Pokémon Go Guide: Finding and Fighting Team Rocket

Trainers beware! Trouble is afoot in Pokémon Go as it appears Team GO Rocket has been invading PokéStops. However it's not as easy to find as them you may think, as you need to go walk around a bit. You also need to prepare when you meet them, as Team Rocket is using Shadow Pokémon.

So let's start with the obvious. How do you find Team Rocket? Well, they're not just hanging around. Instead, they can be found at certain PokéStops. It's also worth noting that when Team Rocket takes over a PokéStop, it typically lasts for 30 minutes so you have a limited time window to stop them.

One sign that tells you Team Rocket is near is when the cube that indicates the PokéStop on the game's overworld map appears to twitch as if it is glitching out. Try to go near these kinds of PokéStops and when you see that they appear to be black instead of the usual light blue then you know Team Rocket grunts are indeed nearby. Spin the Photo Disc and chances are a Team Rocket Grunt appears.

By the way, you need to be at least level 8 in order to get to meet Team Rocket.

Now that you've met Team Rocket, it's time to prepare for a fight. One difference is that your opponent this time uses Shadow Pokémon. When you meet the Grunt, you get an auto-suggested team to take them down. Meanwhile the Grunt's team can include three of these Pokémon:

• Bulbasaur
• Ivysaur
• Venusaur
• Charmander
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• Squirtle
• Wartortle
• Blastoise
• Rattata
• Raticate
• Zubat
• Golbat
• Snorlax
• Dratini
• Dragonair
• Dragonite
• Crobat
• Mudkip
• Marshtomp
• Swampert

Looking at the list of Pokémon, it is clear you have a good fight ahead of you. Some users have been reporting they're having trouble when a Grunt has a Snorlax.

But what if there's two of them? What this means for you is that you should prepare a team that is more than good at fighting. The top three Pokémon for this type of match up are Machamp, Breloom with fighting moves, and Hariyama.

To get a general idea, it would be good to use Pokémon that have CP that is close to 2500, but not go over it. So a Pokémon with a CP between 1500 to 2500 would be good.

When you win the win, you get the chance to catch one of their Pokémon. This means your choices are limited to:

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Rattata
• Zubat
• Snorlax
• Dratini
• Mudkip

Typically, however, the Pokémon you catch is the first one that was used by the Grunt.

You also receive Pokeballs based on how you performed in battle:

• 2 Balls as default for defeating the Grunt
• 1 Ball each of your Pokémon that didn't faint during the battle
• 0-2 bonus balls for Purifier and Hero medals

So are you ready to take out Team Rocket?