Latest Pokemon Go Update Hints At Team Rocket's Imminent Arrival

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite may be out now, but that hasn't slowed Niantic's support for Pokemon Go. The studio has rolled out a new update for the title that completely overalls its appraisal system, making it much easier than before to see how your Pokemon's stats measure up. That's not all, however; after numerous teases, it appears Team Rocket will also begin invading the game soon.

According to the latest patch notes, the new update adds Team Rocket to Pokemon Go. While the villainous team hasn't begun appearing in the game yet, it seems players will be able to challenge Team Rocket grunts in battle. On top of that, players will have a chance to catch Shadow Pokemon that are abandoned by the Rocket grunts.

Shadow Pokemon aren't an entirely new concept in the series. GameCube's Pokemon Colosseum and its follow-up, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, both featured Shadow Pokemon, which were denoted by a dark aura swirling around them. In those games, players needed to rescue the Shadow Pokemon from villains and then gradually "purify" them by using them in battle. It's unclear if Pokemon Go's Shadow Pokemon will work the same way, but the concept certainly sounds similar.

In addition to Team Rocket, the new Pokemon Go update overhauls the game's appraisal tool. Now when you appraise a Pokemon, you'll see a clear overview of the monster's Attack, Defense, and HP stats, with a one- to three-star rating signifying its overall potential. You can see the full patch notes for the update below or on the App Store.

Pokemon Go's next Community Day event takes place this Sunday, July 21. This month, the featured Pokemon will be Mudkip, one of the three starters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. A One Piece crossover event is also happening in the game beginning next week, which will give players a chance to catch a Pikachu wearing Luffy's iconic straw hat. Finally, there's still time to catch Armored Mewtwo in the game; the Legendary Pokemon will appear in five-star Raids until July 31.

Pokemon Go Version 1.117.0 (iOS) Patch Notes

Here’s what can you expect in this release.

• New Challenges: Take on Team GO Rocket Grunts in battle!
• Shadow Pokemon: Catch the mysterious Shadow Pokemon Team GO Rocket Grunts leave behind! Is there a way to help these Pokemon?
• New Appraisal Tool: You can now learn even more about your Pokémon when appraising them.
• Battle Minigames: Charged Attack gameplay includes new minigames."