With each new Team GO Rocket event in Pokémon GO, players anticipate a corresponding Special Research quest. However, it is not uncommon for some trainers to express frustration when they find themselves without access to the latest Special Research. This scenario has arisen again with the recent Crown Clash: Taken Over event, which kicked off on May 14 and continues through May 18, 2025.
If you’re wondering why the Team GO Rocket Special Research hasn’t appeared for you, this article will break down the possible reasons.
Why You Might Not Have Access to the Latest Team GO Rocket Special Research
To qualify for new Special Research tasks during any Team GO Rocket event, players must meet specific criteria. Primarily, you must have successfully completed the previous Special Research or must not have exceeded the first page of the current research quest.
At midnight local time, when a new Team GO Rocket event launches, all players logging into the game become eligible for Special Research, which often includes opportunities to obtain the Super Rocket Radar. This tool enables trainers to confront Giovanni and can lead to capturing powerful Pokémon such as Shadow Dialga.
To ensure you can access the Crown Clash: Taken Over Special Research, you should have completed one of the following quests, or you must not have advanced beyond the initial page:
- A Troubling Situation (Unlocks all GO Rocket Special Research)
- Looming in the Shadows
- A Challenging Development
- The Take-Over Continues
- A Professor’s Work is Never Done
- The Shadowy Threat Grows
- An Inter-egg-sting Development
- The Higher They Fly…
- A Seven-Colored Shadow
- Silent Schemes
- Field Notes: Team GO Rocket
- Ultra Beast Protection Efforts
- Shadowy Skirmishes
- From the Shadows
- A Shadowy Disturbance
- Showdown in the Shadows
- It’s a Rocket World
- Adventure Week: Taken Over
- Fashion Week: Taken Over
Additionally, seasonal research quests revolving around Team GO Rocket do not restrict access to these particular storylines.
Can Completing an Old Special Research During the Current Event Grant Access to New Quests?
Indeed, if you complete an older Team GO Rocket Special Research quest while the event is live in your area, you will be eligible for the new Special Research. Specifically, you must finish before the cut-off time of 11:59 PM on May 18, 2025, to gain access to the Crown Clash: Taken Over storyline.
If the new quest does not appear automatically, try refreshing your game. However, be mindful that missing the deadline means these Research opportunities will be permanently unavailable.
In other news, players can now engage in Shadow Regigigas raids throughout Pokémon GO!