Pokemon GO's latest event appears as though it is going to have a lasting impact on the popular augmented reality mobile game. For those who haven't kept up with the recent goings-on in Pokemon GO, the villainous Pokemon-stealing group Team Rocket has invaded in the game, leaving it up to Pokemon GO trainers to defeat them and purify any Shadow Pokemon that they may have captured.
To mark the introduction of Team Rocket in Pokemon GO, Niantic has released a new trailer highlighting the evil group that may even tease Giovanni for the game. Giovanni, for the uninitiated, is the head of Team Rocket and the main antagonist of the original Pokemon Red and Blue Game Boy games. Giovanni has also played a prominent role in the Pokemon anime and some of the films, so his debut in Pokemon GO would be a big deal.
In the new Pokemon GO Team Rocket trailer, players can catch a brief glimpse of Giovanni's silhouette before it quickly cuts to silhouettes of the Team Rocket grunts that can already be found in the game. Perhaps this is a hint that Giovanni himself will be someone players can battle in the future, potentially hinting at more significant NPC fights down the road.
While Giovanni himself has yet to appear in Pokemon GO proper, his influence has already been felt in the game. Besides Team Rocket invading, Pokemon GO players have had the chance to catch an Armored Mewtwo in legendary raids, a Pokemon that is directly tied to Giovanni in the franchise's lore.
Whether or not Niantic has bigger plans for Giovanni in Pokemon GO remains to be seen. However, it could be an interesting direction to take the mobile game. In the meantime, Pokemon GO players can continue to battle Team Rocket grunts and purify Shadow Pokemon while they wait for Giovanni to make his grand entrance.
Pokemon GO is out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.