No matter what time of year it is, the Team GO Rocket leaders are some of the toughest challenges you will face in Pokémon GO. These fearsome foes toss out some of the most powerful Pokémon in the game and you’re expected to beat them in one to one combat, three times in a row. The reward is a Shadow Pokémon that can either be used for its attack bonus or purified for better IVs and cheaper power ups. But to get it, you have to defeat them. Here’s how to beat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra in Pokémon GO for December 2020. But first, some general tips…
How to Beat Team GO Rocket Leaders
Before we dive into the counters, there’s some tips and tricks for how to beat all of the Team GO Rocket leaders. They all act in the same way during their fights, so certain actions can help give you an edge. This starts right when you’re picking the Pokémon for your team. While you might think you want your lead Pokémon as the first one to be sent out that’s actually not right.
Two things will cause the Team GO Rocket leaderst to pause, giving you 2-3 free attacks where they don’t respond. These are: using a charged attack and swapping Pokémon. So, if you’re struggling to defeat them with just the best counters, you can use these to your advantage.
Put your second or third Pokémon in first then quickly swap to your actual leader and start using them. This will give you some charge for your charged attack as well, and if it requires little energy you might end up being able to chain them together, attacking 2-3 times in between.
Also, while their first Pokémon is always the same, their second and third is random each time you encounter them, with three options to choose from. So if you don’t have very powerful counters or are unsure if you can beat a certain team you can go in ready to lose or quit out just to see what they’ll be using. Then reference the sections below to find which Pokémon to use. Now, on to the part where you figure out the best counters to actually put on your team.
How to Beat Arlo – The Best Counters
Arlo’s team will always start out with Growlithe making your first choice pretty easy.
Round 1
Growlithe Counters
- Regirock with Lock On and Stone Edge
- Golem with Mud Shot and Rock Blast
- Omastar with Mud Shot and Rock Slide
- Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon
Round 2
After this you’ll either face off against Blastoise, Charizard, or Steelix so here are the best counters against them.
Blastoise Counters
- Sceptile with Fury Cutter and Leaf Blade
- Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
- Leafeon with Quick Attack and Leaf Blade
- Hydreigon with Dragon Breath and Dark Pulse
Charizard Counters
- Regirock with Lock On and Stone Edge
- Golem with Rock Throw and Rock Blast
- Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Ancient Power
- Giratina with Shadow Claw and Ancient Power
Steelix Counters
- Heatran with Fire Spin and Flamethrower
- Excadrill with Mud Slap and Drill Run
- Entei with Fire Spin and Flamethrower
- Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon
Round 3
You’re next opponent will be either Dragonite, Salamence, or Scizor.
Dragonite Counters
- Dialga with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
- Regice with Lockwithon and Blizzard
- Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Salamence Counters
- Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
- Regice with Lockwithon and Blizzard
- Giratina with Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw
- Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Scizor Counters
- Blaziken with Counter and Blaze Kick
- Charizard with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
- Entei with Fire Spin and Flamethrower
- Typhlosion with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
So that’s how to beat Arlo with the best counters, but what if the Team GO Rocket balloon or Stop is manned by Cliff?
How to Beat Cliff – The Best Counters
Cliff will always begin with Omanyte, a Rock and Water type Pokémon that is weak to grass attacks.
Round 1
Omanyte Counters
- Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
- Torterra with Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant
- Roserade with Razor Leaf and Grass Knot
- Ludicolo with Razor Leaf and Energy Ball
Round 2
After this you’ll either fight against Electivire, Machamp, or Onix so check out the best counters for each below.
Electivire Counters
- Garchomp with Mud Shot and Sand Tomb
- Giratina with Dragon Breath and Ancient Power
- Rhyperior with Mud Slap and Stone Edge
- Flygon with Mud Shot and Earth Power
Machamp Counters
- Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike
- Lugia with Extrasensory and Sky Attack
- Togekiss with Charm and Aerial Ace
- Giratina with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
Onix Counters
- Torterra with Razor Leaf and Frenzy Plant
- Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
- Kyogre with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
- Empoleon with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
Round 3
Finally you’ll face off against either Swampert, Torterra, or Tyranitar. Choose your Pokémon wisely for these.
Swampert Counters
- Leafeon with Quick Attack and Leaf Blade
- Roserade with Razor Leaf and Grass Knot
- Meganium with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
- Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
Torterra Counters
- Moltres with Fire Spin and Sky Attack
- Articuno with Ice Shard and Ice Beam
- Heatran with Fire Spin and Flamethrower
- Entei with Fire Spin and Flamethrower
Tyranitar Counters
- Lucario with Counter and Power Up Punch
- Heracross with Counter and Close Combat
- Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Virizion with Quick Attack and Close Combat
So that’s the best counters against Cliff in Pokémon GO for December 2020, but what about Sierra?
How to Beat Sierra – The Best Counters
Sierra used to give players a lot of difficulty but has become much easier to beat in December 2020. She now starts off with Drowzee, a Psychic type Pokémon that shouldn’t give you too much trouble. If you’re not taking much damage you can use this fight to farm charged attack energy for the rest of the battle.
Round 1
Drowzee Counters
- Tyranitar with Bite and Fire Blast Crunch
- Giratina with Shadow Claw and Ominous Wind
- Hydreigon with Bite and Dragon Pulse
- Darkrai with Snarl and Dark Pulse
Round 2
Next up will either be Exeggutor, Lapras, or Sharpedo. Lapras is tanky so be ready for a long fight if he pops up. The others should be easily defeated with the right counter, but be prepared for anything here.
Exeggutor Counters
- Volcarona with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
- Genesect with Fury Cutter and X Scissor
- Escavalier with Bug Bite and Megahorn
- Scizor with Fury Cutter and X Scissor
Lapras Counters
- Dialga with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
- Lucario with Counter and Power Up Punch
- Melmetal with Thunder Shock and Rock Slide
- Regice with Lock On and Focus Blast
Sharpedo Counters
- Lucario with Counter and Super Power
- Machamp with Counter and Close Combat
- Raikou with Volt Switch and Wild Charge
- Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Zap Cannon
Round 3
And for the very last battle you will either have to beat Alakazam, Houndoom, or Shiftry. These cover a wide range of Pokémon types making picking the right counter tough. But if you have it the fight should be easy enough.
Alakazam Counters
- Darkrai with Snarl and Dark Pulse
- Hydreigon with Mud Shot and Power Up Punch
- Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
Houndoom Counters
- Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon
- Poliwrath with Mud Shot and Power Up Punch
- Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Tyranitar with Smack Down and Stone Edge
Shiftry Counters
- Togekiss with Charm and Ancient Power
- Ho-Oh with Hidden Power and Brave Bird
- Yanmega with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
- Volcarona with Bug Bite and Bug Buzz
And that’s all the best counters for how to beat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra in Pokémon GO in December 2020. Check back next month to see if there are any changes in their lineup or we find some better Pokémon for your team.
