Pokémon GO starts limited-time team leader missions with unique encounters

Niantic is starting a new series of quests for Pokémon GO centered on the three team leaders in the game, offering rewards, unlocks and special encounters for players who take part in the adventure. As a free-to-play, live service game, Pokémon GO always rotating in new content in the form of seasons, limited-time events and monthly activities such as Community Day.

While players are encouraged to explore and collect Pokémon in the wild, there is another aspect to the popular mobile title. Pokémon GO has three different teams that players can join: Team Instinct, Team Valor, and Team Mystic. While choosing a team doesn't have any drastic consequences to the core of the game, it does affect the colors of the different gyms players can take over, while also having another leader comment on the Pokémon evaluation process. While each Pokémon GO teams are intentionally different from each other and choose to focus on different aspects of the game, Niantic is putting them back in the spotlight with a series of new limited-time missions.

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Pokemon GO starts summer missions in June

Starting on May 26, Pokemon GO will launch a series of limited-time missions with new rewards and encounters. The series of missions is focused around the three main team leaders for Pokémon GO and run for a week before moving on to the next. Overall, there will be a new mission active every week, starting on May 26th and ending on June 15th. Here's the breakdown.

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Blanche's Quest for Knowledge

First up is Team Mystic's leader Blanche as Niantic reveals that the first week will revolve around field research tasks and incense encounters. From May 26 to June 1, players will see Squirtle, Alolan Vulpix, Krabby, Staryu, and Galarian Zigzagoon spawn more often in the wild, with Lapras, Vaporeon, and Larvitar also having a higher than normal chance to appear.

To use an incense in Pokémon GO during this window, Cubone, Horsea, Lapras, Vaproeon, Larvitar, Sableye, Clamperl and Cubchoo will also appear more frequently. Finally, Field Research Task Encounters will include all of the aforementioned Pokémon along with Sinistea and Tandemaus. There will be a special Pokemon GO Pass, both free and paid versions, to climb the ranks, including a special encounter with a Lapras-inspired background with a Blanche theme and Team Mystic.

Spark's Caretaking Quest

From June 2-8, Sparks Team Instinct will be in the spotlight with a focus on hatching eggs and discovering Pokemon. During this time, the wild encounter list rotates again as Bulbasaur, Alolan Raichu, Drowzee, Jolteon, Dratini, Houndour, Lileep and Combee will appear more often.

Unlike the Mystic missions, Team Instinct will instead focus on hatching eggs Pokémon GO. During this quest, players can hatch eggs at 7 km to find the following creatures: Pichu, Elekid, Shinx, Varoom, Galarian Corsola, and Hisuian Qwilfish. Fiueld Research tasks will be another way to find any of the aforementioned Pokémon during the Team Instinct quest period and for the Go Pass, players can even catch an Elekid wearing a Spark-themed accessory and Team Instinct background card.

Candela's Quest for Victory

Finally, from June 9-15, Team Valor's Candela will be in the spotlight for a more combat-focused mission period focusing on raids and battles. Wild encounters include Charmander, Mankey, Hisuian Growlithe, Machop, Ponyta, Scyther, Flareon, Slugma and Fletchling.

Scratch & Peek

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Scratch & Peek

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During this time, the following Pokémon will appear more frequently in Raids: Hisuian Growlithe, Machamp, Scizor, Magcargo, Scraggy, Honedge, and Rockruff, while Field Encounters will include all of the previously mentioned during this week. Finally, players can capture a Ponyta wearing a Candela-themed accessory with a unique Team Valor background through the GO Pass.