A recent datamine for Pokémon GO has accurately predicted new Shadow Pokémon from the upcoming All-Hands Rocket Retreat, including Legendary Latias. Shadow Pokémon, which can be caught after defeating Team GO Rocket members, offer players a chance to rescue and purify companions for boosts. The mechanic has been used as part of standard gameplay, and as reward encounters during events, with Legendary Pokémon particularly sought after for high stats and powerful move sets.
Currently, Pokémon GO has offered numerous events both in the past months and in the upcoming weeks. The content push comes alongside the Seasons of Alola long-term Pokémon GO event that has introduced a large number of Generation Seven Pokémon from Sun and Moon. For many, these opportunities have been a great incentive to get back outside and play, especially with the weather warming up.
In a post shared by Pokémon Go Hub, datamined details accurately predicted a number of Shadow Pokémon whose codes were found in Pokémon GO's game data before the All-Hands Rocket Retreat was announced. The list of accurate Shadow Pokémon includes Sudowoodo, Girafarig, Numel, and Latias according to a recent update on Pokémon Go Live. Because several predictions are still missing, another new Team GO Rocket event could be planned for Pokémon GO during the summer. While there haven't been any confirmations from Niantic regarding any events after the All-Hands Rocket Retreat, it is possible players will learn more as information for the upcoming Pokémon GO Fest 2022 planned for June, July, and August begins to release.
The Datamine also reveals evolutions for recently announced Pokémon in Pokémon GO's Seasons of Alola event. Stufful, which will feature in an April Community Day, may also debut alongside its evolution Bewear. The datamine also accurately predicted Salandit and its evolution Salazzle, which will debut alongside the All-Hands Rocket Retreat, according to the Pokémon GO update. This is exciting for Generation Seven fans and offers several powerful additions to competitive teams.
Unfortunately, the events and Pokémon debuts have recently been overshadowed by mechanics changes in Pokémon GO that have caused backlash in the community. This has included a 3-hour Community Day announcement which cuts the playtime of the event in half, as well as changes to Incense spawn rates that have heavily impacted rural players. While the addition of new Shadow Pokémon could offer hours of fun challenges, the changes to Pokémon GO's key mechanics could create participation problems for those eager to explore new content in the game.
Source: Pokémon Go Hub, Pokémon Go Live