Home >  News >  Unveil the Team Leaders' Roster in Pokémon GO, Find Superior Counters Today!

Unveil the Team Leaders' Roster in Pokémon GO, Find Superior Counters Today!

by Jack Feb 25,2025

Conquering Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokémon GO: A January 2025 Guide

Taking down Pokémon GO's Team GO Rocket Leaders – Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff – is crucial for research tasks and acquiring powerful Shadow Pokémon. Their constantly evolving teams make preparation essential. This guide provides the information you need to defeat them, including optimal counter Pokémon 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. Once you have a Rocket Radar, Leaders will replace Grunts at darkened PokéStops and in balloons.

Sierra's January 2025 Team & Counters

Sierra's team presents a diverse challenge. Expect Dark, Psychic, and Bug/Poison types.

First PokémonSecond PokémonThird Pokémon
skorupi Skorupi (Bug/Poison)sableye Sableye (Dark/Ghost)houndoom Houndoom (Dark/Fire)
Steelix Steelix (Ground/Steel)Nidoqueen Nidoqueen (Ground/Poison)
Milotic (Water)gardevoir Gardevoir (Fairy/Psychic)

Effective Counters:

PokémonMoves
terrakion TerrakionSmack Down, Rock Slide
gengar GengarShadow Claw, Shadow Ball
excadrill ExcadrillMetal Claw, Iron Head

Arlo's January 2025 Team & Counters

Arlo's January lineup features a mix of types, requiring adaptability. Prepare for Flying, Psychic, and Poison types.

First PokémonSecond PokémonThird Pokémon
Alolan Grimer Alolan Grimer (Poison/Dark)hypno Hypno (Psychic)metagross Metagross (Psychic/Steel)
charizard Charizard (Flying/Fire)scizor Scizor (Bug/Steel)
gyarados Gyarados (Flying/Water)snorlax Snorlax (Normal)

Effective Counters:

PokémonMoves
tyranitar TyranitarBite, Brutal Swing
Shiny Blaziken BlazikenFire Spin, Blast Burn
excadrill ExcadrillMud Slap, Drill Run

Cliff's January 2025 Team & Counters

Cliff's team heavily features Dark-types. Expect at least one Ground-type, with potential Flying and Poison types.

First PokémonSecond PokémonThird Pokémon
Cubone Cubone (Ground)Clone Venusaur Venusaur (Grass/Poison)tyranitar Tyranitar (Dark/Rock)
Marowak Marowak (Ground)Obstagoon Obstagoon (Dark/Normal)
aerodactyl Aerodactyl (Flying/Rock)crobat Crobat (Flying/Poison)

Effective Counters:

PokémonMoves
mamoswine MamoswinePowder Snow, Avalanche
lucario LucarioForce Palm, Aura Sphere
Shiny Blaziken BlazikenCounter, 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.