Pokemon Go Has Found Team Instinct's Missing Leader

Last week, we reported that Spark, the doofy but lovable leader of Pokemon Go's Team Instinct was missing from the game. Candela, the leader of Team Valor, had suddenly replaced Spark in the game's appraisal system with no warning or explanation. Fans spent days voicing their concern about Pokemon Go's leader, and now it appears that he's been found safely.

Polygon reached out to Niantic after reporting on the missing Team leader yesterday and Niantic confirmed that Spark has been found and will return to the game with the next client update.

As of right now, Niantic still hasn't said why Spark went missing. It's possible that he was kidnapped as part of a Team Rocket plot, or that he was running some sort of top secret mission for Professor Willow, or that he simply locked himself in his own bathroom for a week and had to wait for someone to come and find him. It's also possible that he foresaw the Pokemon Go Fest disaster and chose the perfect time to take a vacation.

Spark's unexpected absence won't help his reputation among many Pokemon Go players. The Team Instinct lead has been the butt of many jokes over the last year, in part due to Team Instinct's small size and Spark's bro-like appearance. Pokemon Go even joined in the fun when it released an official piece of artwork showing Spark tripping and falling while holding several Pokemon eggs.

We'll share any update about Spark's time away from Pokemon Go when we learn about them. In the meantime, let's all celebrate that Spark's safe and sound at Niantic's HQ!

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