If you want to defeat Team Go Rocket Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO, you are in for a challenge, as he continues to be one of the most formidable challenges in the game. His current lineup in April 2025 features tough Shadow Pokemon that demand a strategic counter lineup to beat. Defeating Arlo not only earns you bragging rights but also gives you the opportunity to catch a powerful Shadow Pokemon.
Here’s everything you need to know to defeat Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO in April 2025.
Lineup of Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO in April 2025
Arlo’s team always starts with Shadow Alolan Grimer. For the next two phases, he chooses randomly from a pool of six different Shadow Pokemon. Here’s a breakdown of his current team:
Phase 1:
– Shadow Alolan Grimer
Phase 2:
– Shadow Slowbro
– Shadow Gyarados
– Shadow Dugtrio
Phase 3:
– Shadow Alolan Muk
– Shadow Scizor
– Shadow Metagross
This lineup is current as of April 1, 2025, and will remain until the next Team Rocket event update. The most recent takeover occurred during January’s Fashion Week 2025 event.
How to find Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO
Pokemon GO Team Rocket leaders (Image via Niantic)
To locate Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO, you’ll need to defeat six Team Go Rocket Grunts to collect six Mysterious Components. These can then be assembled into a Rocket Radar. Use the Radar at PokéStops or against Rocket Balloons to find one of the three leaders—Cliff, Sierra, or Arlo. Keep checking until you encounter Arlo specifically.
Best counters for Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO
Let’s break down Arlo’s lineup by phase and explore the most effective counters for each possible opponent.
Phase 1: Shadow Alolan Grimer counters
Alolan Grimer is a Poison/Dark-type, vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. Avoid using Poison, Ghost, Grass, Dark, or Psychic moves.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot | Precipice Blades |
| Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot | Earth Power |
| Mamoswine | Mud-Slap | High Horsepower |
| Excadrill | Mud-Slap | Scorching Sands |
| Mega Lucario | Force Palm | Aura Sphere |
| Rhyperior | Mud-Slap | Earthquake |
Phase 2: Gyarados, Slowbro, or Dugtrio
Gyarados counters
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Raikou | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
| Mega Manectric | Thunder Fang | Wild Charge |
| Magnezone | Spark | Wild Charge |
| Rampardos | Smack Down | Rock Slide |
| Rhyperior | Smack Down | Rock Wrecker |
Slowbro counters
Water/Psychic-type; weak to Bug, Dark, Electric, Grass, and Ghost.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn Wings Necrozma | Shadow Claw | Moongeist Beam |
| Mega Gengar | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
| Mega Banette | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
| Tyranitar | Bite | Brutal Swing |
| Raikou | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
Dugtrio counters
Ground-type; weak to Grass, Ice, and Water moves.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Sceptile | Fury Cutter | Frenzy Plant |
| Mega Swampert | Water Gun | Hydro Cannon |
| Shaymin (Sky) | Magical Leaf | Grass Knot |
| Mega Blastoise | Smack Down | Meteor Beam |
| Zarude | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Primal Kyogre | Waterfall | Origin Pulse |
Phase 3: Alolan Muk, Scizor, or Metagross
Alolan Muk counters
Poison/Dark-type, weak to Ground moves.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot | Precipice Blades |
| Mega Garchomp | Mud Shot | Earth Power |
| Rhyperior | Mud-Slap | Earthquake |
| Excadrill | Mud-Slap | Scorching Sands |
| Mamoswine | Mud-Slap | High Horsepower |
| Mega Swampert | Mud Shot | Earthquake |
Scizor counters
Bug/Steel-type with a sole weakness to Fire.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Blaziken | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
| Mega Charizard Y | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
| Reshiram | Fire Fang | Fusion Flare |
| Darmanitan | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Moltres | Fire Spin | Overheat |
| Chandelure | Fire Spin | Overheat |
Metagross counters
Steel/Psychic-type, weak to Fire, Ghost, Ground, and Dark.
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn Wings Necrozma | Shadow Claw | Moongeist Beam |
| Primal Groudon | Mud Shot | Precipice Blades |
| Mega Gengar | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
| Mega Blaziken | Fire Spin | Blaze Kick |
| Mega Charizard Y | Fire Spin | Blast Burn |
| Chandelure | Fire Spin | Shadow Ball |
Best team to beat Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO in April 2025
Here’s a top-recommended team to beat Leader Arlo in Pokemon GO this month:
– Mamoswine – A powerful Ground-type that handles both Alolan Grimer and Alolan Muk.
– Mega Blaziken – A Fire-type specialist that wipes out Scizor and does well against Metagross.
– Xurkitree – Covers Gyarados and Slowbro with strong Electric moves.
Also read: Pokemon GO Mega Audino raid guide: Best counters, strengths, weaknesses, and more
Alternative picks:
– If you don’t have Mega Blaziken, regular Blaziken or Reshiram work well.
– For Dugtrio, swap in Mega Swampert or Mega Sceptile depending on your resources.
– You can rematch Arlo as many times as needed, so don’t hesitate to tweak your lineup after seeing what he brings.
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