Pokémon Go's "Flying Taxi" event, which began on June 23 and runs through June 29, has introduced the pompadour bird Pokémon, Squawkabilly, to the game. This event now also incorporates a Team Go Rocket Takeover, bringing with it several familiar benefits.
During the Team Rocket Takeover portion of the event, Team Go Rocket members will appear with increased frequency. Trainers will also have the opportunity to use Charged TMs to remove the Charged Attack Frustration from Shadow Pokémon. Furthermore, Pokémon encountered after completing one- and three-star Shadow Raids will exhibit a broader range of stats. It is important to note that there is no new Special Research available that provides a Super Rocket Radar to battle Giovanni; this item must be obtained through the event's Go Pass.
Catching Squawkabilly
Squawkabilly can be encountered through several methods during the "Flying Taxi" event. It can be found in the wild, and specific Field Research tasks can reward players with encounters for its yellow, blue, or green variants. Reaching level 60 in the event's Go Pass will grant players a white Squawkabilly. An additional white Squawkabilly encounter is available for those who purchase the upgraded deluxe version of the pass. While white and yellow Squawkabilly are available globally, the blue form is exclusive to the Western Hemisphere, and the green form is exclusive to the Eastern Hemisphere.
Event Perks and Go Pass
The event features a Go Pass with 60 ranks, offering rewards such as a Super Rocket Radar, Mysterious Components, and encounters with a white Squawkabilly simply by playing the game. Points towards the pass are earned through activities like winning raids, catching Pokémon, and hatching eggs. An additional 100 points can be gained daily by catching 10 flying-type Pokémon. Milestone rewards include a 2x catch candy bonus at Rank 10 and a 2x Stardust bonus from Team Go Rocket battles at Rank 20.
For $4.99, players can upgrade to the deluxe pass, which includes an additional Super Rocket Radar, an encounter with Hisuian Braviary, and other bonuses.
Field Research and Raid Targets
Spinning PokéStops during the event may offer Field Research tasks such as catching 5, 10, or 15 flying-type Pokémon for encounters with different Squawkabilly variants. Evolving 3 flying-type Pokémon can lead to encounters with Spearow or Wattrel, while powering up 5 flying-type Pokémon may yield Hoothoot or Rookidee. As part of the Team Rocket Takeover, specific research tasks include defeating a Team Go Rocket grunt for Mysterious Components and purifying 3 Shadow Pokémon for a Fast TM or Charged TM.
Several Pokémon will experience boosted spawn rates, including Hoothoot, Rookidee, and Squawkabilly, with players also reporting increased appearances of Pidgey, Spearow, Pidove, Pikipek, and Wattrel. Raid schedules are also adjusted, featuring Swablu, Starly, Corvisquire, and Vullaby in one-star raids, and Hisuian Braviary and Bombirdier in three-star raids.