How to Defeat Team Leaders in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go offers players various challenges to test their skills, and one of the most intense is battling the Team Go Rocket Leaders—Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. These formidable adversaries lead the charge for Team Go Rocket, and defeating them is necessary for progressing in special research quests and ultimately facing Giovanni, the big boss of Team Go Rocket.

To defeat these leaders, you’ll need more than just a strong lineup of Pokémon. A solid strategy, a deep understanding of their team compositions, and the ability to adapt during the battle are all crucial. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to defeat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra with ease.

Who Are the Team Go Rocket Leaders?

Before diving into strategies, let’s get to know the three Team Go Rocket Leaders:

• Arlo: The tactical master of the trio, often using Pokémon that require strong counters and careful planning.
• Cliff: Known for his heavy-hitting Pokémon, Cliff’s team often includes bulky Pokémon with high defense.
• Sierra: The unpredictable one, Sierra’s team is balanced but can throw unexpected curveballs at players.

To battle these leaders, you first need to defeat Team Rocket Grunts and collect Mysterious Components, which combine into a Rocket Radar. This radar helps you locate and challenge the Team Leaders.

Best Teams and Strategies to Defeat Team Go Rocket Leaders

1. Defeating Arlo

Arlo’s team composition changes periodically, but he often has a mix of Fire, Steel, Flying, and Dragon-type Pokémon. Here’s a typical lineup of his Pokémon and the best counters to use:

Round 1: Mawile

• Counters: Mawile is a Steel/Fairy-type, so Fire, Ground, and Steel-type Pokémon work best. Use Charizard, Excadrill, or Lucario to deal massive damage.

Round 2: Salamence, Staraptor, or Charizard

• Counters for Salamence: This Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon can be countered with Ice, Dragon, or Fairy-types. Try Glaceon, Garchomp, or Togekiss.
• Counters for Staraptor: Being a Normal/Flying-type, Electric or Ice-type Pokémon like Raikou or Glaceon can take Staraptor down.
• Counters for Charizard: For Fire/Flying-type Charizard, Rock, Electric, or Water-type Pokémon like Rhyperior, Electivire, or Swampert will be effective.

Round 3: Scizor, Gardevoir, or Dragonite

• Counters for Scizor: Scizor is weak to Fire-type attacks. Pokémon like Moltres or Heatran will handle it easily.
• Counters for Gardevoir: Gardevoir, being a Psychic/Fairy-type, is weak to Steel, Ghost, and Poison-types. Metagross, Chandelure, or Gengar are great choices.
• Counters for Dragonite: Dragonite’s Dragon/Flying-type can be exploited with Ice-type Pokémon like Mamoswine or Glaceon.

2. Defeating Cliff

Cliff is known for having some of the bulkiest Pokémon. His team often includes Rock, Ground, and Fighting-type Pokémon, requiring strong and strategic counters.

Round 1: Machop

• Counters: Machop, a Fighting-type, is weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type moves. Use Togekiss, Mewtwo, or Lugia to handle Machop easily.

Round 2: Pinsir, Crobat, or Amoonguss

• Counters for Pinsir: Pinsir is a Bug-type Pokémon, weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock-types. Use Charizard, Heatran, or Talonflame.
• Counters for Crobat: This Poison/Flying-type Pokémon is weak to Psychic, Electric, and Ice-types. Use Mewtwo, Electivire, or Glaceon.
• Counters for Amoonguss: Amoonguss is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon weak to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Psychic-types. Use Mewtwo, Charizard, or Togekiss.

Round 3: Tyranitar, Torterra, or Swampert

• Counters for Tyranitar: This Rock/Dark-type is weak to Fighting, Ground, and Fairy-types. Lucario, Machamp, or Togekiss are your best bets.
• Counters for Torterra: Torterra’s Grass/Ground-type can be countered by Ice, Fire, and Flying-types. Glaceon, Talonflame, or Charizard work great.
• Counters for Swampert: Being a Water/Ground-type, Swampert is weak to Grass-type attacks. Use Roserade, Tangrowth, or Venusaur.

3. Defeating Sierra

Sierra’s team often includes Dark, Flying, and Psychic-types, making her team varied and unpredictable.

Round 1: Sneasel

• Counters: Sneasel is a Dark/Ice-type, which makes it weak to Fighting, Rock, Steel, Fire, and Bug-types. Use Lucario, Machamp, or Charizard.

Round 2: Lapras, Granbull, or Gliscor

• Counters for Lapras: This Water/Ice-type Pokémon is weak to Electric, Fighting, and Rock-types. Electivire, Lucario, or Rampardos will work well.
• Counters for Granbull: Being a Fairy-type, Granbull is weak to Steel and Poison-type Pokémon. Metagross, Gengar, or Excadrill are solid choices.
• Counters for Gliscor: Gliscor is a Ground/Flying-type, making it weak to Ice-types like Glaceon or Mamoswine.

Round 3: Houndoom, Kingdra, or Drapion

• Counters for Houndoom: This Fire/Dark-type is weak to Water, Fighting, Rock, and Ground-types. Use Swampert, Lucario, or Rhyperior.
• Counters for Kingdra: Kingdra is a Water/Dragon-type, making it weak to Dragon and Fairy-types. Use Togekiss, Salamence, or Dragonite.
• Counters for Drapion: Drapion’s Poison/Dark-type is weak to Ground-type moves. Use Excadrill or Garchomp to take it down.

Key Tips for Defeating Team Go Rocket Leaders

1. Focus on Shield Breaking

One of the biggest challenges when fighting Team Rocket Leaders is that they have two shields that block the first two charged moves. Make sure to use Pokémon with fast-charging moves, like Lucario’s Power-Up Punch, to break their shields early in the fight.

2. Build a Balanced Team

Team Leaders use a wide range of Pokémon types. Always bring a team with diverse types to cover weaknesses across multiple rounds. Focus on Pokémon that can counter their moves effectively.

3. Maximize Pokémon Levels

Make sure your Pokémon are high-level and well-powered up. Use Stardust and Candy to level up your key attackers. Fighting Team Leaders with under-leveled Pokémon will put you at a significant disadvantage.

4. Adapt Your Strategy

The Pokémon that Team Leaders use change periodically. Always check their current lineups before heading into battle, and adjust your strategy and team accordingly.

5. Use Charged TMs

If your Pokémon don’t have the optimal moves, use Charged TMs to teach them moves that can exploit the weaknesses of the Team Leaders’ Pokémon. This can make a huge difference in winning battles quickly.

Frequently Asked Question’s