When attempting to complete specific tasks in Pokémon Go, you may need to find certain items before you can continue playing. For those who want to challenge Team Rocket’s leader, Giovanni, you’ll need the Super Rocket Radar.
Super Rocket Radars rarely show up in Pokémon Go, which can make it confusing to know where to get them. Thankfully, they do become available when Giovanni appears, but you’ll want to act quickly if you want to grab it. Super Rocket Radars don’t pop up for long, and if you miss out on them, you miss your chance to challenge Giovanni and save the Legendary Pokémon he’s captured.
Where to find a Super Rocket Radar in Pokémon Go
The Super Rocket Radar only appears during the Special Research quest you receive during a Team Rocket takeover. These events occur at the tail end of a larger one, giving you a few days to jump into the game, grab the Special Research, and work your way through it. For August 2024, the Team Rocket takeover happens during Pokémon Go‘s Adventure Week 2024, from Aug. 8 to 12, starting at 12am in your local time zone.
You should receive the Special Research quest when you initially log in during that timeframe. Because it’s a Special Research quest it does not expire. However, you can’t get this one if you’re still working on the previous Team Rocket takeover Special Research that Niantic handed out in the previous season. You’ll need to complete it, and then you can get this one to challenge Giovanni, who has captured a shadow version of Cresselia.
The Super Rocket Radar should be one of the last rewards you receive before challenging the Team Rocket Boss, Giovanni. You can activate it at any time after you get it to track him to his hideout. However, there’s a chance you might encounter a decoy who will be a Team Rocket grunt. Finding the grunt instead of Giovanni does not use the Super Rocket Radar, but you’ll have to find him again at a different location.
Alternatively, you can save your Super Rocket Radar for the next Team Rocket takeover event in Pokémon Go, which happens every three months. When Giovanni next shows up, expect him to capture a new Legendary Pokémon and turn it into a shadow you need to save.
