How to get a Super Rocket Radar for January 2025 in Pokémon Go

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. Here’s what you need to know about getting a Super Rocket Radar and how it works in Pokémon Go.

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 January 2025, the Team Rocket takeover happens during Pokémon Go‘s Adventure Week 2024, from Jan. 15 to 19, 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’ll be able to get this one to challenge Giovanni.

If you wait until the start of the new event, Giovanni does have the present Pokémon he’s captured, and not the old one. Many Pokémon Go players use this method to give them multiple attempts to go after a particular Pokémon. Several players are likely doing this for the new Pokémon, Shadow Palkia, one of the stronger Legendary Pokémon you can get in the mobile game.

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. This might eat up some time on your part. However, there’s no rush to complete this task, unless you’re up against the deadline of the next Team Rocket Special Research timer.

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.

Outside of getting the Super Rocket Radar from the Special Research ticket, there’s no other way to obtain it. Niantic does not offer paid tickets or other events for this activity. If you’re waiting for the next Team Rocket event, expect one to appear in the middle of a season with a new series of Shadow Pokémon you can rescue. Team Rocket grunts and leaders continue to appear after the event with their current roster of Pokémon, but they typically have lower spawn rates, making them harder to find.