"Shadow Rayquaza will be next, right?": Pokemon GO next Taken Over event evokes hilarious meme

With news of Pokemon GO's Team Rocket Takeover event featuring Cresselia has been abundant, many fans are looking forward to the highly anticipated event. However, some users on Reddit have expressed curiosity as to why Niantic opted to add Shadow Cresselia in the game after adding Shadow Groudon and Kyogre, instead of Rayquaza.

This has led to a discussion under one particular post on the Pokemon GO subreddit. Initiated by user Entire_Pineapple4732, they brought up a question in the form of a meme, asking whether Shadow Rayquaza will be the next Shadow Pokemon to join Team GO Rocket.

Why? Just why?? byu/Entire_Pineapple4732 inpokemongo

Their initial post asks the question of why Niantic would come to this decision to release Cresselia before the more popular Rayquaza. There could be a reason for this. Since Rayquaza is a very popular creature and has received a lot of attention, Niantic might be waiting till the Team Rocket Takeover event's release.

Two players engage in conversation regarding how they can stockpile Super Rocket Radars in Pokemon GO

With Shadow Cresselia not appealing to many players, some newer trainers are wondering how they can save their Super Rocket Radars for the next rotation of Team Go Rocket member parties. User BingoBob_1 shares a method where players wanting to save the radar should not complete all of the respective Special Research when it becomes available on August 8th.

Players can stack these quests between Team Rocket Takeover events in Pokemon GO, only fully completing the Special Research when Giovanni has a Shadow Legendary they want to add to their collection. Stocking up on these radars can help hardcore players grind for ones with better stats, making the Shadow Pokemon a much better battler.

Comment byu/Entire_Pineapple4732 from discussion inpokemongo

On the other hand, User BearPlaysYT brings up a valid point, stating that there are already two events for summer that feature Rayquaza as the main highlight. Having Shadow Rayquaza added to the game now would surely burn a lot of players out on the creature, or at the very least, would not drive up engagement during the Team Rocket Takeover event as Niantic would like.

Comment byu/Entire_Pineapple4732 from discussion inpokemongo

User Shmeo provides insight into why a lot of competitive players are dreading the release of Shadow Cresselia. Given that many players are under the impression that Shadow Cresselia will be worse than its base form, they feel that this time slot is wasted on a bad version of a Legendary Pokemon.

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Will Shadow Cresselia be good in Pokemon GO?

Shadow Cresselia will likely not be very good in Pokemon GO for PvP or PvE (Image via NIantic)

Shadow Cresselia has left many competitive players confused as Cresselia is a Pokemon known for its tankiness and high bulk. The Shadow Boost, however, lowers its high defense in favor of boosting its low attack. Much like the Regis, Cresselia having a Shadow variant does very little to help it, with the variant ending up worse than the base form.

However, if players can find one with high stats, it will be worth purifying. Admittedly, raiders and battlers who already have access to this monster with great or perfect IVs have little reason to do this. That said, casual players in rural areas where completing Raid Battles in Pokemon GO is a rare occasion will greatly appreciate the chance to get their hands on a creature that is otherwise impossible to collect.

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For more information on upcoming events in Pokemon GO, check out our other articles:

• Where to watch the Pokemon World Championships
• Pokemon GO event, Raid Boss, and Spotlight Hour infographic
• 5 Pokemon that would be nice to see for August's Community Day Classic