Rising Shadows Pokémon GO event launches Shadow Raids

Niantic has announced the Rising Shadows event for Pokémon GO which will launch a new feature called Shadow Raids when it will run from 10am on Monday 22 May to 8pm on Sunday 28 May local time. Team GO Rocket will be taking over Gyms during this event although some Gyms not controlled by Team GO Rocket may still contain different Raids which aren't Shadow Raids. Players will not be able to use Remote Raid Passes on Shadow Raids and there will not be a team bonus adding more Premier Balls from the colour of the Gym because it should become black just like Team GO Rocket controlled PokéStops. Shadow Mewtwo will be in 5* Shadow Raids from 10am on Saturday 27 May to 8pm on Sunday 28 May local time and a Shiny Shadow Mewtwo will be available from finishing the Shadow Raid if you are lucky. Throughout the whole event from 10am on Monday 22 May to 8pm on Sunday 28 May local time there will be other Shadow Raids available in 1* and 3* Shadow Raids. They are shown in the list below and from 10am to 8pm local time on Saturday all Gyms will have Shadow Raids including Shadow Mewtwo in 5* Shadow Raids:

• 1* Shadow Raids​

• Shadow Poliwag ⁂
• Shadow Machop ⁂
• Shadow Bellsprout
• Shadow Beldum ⁂

• 3* Shadow Raids

• Shadow Bayleef
• Shadow Quilava
• Shadow Croconaw
• Shadow Sneasel ⁂

Niantic has also announced the other Pokémon that will be in Raids that aren't Shadow Raids including 5* Raids and Mega Raids with the Legendary Pokémon Tapu Fini and Mega Pinsir appearing in 5* Raids and Mega Raids respectively until 10am on Wednesday 24 May and then Regigigas and Mega Altaria will start appearing in 5* Raids and Mega Raids respectively at 10am on Wednesday 24 May and all of these Legendary and Mega Pokémon can be encounter as Shiny Pokémon. The other Raids which will be happening during the Rising Shadows event are:

• 1* Raids

• Clefairy ⁂
• Tentacool ⁂
• Marill ⁂
• Skrelp
• Popplio

• 3* Raids

• Magneton
• Empoleon
• Lapras ⁂
• Mawile ⁂

During the event there will be some specific Pokémon that will be appearing more often including Hisuian and Scraggy which can be encountered if players are lucky. The other common Pokémon appearing during the event are:

• Ekans ⁂
• Golbat
• Koffing ⁂
• Houndour ⁂
• Poochyena ⁂
• Stunky
• Skorupi ⁂

An Event Bonus of Rising Shadows will be Team GO Rocket will appear more often at PokéStops and in Team GO Rocket Balloons and there will be Event themed Field Research Task focused on Team GO Rocket and catching Pokémon which will give players rewards of Mysterious Components and Stardust. There will be a new avatar pose available in the in-game shop called the Rising Hero Pose after the event begins.

Further details about Shadow Raids were also announced by Niantic to show that in 3* and 5* Shadow Raids the Shadow Raid Pokémon will become enraged while battling them increasing their attack and defence. The Shadow Raids may require some more participants to weaken the Shadow Raid Pokémon and to subdue them. Purified Gems can be obtains to subdue Shadow Raid Bosses that will be able to be made from Shadow Shards that are obtained from Team GO Rocket battles. Shadow Shards can be merged by using Professor Willow's Shard Refiner to obtain a Purified Gem. Purified Gems can be used within a Shadow Raid to lower a enraged Shadow Pokémon's attack and defence temporarily. Participants of a Shadow Raid can use multiple Purified Gems during a Shadow Raid to stack the effects. If enough Purified Gems are used the enraged Shadow Pokémon will be subdued which would make it easier to defeat.

The Pokémon GO Official YouTube Channel has made an official video to promoted the Rising Shadows event and it can be seen here below:

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