Longing for Team Go Rocket

For the past few days, someone - actually a group of some people - have been missing. With the title of this post, it becomes obvious that the people in question are of Team Go Rocket. They've never did too well in the past, and they never did up to the point of their disappearance. All the same, since their disappearance, there's been a certain longing for them that I and many others have for many different reasons.

Before explaining them, it is worth it to detail how they came to disappear. A few days ago, their appearances were still normal. But then, their balloons stopped appearing after midday and their appearances at PokéStops disappeared soon after. The Leaders and Boss could still be battled for a brief time before they too disappeared. The theory is that they "need a holiday", and therefore they've decided to hold off on invading PokéStops in Pokémon Go and have some time to themselves, returning when they are ready.

The real reason for their disappearance, though, is that there are apparently errors or bugs involving them when they are encountered. For that reason, the encounters in all forms, including at PokéStops and by balloons, are disabled while the problems are being fixed, after which they should return once they are as such. This means that the issue becomes just another one in the long line of issues that have impacted Pokémon Go, further showing the level of intricacy that the game has, not just for Team Go Rocket but in general.

However, their absence does pose a few problems. For those who have reached a certain level post 40, Team Go Rocket becomes essential for 3 out of the 4 tasks to be achieved to get to the next level, and obviously without them, these tasks cannot be completed, let alone worked on. An auxiliary task given in a Special Research during one of these levels also requires Team Go Rocket, and the same therefore applies for that. In general, Team Go Rocket is also useful as an outlet to dump (that is, use up) excess Potions and Revives, and if nothing else to gain essential Stardust, XP, and Shadow Pokémon to boot. The problems are therefore multiple and compounded.

That would explain the longing that is experienced by many Trainers, even I myself to some extent. I'm on the brink of transitioning to the crucial level I mentioned above, and it becomes an annoyance if I cannot work on the tasks as intended, if not in general for the above. Some Trainers also may not have dealt with Giovanni and his Shadow Legendary Pokémon of choice this month for one reason or another, and they need Team Go Rocket to do just that. The longing is definitely pronounced for many.

They say that "absence makes the heart grow fonder", and in the case of the absence of Team Go Rocket, it may be regarded as not only fond but also uncomfortable, being that they are now a practically integral part of the Pokémon Go experience. Given this situation, it may be considered that their return is important, even if they never do well for some reason, so that Trainers can do well on other things.

One year ago: Impressions of Chef Mallow

Two years ago: Choosing Pathways

Three years ago: And Again, I Dream

Four years ago: We're All Tied to Pokémon