A few months back, Pokémon Go players finally had their first run-in with the villainous Team Rocket.
Comprised of numerous foot soldiers including the infamous Jessie and James (and Meowth) from the anime TV series, the group has historically been secretly led by Viridian Gym leader Giovanni and has one sole aim – world domination. The only way to achieve that goal, of course, is to kidnap, steal and generally mistreat those poor ‘Mons for ill-gotten gains, making Pokémon Go players the perfect target.
Since their initial invasion of PokéStops around the world took place, however, Trainers have since driven the miscreants out and purified the corrupted Pokémon left behind. Or so they thought. A trio of new teaser images released by developer Niantic on Twitter appear to suggest that the worst is still yet to come, and you can check them out via the gallery below.
The accompanying flavor text reveals that the “corrupted” files were discovered by Professor Willow on his own personal computer and are suspected to be leftovers from Team Rocket’s impromptu takeover earlier in the year. As for their contents, silhouettes of three different individuals can clearly be discerned by the naked eye, alongside what appears to be biometric data. One of these individuals, besides appearing to spend the better part of the working week in the gym, has the clearly-defined outline of traditional Team Rocket garb adorning their person, making the connection clear.
What remains a mystery, however, is what purpose these folks will serve when they inevitably appear in-game, though their number could be the biggest hint of all. Currently, Pokémon Go players are asked to pledge their loyalty to one of three (Instinct, Valor, Mystic) teams and it could be the case that each faction and their followers are tasked with bringing Team Rocket’s hierarchy down once and for all.
Alternatively, Niantic could be planning to allow Trainers the freedom, should they wish, to switch sides and join the bad guys, but that’s not exactly in keeping with the traditional message of Pokémon now, is it? Whatever the case, expect to see a full reveal over the coming week.