Conquering Pokemon GO's Team GO Rocket Leaders: Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff
Whether you're focused on research or bolstering your Shadow Pokemon collection, defeating Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokemon GO presents a significant challenge. Their powerful Shadow Pokemon and ever-shifting team compositions make predicting their strategies difficult. This guide provides comprehensive information on each leader, including their current lineups (as of January 2025) and effective counter-picks.
Quick Links:
- Locating Team GO Rocket Leaders: Sierra, Arlo, & Cliff
- Sierra's Current Team & Counters
- Arlo's Current Team & Counters
- Cliff's Current Team & Counters
Finding Team GO Rocket Leaders
Unlike regular Team Rocket Grunts, encountering Leaders requires strategic effort. You must first defeat six Grunts to obtain six Mysterious Components. Combining these creates a Rocket Radar, which reveals Leaders at darkened PokéStops and in hot air balloons. Grunts appear randomly at PokéStops, and a Grunt-carrying balloon spawns every six hours, lingering for 20 minutes.
Sierra's January 2025 Team & Counters
Sierra's cunning is matched only by her formidable team.
| Pokemon 1 | Pokemon 2 | Pokemon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Skorupi (Bug/Poison) |  Sableye (Dark/Ghost) |  Houndoom (Dark/Fire) |
 Steelix (Ground/Steel) |  Nidoqueen (Ground/Poison) | |
 Milotic (Water) |  Gardevoir (Fairy/Psychic) |
To counter Sierra's diverse team, consider these Pokemon:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Terrakion | Smack Down, Rock Slide |
 Gengar | Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball |
 Excadrill | Metal Claw, Iron Head |
Arlo's January 2025 Team & Counters
Arlo's team, while predictable after the first Pokemon, still packs a punch.
| Pokemon 1 | Pokemon 2 | Pokemon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Alolan Grimer (Poison/Dark) |  Hypno (Psychic) |  Metagross (Steel/Psychic) |
 Charizard (Fire/Flying) |  Scizor (Bug/Steel) | |
 Gyarados (Water/Flying) |  Snorlax (Normal) |
Effective counters for Arlo include:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Tyranitar | Bite, Brutal Swing |
 Blaziken | Fire Spin, Blast Burn |
Excadrill | Mud Slap, Drill Run |
Cliff's January 2025 Team & Counters
Cliff's team reflects his powerful persona.
| Pokemon 1 | Pokemon 2 | Pokemon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Cubone (Ground) |  Venusaur (Grass/Poison) | Tyranitar (Dark/Rock) |
 Marowak (Ground) |  Obstagoon (Dark/Normal) | |
 Aerodactyl (Rock/Flying) |  Crobat (Poison/Flying) |
Prepare for Cliff with these counters:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Mamoswine | Powder Snow, Avalanche |
 Lucario | Force Palm, Aura Sphere |
Blaziken | Counter, Blast Burn |
This guide will be updated as Team GO Rocket Leader lineups change. Pokemon GO is available now on mobile devices. Updated 1/14/2025 by Amanda Kay Oaks.
