Pokemon Go Adds Jessie And James From Team Rocket, Plus New Go Fest Challenges

Team Rocket balloons have begun appearing in Pokemon Go, giving you a new way to battle the villainous group, and the team's most infamous duo have joined the fight. Jessie and James, Ash's recurring antagonists from the Pokemon animated series, have arrived in Pokemon Go, and you'll have a chance to challenge them.

True to form, Jessie and James can be found piloting a giant Meowth-shaped hot air balloon. The duo will appear randomly in the game and only for a limited time, so there's no telling when you'll encounter them. If you do spot their distinctive balloon, however, simply tap it to initiate a battle with them.

Coinciding with their debut, new avatar items inspired by Jessie and James have been added to Pokemon Go's in-game shop, letting you dress your trainer in their signature Team Rocket uniforms. The second weekly set of Pokemon Go Fest challenges has also gone live, and this one focuses on battling Team Rocket, making Jessie and Jame's appearance quite timely.

Pokemon Go isn't the only game Jessie and James have invaded; the duo are also appearing in Pokemon Masters as part of a special Double Trouble event. Right now, you can recruit Jessie and Arbok as a Sync Pair. James isn't yet available in the game, although it's heavily implied he'll likewise debut soon, presumably alongside his Weezing. You can read more about the Double Trouble event on the Pokemon Masters website.

Despite being some of the series' most well-known characters, Jessie and James have seldom been featured in actual Pokemon games, making this a special occasion. Prior to their arrival in Go and Pokemon Masters, the duo only appeared in Pokemon Yellow and its 2018 Switch reimagining, Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee.

Niantic has many other events lined up for Pokemon Go this month, including Pokemon Go Fest 2020, which takes place on July 25 and 26. Before then, the studio will hold July's Community Day, which features Gastly. The Legendary Kyurem is also available in Raids right now, and there's a new batch of Field Research tasks to complete this month.