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Pokémon Go It's a Rocket World quest steps and rewards

Team Rocket are at it again!

Image credit: Niantic

It's a Rocket World, released during the World of Wonders: Taken Over event in March 2024, is the latest instalment in Pokémon Go's Team Go Rocket invasion storyline.

Team Rocket is up to no good in Pokémon Go once again, which means you'll need to defeat Rocket grunts and the Team Go Rocket Leaders as you work through the It's a Rocket World quest steps.

Eventually, you'll find yourself battling Giovanni once again and, upon defeating him, you'll have the chance to catch Shadow Groudon.

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'It's a Rocket World' quest steps in Pokémon Go

Below you'll find all of the It's a Rocket World special research quest steps in Pokémon Go.

Due to being a special research quest, It's a Rocket World has no deadline so you can complete it whenever you like. It's important to remember though that, depending on when you complete it, the Shadow Legendary you receive from Giovanni might be different as these do rotate. You may also find yourself locked out of future Team Rocket quests if you don't complete this one, but, if this does happen, said quest should automatically unlock once It's a Rocket World is finished.

So here's the It's a Rocket World quest steps and rewards in Pokémon Go - just keep an eye out for spoilers.

Thank you Amiibofan101 from reddit for the help with this information.

'It's a Rocket World' Step 1 of 5

Rewards: 1500 XP and Aipom encounter.

'It's a Rocket World' Step 2 of 5

Rewards: 2000 XP and Misdreavus encounter.

'It's a Rocket World' Step 3 of 5

  • Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Arlo - 2500 XP
  • Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff - 2500 XP
  • Defeat the Team Go Rocket Leader Sierra - 2500 XP

Rewards: 2500 XP and Super Rocket Radar.

'It's a Rocket World' Step 4 of 5

  • Find the Team Go Rocket Boss - 10 Hyper Potions
  • Battle the Team Go Rocket Boss - 10 Ultra Balls
  • Defeat the Team Go Rocket Boss - 6 Max Revives

Rewards: 3000 XP and Croagunk encounter.

'It's a Rocket World' Step 5 of 5

  • Claim reward - 1500 Stardust
  • Claim reward - 1500 Stardust
  • Claim reward - 1500 Stardust

Rewards: 6000 XP and 2 Silver Pinap Berries.

How It's a Rocket World works in Pokémon Go

It's a Rocket World, which was released in March 2024 during the World of Wonders: Taken Over event, is part of the long running Team Go Rocket storyline in Pokémon Go.

To access this quest, you need to first complete the 'tutorial' quest, A Troubling Situation. You may also need to complete any previous Team Go Rocket special research quests you may have, such as Showdown in the Shadows. You don't, however, need to have completed the Timeless Travels special research quest.

Each Team Go Rocket quest is based around defeating the crime organisation grunts, purifying Shadow Pokémon, the Team Rocket Leaders - Arlo, Cliff and Sierra - and Giovanni.

It's also important to remember that the highlighted Shadow Legendary released alongside this quest's debut - Shadow Groudon in the case of It's a Rocket World - is technically not part of the quest itself, but, rather is simply an extra reward for battling Giovanni. Due to this, you can catch the current Shadow Legendary at least twice if you haven't finished the previous Team Go Rocket quest yet.

Aside from this, the Team Go Rocket quests work exactly the same as the other research quests, which challenge you to complete a number of objectives in a specific order.

Since the Team Go Rocket quests don't expire, you'll have a good amount of time to complete Showdown in the Shadows. We do recommend ensuring you complete it though, because you won't be able to access the new quest in the series - which are usually released every three months - until you do.


The World of Wonders season has come to Pokémon Go. Wiglett can now be caught as part of Rediscover Kanto, but don't forget to complete the World of Wonders quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Tips for competing It's a Rocket World in Pokémon Go

Here's some tips to help you complete It's a Rocket World in Pokémon Go:

  • Don't forget to use Pinap Berries when catching Shadow Pokémon to ensure you gather enough Candy to purify the Pokémon once it's yours.
  • Keep an eye out for the Team Go Rocket Balloons, because the grunt, Team Go Leader and even the Giovanni battles you encounter through them all count towards this quest.
  • Make sure you check the lineup possibilities before battling the three Team Go Rocket Leaders and Giovanni, so you can plan an effective team of counters.
  • Since both the Leaders and Giovanni have a selection of Pokémon they can use, it's a good idea to scout out their team before properly defeating them - provided you have some healing items on standby for this first 'trail' encounter. You can do this by using a Pokémon which is guaranteed to defeat this first Pokémon, which will always be the same, and, once you know what they're second choice is, you can plan accordingly. Just remember that their lineup may change if you move to a different PokéStop.

Good luck completing It's a Rocket World!

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