You’ve seen the alerts. You’ve probably seen the black balloons hovering over your map more than usual lately. If you’ve been playing Pokémon GO over the last year, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The crown clash taken over event was one of those moments where the community collectively held its breath, mostly because we were finally getting a crack at Shadow Dialga. It wasn't just another Tuesday in the game. It was a massive shift in the meta and a grueling gauntlet for anyone trying to finish their Special Research before the deadline.
Honestly, the way Niantic handled the "Crown Clash" season was kind of brilliant, even if it felt like a bit of a grind at points. By the time the Team GO Rocket "Taken Over" portion kicked in back in May 2025, players were already deep into the Kingambit debut. But then Giovanni showed up. And he didn’t just bring any old Shadow Pokémon—he brought the Temporal Pokémon himself.
Why Crown Clash Taken Over Changed the Game
Let’s be real for a second. Most Team GO Rocket takeovers feel a bit repetitive after the third or fourth day. You beat some grunts, you get some components, you fight a leader, rinse and repeat. But the crown clash taken over felt different because the stakes were tied to Shadow Dialga.
If you're a competitive player, you know that Shadow Pokémon deal 20% more damage. Now imagine that on a beast like Dialga. It’s terrifying. It’s basically a nuke on a timer. The event didn't just give us a new toy; it changed how we looked at our Charged TMs. Everyone was hoarding them to finally scrub "Frustration" off their rosters. During that five-day window from May 14 to May 18, 2025, the air was thick with the sound of TMs being burned.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
The New Shadow Lineup
The grunts got a serious promotion during this event. We weren't just seeing the usual Rattatas and Zubats. Suddenly, we were facing off against Shadow Tyrunt and Shadow Amaura. Seeing a Shadow Tyrantrum on a grunt's team for the first time was... a choice. It was a hard fight if you weren't prepared with a solid Fighting or Ground-type counter.
- Shadow Inkay: Became a surprisingly annoying pick for Psychic-type grunts.
- Shadow Slakoth: Finally gave Slaking enthusiasts a reason to wake up, though the "Truant" ability still makes it a niche pick.
- Shadow Gible: This was the one everyone was hunting. Defeating Cliff for a chance at a shiny shadow Gible became the primary goal for most of the "hardcore" crowd.
What Most People Got Wrong About the Special Research
There’s a lot of confusion about how the "Crown Clash: Taken Over" Special Research actually worked. People kept asking if they had to finish it by June 3. The answer is: sort of. You had to claim the research by logging in before June 3, 2025. But once you had it, you could take your sweet time.
The real pressure was the Timed Research. That $4.99 ticket wasn't just for show; it gave out Nidoqueen and Nidoking wearing actual crowns. If you didn't finish those tasks by the end of the weekend, those rewards were gone. Poof. Vanished. I saw so many players on Reddit complaining that they missed their Crowned Nidoking because they forgot to purify those last three Shadow Pokémon on Sunday night. It’s a classic mistake, but it still hurts.
🔗 Read more: Hogwarts Legacy PS5: Why the Magic Still Holds Up in 2026
The Giovanni Showdown
Fighting Giovanni during the crown clash taken over wasn't a walk in the park. His lineup was specifically designed to catch you off guard. Usually, you can breeze through with a Lucario or a Machamp, but Shadow Dialga as the anchor meant you needed something that could actually tank a Roar of Time or a Draco Meteor.
I remember talking to a local player who went in with a standard Mewtwo and got absolutely shredded. You basically had to bring a Groudon with Precipice Blades or a very high-level Excadrill just to survive the initial onslaught. It wasn't just a battle of stats; it was a battle of shields.
The Weird Connection to Clash Royale
Now, here is where it gets a little strange. If you search for "Crown Clash" right now, you’ll likely see a bunch of news about Clash Royale too. In early 2026, Supercell launched their "Fire & Ice" season which featured "Crown Chase" events.
💡 You might also like: Little Big Planet Still Feels Like a Fever Dream 18 Years Later
It’s easy to get the two confused because both games are hitting the "Crown" theme hard. While Pokémon GO had the crown clash taken over with Team GO Rocket, Clash Royale has been pushing its own Crown events with Hero Wizards and Ice Golems. If you’re a dual-player, your notifications probably look like a mess of crown icons and battle alerts. But make no mistake: the "Taken Over" terminology is strictly a Pokémon GO staple. It refers to that specific five-day window where the Rocket balloons appear every two hours instead of every six.
Maximize Your Rewards Before the Next Event
If you still have your Shadow Dialga or any of the newer Shadow Pokémon like Shadow Kingambit (if you managed to evolve it during the parallel event), there are a few things you should be doing right now. The meta has shifted significantly since May.
- Check your IVs: Don’t just purify everything. A 0-0-0 Shadow Pokémon often out-damages a 15-15-15 non-shadow version in raids.
- Save your Super Rocket Radars: If you didn't like the Shadow Dialga stats, you could have theoretically saved that radar for the next rotation. Some people are holding out for Shadow Rayquaza, which is rumored for later this year.
- Purify for the Medal: If you're pushing for Level 50, you need those purifications for the Hero and Purifier medals. Use the "cheap" ones like Rattata or Magikarp that only cost 1,000 Stardust.
The crown clash taken over was a defining moment for the 2025-2026 season. It proved that Niantic can still generate massive hype by leaning into fan-favorite legendaries and giving the grunts a much-needed power boost.
To stay ahead of the next takeover, you should start stockpiling Max Revives and Hyper Potions now. Based on the 2026 roadmap, we are likely looking at another major Team GO Rocket disruption in the coming months, possibly involving the remaining Sinnoh legendaries. Keep an eye on the shop for those "Ultra Ticket Boxes"—they usually offer the best value if you're planning to go hard on the next event.
Don't wait until the balloons are already in the air to fix your battle parties. Get your Ground and Fighting types powered up today, and make sure your Charged TMs are ready for the next time we get to wipe away Frustration.