Team GO Rocket Blasting Off

Those who have been playing Pokémon Go these past few days might have noticed something strange with a few PokéStops in different places. They might have turned off-color and started to shake, seen from far away, and when they are approached, they turn a shade of black with a red "R" symbol above it, with an equally shady character (a "Grunt") beside it. That would be the work of Team GO Rocket (emphasis on "GO"), and they're here to wreak havoc and ante it up in the game.

Their current modus operandi is as above, by invading PokéStops wherever; this is the "invasion" I hinted in my previous mobile games post. Their invasions are intermittent, but only lasting for about half an hour or so. Their intents are more or less like their main series brethren, which is to own resources and Pokémon for their exclusive use. It becomes clear why PokéStops are targets; they're part of the "supply chain" that allows one to capture loads and loads of Pokémon.

Ousting them out of PokéStops is simple. After approaching an invaded PokéStop, spinning its Photo Disc will trigger a confrontation, which then leads to a battle prompt. Choosing to battle then leads to a PvP battle with some pretty powerful Pokémon involved. The task then becomes to defeat the Grunt on the battlefield. A successful victory from the battle also allows one to get a little something extra, which I'll discuss in a different post. After doing so, the Team GO Rocket Grunt will run off and the PokéStop will return to normal.

The operations of this team currently only involve PokéStops. With that, it wouldn't be hard for them to invade Gyms, as they are the logical progression that follow. And because raids take place in them, that would also mean they're one step closer to that. Admittedly, though, the current top-tier raid boss could be considered a fruit of their havoc, but so far, the relationship isn't too evident. Some things remain to be seen.

This invasion is a totally wild turn of events for everyone concerned. It also brings with it its own little enigma as to what might come next. But for now, Team GO Rocket has proven themselves to be an adversary worthy of being opposed. Any Trainer will surely want to oust them from wherever they invade to halt their spread of evil, at least before their efforts to blast off allow them to reach the speed of light.

One year ago: Figure Photography
Two years ago: Modern Games, Retro Flavor