How to beat Sierra in Pokemon GO in May 2023: Best counters, lineups, and more

One of the many things that always keeps players coming back to Pokemon GO is the constant flow of new content for trainers to enjoy. One of the more anticipated changes comes in the form of Team GO Rocket and the creatures that each leader of the organization uses. While they used to cycle out every month, they now change with every new Team Rocket Takeover event.

Team GO Rocket is very similar to the original criminal enterprise from the Pokemon franchise, Team Rocket. However, what sets these villains apart from their main series and anime counterparts is their use of Shadow Pokemon. Originally introduced in the GameCube titles, Shadow Pokemon are creatures that are much more aggressive than the standard type. They were created by Cipher, a crime syndicate in the long-forgotten Orre region.

Since taking down Team GO Rocket is the only way players can get their hands on these Shadow Pokemon, many will be looking for the optimal strategy to take down the leaders of the villainous group.

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Strategies for taking down Sierra in Pokemon GO

Murkrow

Murkrow as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Sierra's Shadow Murkrow will always start the battle. This will also be the creature that you are rewarded upon defeating her in Pokemon GO. Since Murkrow is a creature that has yet to evolve, its stat total is much lower than the other members of Sierra's team, making it incredibly easy to deal with.

Murkrow is a Dark and Flying-type Pokemon, so Ice and Fairy-types are the most qualified to take it out. However, since a lot of creatures on Sierra's team sport a Flying typing, Ice and Rock-type Pokemon should be used. Mamoswine, Weavile, Golem, and Rhyperior are all great choices to bring to this battle.

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Staraptor/Swampert/Steelix

Staraptor as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The next stage features the most diverse cast in Sierra's current team. Nonetheless, there are still some common weaknesses that are shared between subjects. Swampert is the most troublesome of the group since it is only weak to Grass-type attacks, but this can easily be worked around.

Since Staraptor is seen around 50% of the time, the Rock-type used to take out Murkrow should still be viable. If Swampert shows up, you should bring Breloom to be cautious. This is due to its secondary Fighting typing allowing it to hold its own in the second and third stages of the fight. Your Breloom's moveset for this fight should comprise Bullet Seed and Dynamic Punch.

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Charizard/Dragonite/Houndoom

Houndoom as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For this stage of the fight in Pokemon GO, you can sit back and relax as your Rock-type attacker cleaves through every possible teammate that Sierra brings. Since all the creatures that can appear during this part of the fight are weak to Rock-type attacks, you should have no problem taking out the competition if they are adequately prepared.

A good team composition for this fight in Pokemon GO may include Golem, Breloom, and Rhyperior. However, there are suitable replacements if you find yourself without access to these creatures. For potential Rock-types, common picks like Gigalith and Rampardos are more than capable of filling the role.