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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →During Pokémon GO’s Galarian Expedition: Taken Over in October 2024, Shadow Heatran was Giovanni’s encounter reward. Players progressed through the event’s seasonal Special Research to earn a Super Rocket Radar, then used it to pursue Giovanni. The research claim deadline has passed, and the available official announcements do not establish whether Shadow Heatran is obtainable through Giovanni or another route as of October 8, 2026.
How the Shadow Heatran encounter worked
- Progress through the seasonal Special Research. It became available at the start of Galarian Expedition: Taken Over and awarded a Super Rocket Radar. The official announcement said, “Progress through it to receive a Super Rocket Radar and chase down Giovanni!” (Pokémon GO event announcement, September 25, 2024.)
- Use the Super Rocket Radar to pursue Giovanni. Giovanni’s Shadow reward during this event was Shadow Heatran.
- Defeat Giovanni and complete the encounter. The event increased Team GO Rocket appearances at PokéStops and in balloons, making Rocket activity more frequent during the event.
When the event and research were available
Galarian Expedition: Taken Over ran from October 8, 2024, at 12:00 a.m. through October 11, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Players could claim its Special Research until December 3, 2024, at 9:59 a.m. local time. These were local-time dates, not a single UTC window. The claim deadline has passed, so the event research route cannot now be started by claiming that offer.
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Shadow Heatran was not in the event’s Shadow Raids
The event’s announced Shadow Raid bosses were different Pokémon. The one-star lineup included Shadow Machop, Grimer, Exeggcute, and Sudowoodo; the three-star lineup included Shadow Pinsir, Sableye, and Mawile. Heatran was not listed. Niantic’s general Shadow Raid guidance explains that players can try to catch a Shadow Raid boss after defeating it at a Rocket-controlled Gym, but that mechanic does not make Heatran part of this event’s raid lineup. (Niantic Shadow Raid support page.)
Was removing Frustration required?
No. During the event, players could use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget Frustration, but the event announcement did not make that a requirement for earning or encountering Shadow Heatran through Giovanni. It was an optional move-management bonus.
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- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
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Can you still get Shadow Heatran?
The Galarian Expedition: Taken Over Special Research claim window ended in 2024. Whether Shadow Heatran is available through a later Giovanni rotation or another route is not established by the official announcements available here. Pokémon GO’s April and June 2026 Team GO Rocket announcements featured other Giovanni rewards—Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus and Shadow Reshiram, respectively—but those announcements do not confirm the live rotation on October 8, 2026 or rule out a later return. Check a current official Pokémon GO announcement or Giovanni’s in-game encounter for the present lineup. (Pokémon GO announcements.)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other event details
During Galarian Expedition: Taken Over, Grunts could use the newly featured Shadow Caterpie, Mankey, Roggenrola, Venipede, Karrablast, and Shelmet; the announcement said rescued Shadow Pokémon might be shiny if the player was lucky. These were event details, not guidance about the current Shadow lineup.
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
The event also featured Field Research rewards including Mysterious Components, Charged TMs, and Fast TMs. An optional Team GO Rocket Box was offered for 300 PokéCoins and contained one Incubator, one Rocket Radar, and one Premium Battle Pass. The announcement did not say the box was necessary for the Special Research route to Shadow Heatran.
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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