Learn which Pokémon the Team GO Rocket Leaders may use in battle and how best to counter them.
Table of Contents
Battling a Team GO Rocket Leader is a lot more challenging than
taking on a Team GO Rocket Grunt. But with some key knowledge and shrewd
strategy, you can send Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo packing. When you do, you’ll be
able to catch Sierra’s Shadow Nidoran♀, Cliff’s Shadow Grimer, or Arlo’s Shadow Gligar.
Before diving into strategies for each individual Team GO
Rocket Leader, here are a few general tips that can help you across the board. One
important difference between Trainer Battles and battling Team GO Rocket Leaders
is their use of Protect Shields. Team GO Rocket Leaders have two Protect
Shields that they will use against your first two Charged Attacks. Because of
this, it’s best to begin the battle with a Pokémon that has a Charged Attack
that powers up quickly, so you can fire off your first two Charged Attacks as soon
as possible. When using your subsequent Charged Attacks, be thoughtful about timing
and utilize their power when it will be most effective.
It’s also worth noting that the Team GO Rocket Leaders’
Pokémon can have any Fast Attack or Charged Attack currently available to that
Pokémon. You won’t know which Fast Attack or Charged Attack their Pokémon will have
until you’re battling them, so try to familiarize yourself with each Pokémon’s
available attacks and pick your own Pokémon team accordingly.
When battling the Team GO Rocket Leaders, it’s best to bring
Pokémon with two Charged Attacks because that will give you more opportunity to
exploit type weaknesses. By teaching a Pokémon two Charged Attacks of different
types, you can maximize its effectiveness in battle.
Sierra’s Potential Pokémon
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First Pokémon
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Nidoran♀ (Poison)
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Second Pokémon
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Beedrill (Bug/Poison)
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Vileplume (Grass/Poison)
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Slowbro (Water/Psychic)
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Third Pokémon
Recommended Pokémon to Defeat Sierra
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Water-type Pokémon to use against Sierra’s Nidoqueen, Marowak, Gligar, or Houndoom
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Feraligatr
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Kyogre
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Samurott
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Ice-type Pokémon to use against Sierra’s Nidoqueen, Vileplume, Marowak, or Gligar
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Weavile
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Glaceon
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Galarian Darmanitan
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Psychic-type Pokémon to use against Sierra’s Beedrill, Nidoqueen, or Vileplume
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Mewtwo
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Espeon
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Metagross
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How to Defeat Sierra
Defeating Sierra is fairly straightforward: choose your most
powerful Water-, Ice-, and Psychic-type Pokémon and get to work. Be sure to
choose Pokémon with both a Fast Attack and Charged Attack that match the
Pokémon’s type to deal maximum damage. Lead with a Psychic-type Pokémon,
preferably one with a Charged Attack that powers up quickly to get through Sierra’s
Protect Shields right out of the gate.
Slowbro is the outlier here. You can easily defeat Sierra’s Pokémon
with Water-, Ice-, and Psychic-type Pokémon alone if not for her Slowbro. Rather
than adding a Pokémon to your team solely to counter Slowbro, instead give one
of your Water-, Ice-, or Psychic-type Pokémon a second Charged Attack that exploits
Slowbro’s weaknesses. Slowbro is weak to Grass-, Electric-, Bug-, Ghost-, and
Dark-type moves.
In addition to the above-recommended Pokémon, these Pokémon and
their Charged Attacks can also help against Sierra’s Slowbro: Mewtwo with the
Charged Attack Shadow Ball or the Charged Attack Thunderbolt, Feraligatr with
the Charged Attack Crunch, Espeon with the Charged Attack Shadow Ball, Kyogre
with the Charged Attack Thunderbolt, Weavile with the Charged Attack Foul Play,
or Samurott with the Charged Attack Megahorn. If you choose this approach, begin
the battle with a Pokémon that has a Charged Attack that powers up
quickly—you’ll need to eliminate Sierra’s two Protect Shields as quickly as
possible to ensure your Pokémon’s second Charged Attack can deal maximum
damage.
Cliff’s Potential Pokémon
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First Pokémon
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Grimer (Poison)
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Second Pokémon
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Venusaur (Grass/Poison)
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Machamp (Fighting)
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Crobat (Poison/Flying)
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Third Pokémon
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Charizard (Fire/Flying)
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Arcanine (Fire)
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Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)
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Recommended Pokémon to Defeat Cliff
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Water-type Pokémon to use against Cliff’s Charizard, Arcanine, or Tyranitar
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Feraligatr
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Kyogre
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Samurott
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Ground-type Pokémon to use against Cliff’s Arcanine, Grimer, or Tyranitar
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Psychic-type Pokémon to use against Cliff’s Venusaur, Machamp, Grimer, or Crobat
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Mewtwo
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Espeon
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Metagross
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Rock-type Pokémon to use against Cliff’s Charizard, Arcanine, or Crobat
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Tyranitar
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Rampardos
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Rhyperior
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How to Defeat Cliff
You may only need two Pokémon to soundly defeat Cliff: one
strong Water-type Pokémon and a solid Psychic-type Pokémon with a Charged
Attack that powers up quickly. Make sure both Pokémon have Fast and Charged
Attacks that match their types—such a duo will put you in a good position against
every Pokémon Cliff has.
However, don’t neglect your third Pokémon. A strong Ground-
or Rock-type Pokémon can come in clutch. Alternatively, a second Water- or Psychic-type
Pokémon would make an excellent backup, just in case.
There’s no denying that Cliff has some powerful Pokémon on
his team. Shadow Venusaur, Shadow Charizard, Shadow Machamp, and Shadow Tyranitar
are all difficult to defeat individually. But with a little planning and the
right Pokémon, you should be able battle your way to victory—and catch a Shadow
Grimer—without too much trouble.
Arlo’s Potential Pokémon
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First Pokémon
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Gligar (Ground/Flying)
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Second Pokémon
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Lapras (Water/Ice)
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Mawile (Steel/Fairy)
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Cradily (Rock/Grass)
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Third Pokémon
Recommended Pokémon to Defeat Arlo
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Fire-type Pokémon to use against Arlo’s Scizor or Mawile
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Arcanine
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Entei
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Chandelure
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Ice- and Ghost-type Pokémon to use against Arlo’s Gligar, Gardevoir, or Cradily
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Fighting-type Pokémon to use against Arlo’s Lapras, Snorlax, or Cradily
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Machamp
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Hariyama
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Conkeldurr
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Steel-type Pokémon to use against Arlo’s Gardevoir or Cradily
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Aggron
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Empoleon
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Zacian
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How to Defeat Arlo
Arlo’s team features both Lapras and Snorlax, two Pokémon
that are difficult to face even without the incredibly high CP Team GO Rocket
Leaders’ Pokémon tend to have. Shadow Gardevoir is a gauntlet in its own right,
and when you consider that Arlo’s Pokémon don’t have a lot of type overlap, defeating
him gets that much more challenging. But don’t despair: with the right strategy,
you’ll have Arlo bemoaning his undue defeat.
Because of their type combinations, Froslass and Empoleon
are good choices to begin the battle with. The Ice- and Ghost-type Froslass is
generally a strong addition to your team, but when battling Arlo, it’s helpful
to teach your Froslass an Ice-type Fast Attack. Similarly, your Empoleon should
also know a Water-type Fast Attack. In both cases, you’ll want your Pokémon to have
two Charged Attacks—one for each of its types. If Arlo’s second Pokémon is
Cradily, you’ll be in good shape if you stick with Froslass and Empoleon. If
it’s Lapras, switch in your Fighting-type Pokémon with matching Fighting-type
Fast and Charged Attacks. If Arlo goes with Mawile, call out your Fire-type
Pokémon and utilize its Fire-type attacks.
Each of Arlo’s third Pokémon requires a different counter.
If it’s Snorlax, your Fighting-type Pokémon will be super effective against it.
If it’s Gardevoir, you have two choices: use your Steel-type Pokémon or
Froslass, but only if your Froslass knows a Ghost-type Charged Attack. If you’re
up against Scizor, counter with your Fire-type Pokémon. While it’s difficult to
predict which Pokémon you’ll be facing, planning ahead and coordinating your
Pokémon’s available attacks should give you an advantage.
The Team GO Rocket Leaders change their Pokémon every few
months, so check back regularly for new recommendations and strategies.
Good luck battling, Trainers!
Source: Pokemon
