When is Giovanni with Shadow Heatran appearing in Pokemon GO?
Team GO Rocket will be invading Pokemon GO once again during the Galarian Expedition. Much like other takeovers, this secondary trait of the upcoming event will update the creatures each Team GO Rocket member has access to, including its supreme leader, Giovanni.
Official information on the title's website has revealed that Giovanni will be bringing a new Shadow Legendary Pokemon along with him. This creature is Heatran, one of the many Legendary Pokemon that debuted in the Sinnoh region. Giovanni and his Shadow Heatran will arrive in the game on October 8, 2024.
Everything to know about Shadow Heatran's debut in Pokemon GO
As briefly mentioned prior, Shadow Heatran's debut will be a part of Pokemon GO's Galarian Expedition. Since the creature will be on Giovanni's team, players will need to defeat the villain for the opportunity to catch it.
To encounter Giovanni, players will need a Super Rocket Radar. This item can be obtained by completing the special research that will be distributed once the upcoming event goes live.
Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator
Once a Super Rocket Radar has been obtained, Giovanni will appear at the next encounter trainers would normally have with any Team GO Rocket member, like Rocket-controlled Pokestops or hot-air balloons. After a short dialogue sequence, Giovanni will challenge players to a battle in exchange for their Super Rocket Radar.
This special research will be available long after the Galarian Expedition's conclusion, with any trainer who logs in from October 8, 2024, to December 3, 2024, automatically receiving it.
Once collected, players can complete this quest at any time. Many trainers opt to save up their quests for such events, only turning them all in if they like the Shadow Legendary being offered.
Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator
Will Shadow Heatran be good in Pokemon GO?
There is reason to assume that Shadow Heatran may become one of the best Shadow Legendaries in Niantic's mobile game. The defense decrease from being a Shadow Pokemon can be easily overlooked, as Heatran's secondary Steel typing provides it with many elemental resistances. This leaves it with a super-charged attack stat.
This makes Shadow Heatran a perfect choice for Raid Battles, where having a Steel- or Fire-type critter is optimal. Its large attack stat makes it one of the strongest Non-Megas of its respective elements.
However, Shadow Heatran has an incredibly exploitable weakness in the form of Ground-type attacks (both Steel and Fire are weak to Ground).
In competitive play, the Pocket Monster will definitely be able to deal more dammage than its standard variant. This is especially true if players give it an Elite Charged TM, giving it access to its signature move, Magma Storm. However, Ground-type moves will be an even bigger threat since they can cleave through the critter's already-lowered defense stat.
For more information on Pokemon GO, check out our other articles:
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- Giovanni counters