The Shadow Pokémon have returned in Pokémon Go. These powerful and mysterious variants offer unique rewards and powers for catching them, but it will take some effort. The path to catching them involves taking on the infamous Team Rocket. You will need to hunt down the troublemakers and duel them to beat them. Each grunt has their own teams, but that’s not all. After defeating one of these grunts, you’ll get to take on the Shadow monsters as well.
You’re also going to need to battle various Team Rocket leaders. Once you have defeated enough Rocket grunt encounters, you can move on to taking on the leaders. You need to use the Mysterious Components that the rocket grunts drop to get to these encounters, so hang onto those. Once you have enough, you can move on to taking down the leaders.
But before we get to the leaders let’s discuss hose henchman. The grants teams can be pretty tough. so you better come prepared. You need to bring strong counters to the teams listed below for each encounter. There are several different choices here, and each encounter has its own Shadow encounter. Use the chart below to figure out what to expect.
One of the clues for what you’re about to get into in battle is the dialogue. Use the chart below to learn what type of Trainer will use what dialogue.
Team Rocket Grunt Pokémon Teams and Shadow Pokémon Rewards
| Type of Team | Team Rocket grunt gender and dialogue | First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon | Shadow Pokémon Reward |
| No Type | Winning is for winners. Don’t bother. I’ve already won. Get ready to be defeated! |
Snorlax Aerodactyl |
Snorlax Gardevoir Poliwrath |
Gyarados Dragonite Snorlax |
Snorlax |
| Bug | Male: “Go, my super bug Pokémon!” | Weedle Shuckle Venonat |
Kakuna Scizor Venomoth |
Beedrill Scyther Scizor |
Shuckle Venonat |
| Dark | Female: “Wherever there is light, there is also a shadow.” | Stunky | Sabeleye Stunktank Sableye |
Shiftry Stunktank |
Stunky |
| Dragon | Female: “Roar! How’d that sound?” | Dratini | Dratini Dragonair Flygon |
Dragonair Dragonite Gyarados |
Dratini |
| Electric | Female: “Get ready to be shocked!” | Magnemite Electabuzz Mareep |
Electabuzz Flaafy Magneton |
Ampharos Electabuzz |
Magnemite Electrabuzz Mareep |
| Fighting | Female: “This buff physique isn’t just for show!” | Machop Hitmonchan Hitmonlee |
Hitmonlee | Machoke | Machop Hitmonchan Hitmonlee |
| Fire | Female: “Do you know how hot Pokémon fire breath can get?” | Vulpix Growlithe Ninetales |
Ninetales Houndoom |
Arcanine Houndoom Charmleon |
Growlithe Ninetales Houndoom Houndour Vulpix |
| Flying | Female: “Battle against my Flying-type Pokémon!” | Zubat Golbat Skarmory |
Golbat Scyther Crobat |
Gyarados Dragonite Crobat |
Zubat Golbat Skarmory |
| Ghost | Male: “Ke…ke…ke…ke…ke!” | Sabeleye Duskull Shuppet Abra |
Sableye Banette Dusclops |
Sableye Banette Dusknoir |
Misdreavus |
| Grass | Male: “Don’t tangle with me!” | Bulbasaur Hoppip |
Ivysaur Weepinbell Gloom |
Victreebel Shiftry Vileplume |
Bulbasaur Weepinbell Ivysaur |
| Ground | Male: “You’ll be defeated into the ground!” | Diglett Gligar |
Marowak Pupitar Vibrava |
Gliscor Flygon |
Diglett Gligar |
| Ice | Female: “You’re gonna be frozen in your tracks.” | Snover Cloyster |
Snover Abomasnow |
Lapras Abomasnow |
Snover |
| Normal | Male: “Normal does not mean weak.” | Teddiursa | Raticate Porygon2 |
Porygon-Z Snorlax |
Rattata Porygon Zubat |
| Poison | Female: “Coiled and ready to strike!” | Nidoran (M/F) | Golbat Grimer |
Nidorina Niudorina |
Nidoran (M/F) |
| Psychic | Male: “Are you scared of psychics that use unseen power?” | Slowpoke Wobbuffet |
Ralts Hypno Drowzee |
Hypno Kadabra Kirlia |
Slowpoke Drowzee Wobbuffet Hypno |
| Rock | Male: “Let’s rock and roll!” | Aerodactyl Larvitar |
Larvitar | Pupitar Tyranitar |
Larvitar Aerodactyl |
| Water | Female: “These waters are treacherous!” | Shellder Psyduck |
Poliwhirl Golduck |
Poliwrath Politoed |
Shellder Psyduck |
| Water | Male: “These waters are treacherous!” | Magikarp | Magikarp | Magikarp Gyarados |
Magikarp |
