon (5 Pinap Berries)
Purify 5 shadow Pokémon (10 Great Ball)
Defeat 6 Team Go Rocket grunts (3 Mysterious Components)

Rewards: 2,000 XP, 1,000 Stardust, Litleo encounter

Step 3 of 5

Defeat Team Go Rocket leader Arlo (2,500 XP)
Defeat Team Go Rocket leader Cliff (2,500 XP)
Defeat Team Go Rocket leader Sierra (2,500 XP)

Rewards: 2,500 XP, 1,500 Stardust, 1 Super Rocket Radar

Step 4 of 5

Find the Team Go Rocket Boss (10 Hyper Potions)
Battle the Team Go Rocket Boss (10 Ultra Balls)
Defeat the Team Go Rocket Boss (6 Max Revives)

Rewards: 3,000 XP, 2,000 Stardust, Pawniard encounter

After defeating Giovanni in battle, you’ll get the opportunity to catch shadow Dialga.

Step 5 of 5

Claim reward! (1,500 Stardust)
Claim reward! (1,500 Stardust)
Claim reward! (1,500 Stardust)

Rewards: 6,000 XP, 5,000 Stardust, 3 Fast TMs

Pokémon Go ’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ event Timed Research and reward

The Pokémon Go “Crown Clash: Taken Over” event features a Premium Timed Research available for $4.99, offering exclusive tasks and rewards. This Timed Research includes two steps with objectives such as exploring distances, catching specific Pokémon, defeating Team Rocket members, and purifying Shadow Pokémon. Rewards include encounters with event-themed Pokémon like Nidoqueen and Nidoking wearing crowns, Premium Battle Passes, and a Super Rocket Radar. The Timed Research must be completed and rewards claimed before May 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. local time. This event also ties into the broader Team Rocket storyline, culminating in a battle with Giovanni to rescue Shadow Dialga.

For $4.99, you can get the following research. I would only recommend buying this if you like stacking Super Rocket Radars, in hopes of a meta-defining shadow Legendary from Giovanni. Otherwise, you can get these Pokémon from raids and encounters throughout the event normally.

’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ premium Timed Research

Step 1 of 2

Explore 1 km (Slowpoke encounter)
Catch 15 Pokémon (Combee encounter)
Defeat 3 Team Go Rocket members (Snivy encounter)
Purify 3 Shadow Pokémon (Pawniard encounter)

Rewards: Nidoqueen (crown) encounter, 1 Premium Battle Pass

Step 2 of 2

Explore 1 km (Slakoth encounter)
Catch 15 Pokémon (Litleo encounter)
Defeat 3 Team Go Rocket members (Piplup encounter)
Purify 3 Shadow Pokémon (Pawniard encounter)

Rewards: Nidoking (crown) encounter, 1 Premium Battle Pass, 1 Super Rocket Radar

Pokémon Go ’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ event Field Research and rewards

During the Pokémon Go “Crown Clash: Taken Over” event, players can complete both Field Research and Special Research tasks to earn various rewards. The Field Research includes tasks such as defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts to earn Mysterious Components and purifying Shadow Pokémon to receive Fast or Charged TMs. The Special Research consists of five stages involving catching Pokémon, purifying Shadow Pokémon, and battling Team GO Rocket members, with rewards including Pinap Berries, Poké Balls, Stardust, XP, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon like Combee and Litleo. Additionally, a paid Premium Timed Research option is available for $4.99, offering exclusive rewards such as a Super Rocket Radar, Premium Battle Passes, and encounters with Crown Nidoqueen and Crown Nidoking. This event runs from May 14 to May 18, 2025, and provides opportunities to face new Shadow Pokémon and earn valuable items to aid in battling Team GO Rocket.

Spinning a PokéStop during the event period may yield one of these tasks:

Defeat a Team Go Rocket grunt (1 Mysterious Component)
Purify three Shadow Pokémon (1 Fast TM or 1 Charged TM)

Pokémon Go ’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ event raid targets

During the Pokémon Go “Crown Clash: Taken Over” event, which runs from May 14 to May 18, 2025, players face new raid targets featuring Shadow Pokémon controlled by Team Rocket leaders and Giovanni. The event introduces altered teams for leaders Arlo, Sierra, and Cliff, who now use powerful Shadow Pokémon, including new Shadow forms debuting in raids. Players can encounter Shadow Pokémon in one-star and three-star raids, such as Shadow Magnemite, Shadow Cyndaquil, Shadow Lapras, and others, providing opportunities to capture and purify these rare forms. The event also increases the frequency of Team Rocket appearances at PokéStops and balloons, and allows the use of Charged TMs to remove the move Frustration from Shadow Pokémon caught during the event. These raid targets are integral to progressing through the event’s Special Research to ultimately confront Giovanni and save Shadow Dialga.

The following changes to the raid schedule will take place as part of the event:

’Crown Clash: Taken Over’ raid line-up

The “Crown Clash: Taken Over” raid line-up in Pokémon Go features a mix of one-star and three-star Shadow Pokémon that players can encounter during the event. One-star Shadow raids include Magnemite, Cyndaquil, Murkrow, and Spoink, while three-star Shadow raids feature Lapras, Piloswine, and Gurdurr. These raids provide opportunities to battle and capture various Shadow Pokémon, which are part of the event’s Team GO Rocket takeover theme. Players can expect these Shadow raids to be more frequent at Gyms not controlled by Team GO Rocket during the event period from May 14 to May 18, 2025.

One-star shadow raids	Three-star shadow raids
Magnemite	Lapras
Cyndaquil	Piloswine
Murkrow	Gurdurr
Spoink

How can I maximize my chances of catching Shadow Dialga during Crown Clash

To maximize your chances of catching Shadow Dialga during the Crown Clash: Taken Over event in Pokémon GO, follow these key strategies:

Complete the Team GO Rocket-themed Special Research to obtain the Super Rocket Radar, which allows you to locate and battle Giovanni, the only way to encounter Shadow Dialga.
Defeat Team Rocket Grunts and leaders (Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo) frequently to gather components needed for the Special Research and to earn multiple Super Rocket Radars if possible, increasing your encounters with Giovanni.
Use the best counters against Giovanni to ensure victory and access the Shadow Dialga encounter. This is a guaranteed catch, so use a Pinap Berry to maximize Candy gains upon capture.
Play actively during the event period (May 14 to May 18, 2025) as Team Rocket battles will appear more often in balloons and PokéStops, giving more chances to progress quickly and get the Super Rocket Radar.
Shadow Dialga cannot currently be shiny, so focus on securing a high-IV Shadow Dialga by battling repeatedly and catching the best possible one.

By combining persistent Rocket battles, efficient use of the Super Rocket Radar, and strategic counters against Giovanni, you can maximize your chances of catching a powerful Shadow Dialga during the event.

What team composition best counters Shadow Dialga during Crown Clash

The best team composition to counter Shadow Dialga during the Crown Clash: Taken Over event in Pokémon GO includes strong Fighting-, Ground-, and Water-type Pokémon. Top recommended counters are:

Mega Lucario with Force Palm and Aura Sphere, a powerful Fighting-type that exploits Dialga’s weaknesses.
Primal Groudon or Shadow Groudon, Ground-type attackers effective against Dialga’s Steel/Dragon typing.
Mega Garchomp, another strong Ground/Dragon type with Mud Shot and Earth Power to deal super-effective damage.
Shadow Excadrill, combining Ground and Steel moves to hit Dialga hard.
Machamp or Shadow Machamp, reliable Fighting-types that can quickly break down Dialga’s defenses.
Swampert, a Water/Ground type that covers Dialga and other Rocket leaders’ Pokémon, especially with Hydro Cannon.

This team leverages Dialga’s weaknesses to Fighting and Ground moves, allowing you to defeat it efficiently in raids or Giovanni battles during the event.