Step into the shadows and gear up for a thrilling new challenge in Pokémon Go with the “It’s a Rocket World” Special Research quest. Uncover the secrets of Team GO Rocket as you catch and purify Shadow Pokémon, take down notorious grunts and leaders, and ultimately face off against the infamous Giovanni to rescue the legendary Shadow Groudon. Packed with exciting tasks and rich rewards, this quest promises to test your skills and deepen your adventure in the world of Pokémon Go.
“It’s a Rocket World” is part of a long line of Giovanni research quests, which started back in 2019 with “A Troubling Situation.” If “It’s a Rocket World” is not appearing for you, first clear the most recent Giovanni quest in your quest log – the previous one was October 2023’s “Showdown in the Shadows” – to allow this new quest to become available.
’It’s a Rocket World’ tasks and rewards
The ’It’s a Rocket World’ Special Research quest in Pokémon Go consists of five steps, each with specific tasks and valuable rewards. Players are challenged to catch Pokémon, purify Shadow Pokémon, and defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts and Leaders, culminating in a showdown with Giovanni. Tasks include catching 15-20 Pokémon, purifying 2-5 Shadow Pokémon, and defeating increasing numbers of Grunts and Leaders. Completing each step grants items like Pinap Berries, Poké Balls, Great Balls, Mysterious Components, and XP, along with Pokémon encounters such as Aipom, Misdreavus, and Croagunk. The final steps reward players with a Super Rocket Radar, Stardust, Silver Pinap Berries, and the opportunity to battle Giovanni for a chance to catch a Shadow Legendary Pokémon, such as Shadow Groudon.
“It’s a Rocket World” Special Research will be available until the next Giovanni quest and highlighted Shadow Legendary encounter, which rolls out every few months. Once unlocked, there is no time limit to complete the quest.
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, Aipom encounter
Step 2 of 5
- Catch 20 Pokémon (5 Pinap Berries)
- Purify 5 shadow Pokémon (10 Great Balls)
- Defeat 6 Team Go Rocket Grunts (3 Mysterious Components)
Rewards: 2,00 XP, Misdreavus encounter
Step 3 of 5
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Arlo (2,500 XP)
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff (2,500 XP)
- Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Sierra (2,500 XP)
Rewards: 2,500 XP, 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, Croagunk encounter
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 March 2024 until when the next Giovanni quest debuts, this will be Shadow Groudon.
Step 5 of 5
- Claim reward (1,500 XP)
- Claim reward (1,500 XP)
- Claim reward (1,500 XP)
Rewards: 6,000 XP, 2 Silver Pinap Berries
Team Go Rocket Takeover event changes
During the “Crown Clash: Taken Over” Team GO Rocket Takeover event, several notable changes impact gameplay. Team GO Rocket appears much more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons, significantly increasing encounter rates for both Grunts and Leaders. Players can use a Charged TM to remove the Charged Attack Frustration from their Shadow Pokémon, a rare opportunity that enables these Pokémon to access more powerful moves. The event also introduces new Shadow Pokémon lineups for Grunts and Leaders, including the debut of Shadow Dialga as Giovanni’s featured Legendary-trainers can pursue a new Special Research to earn a Super Rocket Radar and challenge Giovanni for a chance to catch Shadow Dialga. Additionally, Pokémon caught from one-star and three-star Shadow Raids during the event will have a wider variance in their Attack, Defense, and HP stats, making them more appealing for competitive play.
As well as the above quest, the “World of Wonders: Taken Over” event is also host to a Team Go Rocket Takeover until March 31 at 11:59 p.m. in your 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 change their Shadow Pokémon line-ups
- Leaders Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo change their team line-ups
- Giovanni changes team line-up
12km Egg changes
- Larvitar
- Sandile
- Pawniard
- Vullaby
- Deino
- Pancham
- Salandit
- Varoom
What hidden surprises await in the ‘It’s a Rocket World’ quest in Pokémon Go
The ‘It’s a Rocket World’ quest in Pokémon Go hides several exciting surprises for trainers daring enough to face Team GO Rocket’s sinister plans. As you progress through the five-step Special Research, you’ll purify Shadow Pokémon, defeat multiple Team GO Rocket grunts and leaders-including Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra-and earn a Super Rocket Radar to track down the elusive Team GO Rocket Boss, Giovanni. The ultimate reward is a chance to battle and catch the powerful Shadow Groudon, a legendary Shadow Pokémon that rotates with other Shadow Legendaries depending on when you complete the quest. Along the way, you’ll also encounter rare Pokémon like Aipom, Misdreavus, and Croagunk, and collect valuable items such as Pinap Berries, Mysterious Components, Great Balls, Hyper Potions, Ultra Balls, Max Revives, Stardust, and Silver Pinap Berries. The quest offers a rich blend of challenges and rewards that deepen the Team GO Rocket storyline and provide substantial in-game benefits.
What rare Shadow Pokémon might appear unexpectedly during the quest
During the ‘It’s a Rocket World’ quest in Pokémon Go, trainers may encounter several rare Shadow Pokémon, some of which can appear unexpectedly depending on the current Team GO Rocket lineup and special event rotations. Notably rare Shadow Pokémon that have appeared in the past include Shadow Delibird, which has only had a single outing, and costume variants like Shadow Cowboy Hat Snorlax and Shadow Kirlia, which were available for very limited times. Other highly coveted finds include Level 1 Shadow Pokémon, Lucky Shadow Pokémon (from a brief trading window), and shiny Shadow variants such as shiny Shadow Alolan Marowak and shiny Shadow Absol, which are exceptionally rare due to their limited release windows and low shiny odds.
Additionally, Apex Shadow Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Lugia, previously available through Giovanni encounters, are considered rare, though their availability depends on current quest cycles. While the quest guarantees an encounter with Shadow Groudon as the main legendary reward, trainers should keep an eye out for these rare Shadow Pokémon that might appear as Rocket Grunt or Leader encounters, especially during special events or lineup changes.
