All new Team GO Rocket leader lineups in Pokemon GO Delightful Days Taken Over

The Team GO Rocket leaders and boss lineups have undergone a change in Pokemon GO with the start of Delightful Days Taken Over. Giovanni has a new ace in his pocket - Shadow Giratina - while Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra are also sporting different shadow 'mons to battle trainers.

Below, we have the latest information regarding the Shadow Pokemon each Team GO Rocket Leader is sporting in Pokemon GO.

All Delightful Days Taken Over Team GO Rocket leader lineup changes in Pokemon GO

The August 2025 updated lineups for Team GO Rocket leaders after Delightful Days Taken Over are as follows:

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Leader	Fisrt Pokemon	Second Pokemon	Third Pokemon
Giovanni	Persian	Kangaskhan Rhyperior	Altered Giratina*
Arlo	Chikorita*	Crobat Slowbro Steelix	Scizor Alakazam
Cliff	Cyndaquil*	Skarmory Hounchkrow Annihilape	Tyranitar Machamp Luxray
Sierra	Totodile*	Staraptor Ferrothorn Mismagius	Houndoom Drapion Camerupt

As you can see, there are gaps in the table regarding possible Pokemon options that the above NPCs can use. We will update the table once we have further information as the event progresses. The * denotes Pokemon that can be caught after successfully defeating the respective Team GO Rocket Leader.

Delightful Days Taken Over began on Monday, August 11, at 12 am local time and will come to an end on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 11.59 pm local time. It brought a new Giovanni Special Research to aid Pokemon GO trainers in the quest to encounter and defeat the Team GO Rocket Boss. We also see the debut of Shadow Kyogre in five-star Shadow Raids.

You can also expect the following bonuses during the event:

Team GO Rocket will appear more frequently at PokeStops and in balloons.
You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokemon forget the Charged Attack Frustration.
Pokemon caught via one-star and three-star Shadow Raids during the event will have a wider variance of Attack, Defense, and HP.
For the first time in Pokémon GO, you might even hatch Shiny Salandit - if you’re lucky!

Check out other Pokemon GO guides:

About the author

Angshuman is an Assistant Content Manager, Gaming, at Sportskeeda with a specialized focus on Pokemon. While completing his Master's degree in English Literature, Angshuman's research topics primarily included the many facets of game studies. That, along with his love for the medium which he believes to be the pinnacle of storytelling, led him to become a writer in the genre.

Angshuman prefers both solo and multiplayer titles on PC and PS5. His love for gaming stemmed from playing Bounce and God of War on mobile phones, and on to Age of Empires and Zoo Tycoon on PC. If he ever wished to convert a gaming cynic into a admirer, he would recommend indie games because of their versatility and their ability to be unaffected by genre-stifling publisher expectations.

Angshuman has interviewed several indie game developers in his career, spoken at many conferences, and contributed to book chapters. In his capacity to create highly accurate content, he thoroughly researches a topic, tracks citations until he finds the original source, and ensures his content doesn't misrepresent, misquote, or appropriate information.

In his spare time, Angshuman enjoys story writing, shooting landscapes and short films, reading, and painting.

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Edited by Angshuman Dutta