Complete guide to Pokemon Go Taken Treasures event with Shadow Kyogre debut, Varoom introduction, and strategic gameplay tips
Pokemon Go Taken Treasures Event Timeline
The Taken Treasures event represents a significant Team Rocket takeover in Pokemon Go, offering trainers numerous opportunities to expand their Shadow Pokemon collections. This villain-centric celebration brings both challenges and rewards for dedicated players.
Mark your calendars: The Pokemon Go Taken Treasures event officially begins Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 12:00 AM local time and concludes Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM local time. This provides nearly a full week to engage with all event content.
Strategic planning is crucial for maximizing event benefits. Prioritize obtaining Shadow Kyogre early, as this Legendary Pokemon requires completing Special Research and defeating Giovanni. The event timeframe allows for methodical progression through all content without excessive rushing.
Shadow Kyogre Debut: Acquisition and Battle Strategy
Giovanni’s newest powerful ally, Shadow Kyogre, represents the crown jewel of this event. This Water-type Legendary Pokemon boasts impressive stats and becomes available through the Season’s concluding Special Research storyline.
To secure this coveted Shadow Legendary, trainers must complete the Special Research tasks to obtain a Super Rocket Radar. This specialized equipment allows players to locate and challenge Giovanni directly. Victory against the Team Rocket boss guarantees an encounter with Shadow Kyogre.
Pro Tip: Prepare your battle team with strong Electric or Grass-type counters before engaging Giovanni. Pokemon like Zekrom, Roserade, or Tangrowth with their respective super-effective moves can significantly increase your victory chances. Remember that purified Shadow Kyogre requires substantial Stardust investment but becomes exceptionally powerful.
Varoom and Revavroom Debut: Hatching and Evolution
The Taken Treasures event introduces Generation 8’s mechanical Pokemon, Varoom, followed by its evolution Revavroom. This Steel/Poison-type duo brings unique typing combinations to the game.
Varoom emerges exclusively from 12 km Strange Eggs obtained by defeating Team Rocket leaders. Once hatched, accumulating 50 Varoom Candy enables evolution into the formidable Revavroom. Utilize Pinap Berries during catches and make Varoom your buddy to accelerate candy accumulation.
Currently, Shiny Varoom remains unavailable in Pokemon Go. Niantic typically releases shiny variants during subsequent events or community days, so patience is advised for collectors seeking the alternate coloration.
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New Shadow Pokemon Additions
Team Rocket’s entire organization receives roster upgrades during Taken Treasures. Both standard grunts and leaders Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo incorporate fresh Shadow Pokemon into their battling lineups.
While exact team compositions for leaders remain undisclosed, several Pokemon debut in their Shadow forms for the first time. This expansion provides collectors new opportunities and battlers additional strategic options.
Collection Strategy: Focus on defeating grunts frequently to encounter the new Shadow Pokemon variants. Leaders provide better IV ranges but require more effort to challenge. Prioritize based on your collection needs and resource availability.
Event Bonuses and Strategic Advantages
Taken Treasures delivers valuable gameplay bonuses that enhance the Team Rocket battling experience. These benefits significantly improve Shadow Pokemon acquisition and customization.
The event features increased Team GO Rocket appearances at both PokeStops and in balloons. This frequency boost allows more opportunities to collect Mysterious Components and challenge leaders.
Optimization Tip: The Frustration removal window represents a crucial opportunity. Prioritize using Charged TMs on meta-relevant Shadow Pokemon like Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Machamp, or any new high-IV shadows acquired during the event. This temporary ability disappears post-event, so plan strategically.
Field Research Rewards and Shiny Hunting Opportunities
Event-exclusive Field Research tasks provide substantial rewards for dedicated trainers. Completing these tasks yields valuable items and Pokemon encounters with enhanced shiny odds.
The Taken Treasures Field Research rewards include Mysterious Components for Rocket Radar construction, Charged TMs, Fast TMs, and encounters with event-themed Pokemon. These tasks typically involve defeating Team Rocket members or completing other villain-themed objectives.
Importantly, Pokemon encountered through Field Research task completion enjoy significantly higher shiny appearance rates compared to wild encounters. This mechanic makes completing these tasks particularly valuable for shiny hunters.
Players who complete these Field Research tasks may find the following Pokemon:
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
Shiny Hunting Strategy: Focus on completing as many Field Research tasks as possible, especially those rewarding Pokemon encounters. The boosted shiny rates make this the most efficient method for obtaining shiny variants during the event. Prioritize tasks with Pokemon that have their shiny forms available.
Raid Bosses and Shadow Raid Schedule
Shadow Raids receive special attention during Taken Treasures, featuring both accessible solo content and challenging group battles. These raids provide additional Shadow Pokemon acquisition methods.
The following Pokemon will appear in raids during the Pokemon Go Taken Treasures event:
One-Star Shadow Raids
Three-Star Shadow Raids
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
Raid Strategy: One-Star Shadow Raids are easily soloable for most trainers, making Shadow Alolan Sandshrew highly accessible. Three-Star Shadow Raids may require small groups depending on your level and Pokemon roster. Coordinate with local players or use remote raid invitations for efficient completion.
Paid Timed Research: Value Assessment
Niantic offers premium content through the Taken Treasures Paid Timed Research, priced at $5.00 (or local equivalent). This optional purchase provides exclusive rewards for dedicated players.
The paid research unlocks substantial benefits including bonus Stardust and XP, three Silver Pinap Berries, encounters with event-themed Pokemon, and an exclusive event-themed avatar pose unavailable through other means.
Critical reminder: All Paid Timed Research tasks must be completed and rewards claimed before the event concludes on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM local time. Unclaimed rewards expire permanently.
Value Analysis: The paid research offers good value for active players who can complete all tasks. The exclusive avatar pose and additional resources justify the cost for dedicated collectors. However, casual players may find the free event content sufficiently rewarding without the premium purchase.
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