Yeah, I had a lot of problems the first time I fought each one but once I figured out the trick (it's usually Tyranitar or possibly Machamp...) it got a lot easier.

The guides online offer best choices of pokemon I do not have like Melmetal or Ludicolo. I make do with what I have and have beaten Sierra and Arlo.

This team rocket thing is what I have wanted. Small mini quests that do not deter from the game but add to it. We cannot always wait for Professor Willow to give us something to do. This really fills that void for any player.

Got a Shiny Shadow Sneasel after beating Sierra again. Pretty neat.

Was the Sneasel shiny when you were fighting it --or-- did you find out it was shiny in the catching screen?

In the catching screen.

A whole weekend for community day and I was just not interested. Getting a shiny is always nice but at this point I want useful pokemon to go against team rocket. I don't think any of the pokemon from this year are worth chasing after unless they are all leveled high enough to where they can do well in battle.

I stumbled across a few Bagons, that was nice. Evolved a few more good IV Pokemon but didn't really play much either. I did get a good Blaziken at least.

I got a couple of random shinies with high CP and mediocre stats (Slakoth and Trapinch), but I was mainly catching for candy. Saw a few Beldum (that I don't remember being in the list of boosted critters, but I'm not complaining), so that was nice.

Congrats! Sounds pretty decent.

I beat Giovanni for the second time yesterday...got a SLIGHTLY better shadow Zapdos than I did at the beginning of the month. It's only mildly warm garbage instead of straight-up HOT garbage!

On a separate note, though, I've now gotten TWO 100% IV pokemon from fighting rocket grunts this week...Grimer and Psyduck!

Anyone else unable to load the game? It has not gotten beyond the Snorlax sled screen since the last update.

I have no problem loading.

Yesterday I battled a gym where the defenders had been in it for 168 days. Figured I was doing the poor critters a favor by sending them home after almost six months.

Playing the game has not been a priority for the wife and I for a while. WE haven't stopped playing the game but we are definitely not as interested. I know winter does not help, getting level 40 doesn;t either, but the lack of something new to do for a more casual player is not here. Don't get me wrong, I love the team rocket stuff but the rocket bosses are never in our area and we have to drive to find them.

Anyone else in a lull?

Why is the game suddenly asking if I want to activate AR every time I try to Catch a Pokemon?