Pokémon Go has its own version of the notorious Team Rocket, called Team Go Rocket. In this Pokémon Go guide, we’ll break down how to find leaders Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo and take them down.
Below, we list their parties and strategies as it stands in December 2024, with the most recent changes following the the Team Go Rocket Takeover event that activated alongside the arrival of the “Galarian Expedition: Taken Over” event in October.
How to find leaders Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo in Pokémon Go
Team Go Rocket leaders can be found in black PokéStops or hot air balloons flying above you with a Rocket Radar equipped.
To get a Rocket Radar, you must get six Mysterious Components, with one regular Go Team Rocket encounter rewarding one Mysterious Component each.
With the Rocket Radar equipped, you will then encounter a leader at random. The three leaders are Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff.
Some Timed Research and Team Go Rocket Special Research tasks require you to beat all three leaders. Completing the Team Go Rocket Special Research will reward you with a Super Rocket Radar, allowing you to find the boss, Giovanni. Beating Giovanni will net you a Legendary Shadow Pokémon.
Team Go Rocket leader Sierra counters
Sierra’s team is:
- Ralts (psychic/fairy)
- Sableye (dark/ghost)
Milotic (water)
Steelix (steel/ground) - Houndoom (dark/fire)
Gardevoir (psychic)
Nidoqueen (psychic/fairy)
Though coming in to scope out her team first is recommended, if you come equipped with ghost- and fighting-types, that will help a ton. Her party is pretty diverse, so you may also want to sprinkle in water-, ground-, steel-, and poison-type moves as well, depending on what she’s running.
We recommend using the following:
- Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
- Chandelure with Hex and Shadow Ball
- Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
- Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
- Kyogre with Waterfall and Origin Pulse
- Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
- Roserade with Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb
Team Go Rocket leader Arlo counters
Arlo’s team is:
- Beldum (steel/psychic)
- Gyarados (water/flying)
Hypno (psychic)
Charizard (fire/flying) - Scizor (bug/steel)
Metagross (steel/psychic)
Snorlax (normal)
If you come with fire-, ghost-, and dark-type moves, you’ll take down most of Arlo’s party. Depending on his second slot, you can throw in electric-type moves. If he does bring his Snorlax as his ringer, then consider bringing some fighting-type moves to take it down.
We recommend using any of the following:
- Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
- Chandelure with Fire Spin and Overheat
- Lunala with Confusion and Shadow Ball
- Chandelure with Hex and Shadow Ball
- Yveltal with Sucker Punch and Dark Pulse
- Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing
- Magnezone with Spark and Wild Charge
- Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
Team Go Rocket leader Cliff counters
Cliff’s team is:
- Galarian Zigzagoon (dark/normal)
- Marowak (ground)
Aerodactyl (rock/flying)
Venusaur (grass/poison) - Tyranitar (rock/dark)
Obstagoon (dark/normal)
Crobat (poison/flying)
Cliff’s potential parties are especially weak against ice– and fighting-type moves. Bringing these should help you pretty much take down his entire roster.
We recommend using a mix of the following:
- Galarian Darmanitan with Ice Fang and Avalanche
- Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche
- Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
- Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
Team Go Rocket leader tips
If you’re struggling against the leaders, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- They will use their shields on the first two Charge Attacks you use. Using a Pokémon that can charge and use Charge Attacks quickly will help you get rid of their shields, allowing you to freely damage them.
- You should be prepared for the first Pokémon you use to get knocked out. If you use a Pokémon that gets through shields easily, that’s fine, but your other Pokémon will need to have decent type advantages to defeat any remaining Pokémon.
- Remember, you can attempt the battle many times using one Rocket Radar, so you can queue up your strongest Pokémon just to see what the leader is carrying. If you defeat them on the first try, great! If not, you can swap your party around for some type-effective counters.
- The team leaders have high CP Pokémon, so you should definitely be using the highest CP Pokémon you have if you’re struggling.
- Facing Leaders is an efficient way of earning Shadow Shards for Purified Gems, with each battle rewarding three Shards.
