Why Jessie and James are leaving Pokémon Go?

For fans of the Pokémon animated series, bringing Jessie and James into Pokémon Go has been a fun adventure. They were a special encounter for Rocket Balloons, and you knew it was them because they showed up in their iconic Meowth shape. However, on September 31, they will leave the game, and Niantic has encouraged players to try and fight them. Still, it's a random chance every few hours for a Rocket Balloon to appear, so players don't have much choice except to check the game once in a while. Why did the dynamic duo quit the game?

It's likely because Niantic is gearing up to move on to its next Team Rocket event. When the COVID-19 pandemic first began in April and May 2020, Niantic announced the removal of monthly Giovanni events. These events provided an opportunity for trainers to travel the world battling Grunts who had taken over Pokémon Go stops, battling rulers, and eventually completing enough quests for a chance to fight Giovanni himself. Every month, Giovanni had a new Legendary Pokémon by his side that he transformed into a Shadow Pokémon, and trainers could release them from his service. With these events on the way, Niantic had to come up with something new for players to battle Team Rocket without leaving their homes.

Their solution was Team Rocket balloons. These balloons would float above a player's location whether or not they were next to a Pokemon Go stop. The first to use it were Jessie and James, and so these two became a rare spawn during July's Team Rocket events, leading up to the 2020 Pokémon Go Fest event. However, when the team initially announced that they were removing Giovanni, they promised to bring him back in late September and sometime in October.

With October almost here, and Jessie and James having been in the game for a few months, it's time to part ways. The struggling duo will likely make a return, potentially with new Pokemon, but at this time we don't know the answer. You have until September 30 to battle them and catch their Shadow Pokémon. From September 22 to September 30, you have a higher chance of encountering them and seeing their iconic Meowth balloon.