Conquer Pokémon GO's Team GO Rocket Leaders: Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff!
Whether you're a seasoned trainer or just starting your Pokémon GO journey, defeating Team GO Rocket Leaders is crucial for research tasks and acquiring powerful Shadow Pokémon. However, their shifting lineups and strong Shadow Pokémon make them formidable opponents. This guide provides the intel you need to tackle Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff, equipping you with counter strategies for January 2025.
Quick Navigation:
- Locating Team GO Rocket Leaders
- Sierra's Current Team & Counters
- Arlo's Current Team & Counters
- Cliff's Current Team & Counters
Finding Team GO Rocket Leaders:
Unlike Grunts, encountering Leaders requires strategy. First, defeat six Rocket Grunts to obtain six Mysterious Components. Combine these to craft a Rocket Radar. Grunts appear randomly at PokéStops, and a hot air balloon containing a Grunt spawns every six hours, following you for 20 minutes. With the Rocket Radar activated, Leaders replace Grunts at darkened PokéStops and in hot air balloons.
Sierra's January 2025 Team & Counters:
Sierra's cunning tactics require careful counter-selection. Her January 2025 team presents a mix of types:
| Pokémon 1 | Pokémon 2 | Pokémon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Skorupi (Bug/Poison) |  Sableye (Dark/Ghost) |  Houndoom (Dark/Fire) |
 Steelix (Ground/Steel) |  Nidoqueen (Ground/Poison) | |
 Milotic (Water) |  Gardevoir (Fairy/Psychic) |
Effective counters include:
| Pokémon | 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 presents a diverse challenge:
| Pokémon 1 | Pokémon 2 | Pokémon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Alolan Grimer (Poison/Dark) |  Hypno (Psychic) |  Metagross (Psychic/Steel) |
 Charizard (Flying/Fire) |  Scizor (Bug/Steel) | |
 Gyarados (Flying/Water) |  Snorlax (Normal) |
Prepare for Flying, Psychic, and Poison types. Strong counters include:
| Pokémon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Tyranitar | Bite, Brutal Swing |
 Blaziken | Fire Spin, Blast Burn |
| Excadrill | Mud Slap, Drill Run |
Cliff's January 2025 Team & Counters:
Cliff's team for January 2025:
| Pokémon 1 | Pokémon 2 | Pokémon 3 |
|---|---|---|
 Cubone (Ground) |  Venusaur (Grass/Poison) | Tyranitar (Dark/Rock) |
 Marowak (Ground) |  Obstagoon (Dark/Normal) | |
 Aerodactyl (Flying/Rock) |  Crobat (Flying/Poison) |
Expect Ground, Dark, Flying, and Poison types. Top counters:
| Pokémon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Mamoswine | Powder Snow, Avalanche |
 Lucario | Force Palm, Aura Sphere |
| Blaziken | Counter, Blast Burn |
This guide is current as of January 14, 2025. Check back for updates as Team GO Rocket Leader lineups change.
Pokémon GO is available on mobile devices.
