Pokemon Go players convinced Team Rocket Grunt Shiny announcement is bogus

An eagle-eyed player spotted an announcement in a recent Pokemon Go blog post that claims Team Rocket Grunt Pokemon can be Shiny, but the community is convinced this is a typo or communication error.

On March 14, Pokemon Go posted an official blog detailing some in-game activities players can look forward to over the following week. In addition to the re-appearance of Shiny Meltan, there was also info regarding Team Go Rocket activity.

From March 25 to 29, Team Go Rocket is taking over Pokemon Go, which means Grunts and Team Leaders will appear more frequently. Players can also look forward to encountering Giovanni, who wields the power of a Shadow Regice.

Grunts and Team Leaders – Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo – will also use different Shadow Pokemon, but these announcements were expected. What caught players off guard was an announcement regarding Team Rocket Grunts that nearly flew under the radar.

Pokemon Go players can’t believe Rocket Grunts have Shinies

Reddit user xTripTicx spotted the line of text that read, “Also, Pokémon that Trainers rescue from Team GO Rocket Grunts may be Shiny Pokémon.” They posted a screenshot of the announcement with the caption, “Are we able to get shinies from grunts for the first time? Checked previous events’ wording, and it wasn’t mentioned before.”

Traditionally, only Team Go Rocket Leaders and Giovanni can have Shiny Pokemon, and Grunts are shiny-locked. But the way the blog is written seems to indicate Grunt Pokemon can be Shiny for the first time in Pokemon Go’s history.

However, Pokemon Go trainers have been burned by miscommunication in the past, so they weren’t convinced the blog was telling the truth. “I would be shocked if this wasn’t just poor communication by Niantic again,” one user commented, “considering their history with the info in these blog posts.”

Others pointed out a lack of Shiny indicators for the Pokemon displayed in the post. Normally, if a Pokemon can be encountered as Shiny, their preview window will have a Shiny sparkle in the top right.

“Seems like they mixed up Grunts with Leaders, as there is no shiny icon on the pokemon,” wrote one user, and OP responded, “IIRC, they never showed the leaders Pokémon, only the ones that will be added to the grunts rotation. But yeah, they usually add the shiny icon.”

Niantic seemingly confirms Pokemon Grunt change

Shortly after doubt started to creep into the minds of players, the Pokemon Professor Network addressed the change on Twitter. They claimed to have spoken with Niantic and confirmed that the Grunts would not only have Shiny Pokemon during the event, but that the change was permanent.

“We have confirmed with Niantic that Shiny Shadow Pokémon that may be encountered from Team GO Rocket Grunts during the Let’s GO Event are a permanent feature in the game! So long, FOMO!”

🚨SHINY SHADOW POKÉMON🚨We have confirmed with Niantic that Shiny Shadow Pokémon that may be encountered from Team GO Rocket Grunts during the Let's GO Event are a permanent feature in the game! So long, FOMO!#PokemonGO #TeamGORocket pic.twitter.com/7BlncR7ynB

— Lured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network (@PokeProfNet) March 21, 2023

While some players were ecstatic to hear the news, others weren’t quick to let their guard down. “Don’t jump for joy just yet, folks. We know how Niantic works at this point,” a user on Reddit commented. Another claimed they wouldn’t believe it until someone confirmed it after the event started.

While anticipation is high, we won’t know whether the announcement is legit until 1. Niantic announces a change to the post, or 2. A Pokemon Go players finds a Shiny Pokemon from a grunt when the event begins.