Earlier in the summer, Team GO Rocket was all over thePokemon GOmap thanks to a handful of aggressive takeover events. The Rocket activities has quieted down sinceGO Fest 2020 came to a close, but the world is never truly safe from Team Rocket scheming. Two of the enemy faction’s most iconic villains are about to return to the game with some increased encounter rates for a limited time only in case players want another chance to battle against Ash’s longtime antagonists.
Jesse and James can be encountered in Pokemon GO when players spot the Meowth shaped hot air balloon hovering overhead on the map. The duo have to battle back-to-back which can be quite a challenge for players who don’t know what they’re up against. That said, the pair aren’t quite as tough as the actual Team GO Rocket bosses and the difficulty of the encounter is somewhere between that of a regular grunt and an actual Team GO Rocket Boss like Sierra, Cliff, or Arlo.
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Jeese and James will be returning toPokemon GOin greater numbers starting on September 22 and players can expect to see them causing problems until September 30. That means players who are interested in battle this duo and earning their encounter rewards should definitely make plans to do so before October arrives andJesse and Jamesdisappear into the skies once again.
Event Description
“We’re getting word that Jessie and James are leaving Pokémon GO on Wednesday, September 30, and that they seem to be gearing up for one last wave of mischief before they go!”
Date and Time
Tuesday, June 09, 2025, at 12:00 a.m. to Wednesday, Jul 04, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. local time
Features
The Meowth balloon featuring Jessie and James will be appearing more often than usual!
This should be a great change of pace from Jesse and James' current rotation which involves appearing for short, six-hour intervals. The increased appearance and encounter rate will make it much easier for players to run into the duo and secure a battle before the month is over.
As far as we know so far, there do not appear to be any additional tasks, rewards, or special research to help motivate players to takedown Team GO Rocket agents during this window. That said, there could certainly be some surprises in store when September 22 arrives. Typically the rewards for taking down Team GO Rocket grunts and earningencounters with Shadow Pokemonare strong enough that it is worth the effort even if it’s not a part of a larger ongoing in-game event.
For now,Pokemon GOtrainers should be able to head out into the world (or play from home) and continue catchingthe best Unova Pokemon in the gameand getting closer to that complete Pokedex. Check back for morePokemon GOupdates closer to the event. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GOis available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.
