How to beat Sierra in Pokemon GO (February 2023)

One of the most highly anticipated events among Pokemon GO's competitive audience is Team Rocket Takeover. Not only does this inclusion make training Shadow Pokemon much easier, it also brings a new catalog of creatures for the three leaders of Team GO Rocket: Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo.

While you will need to put in some effort to earn an encounter with these individuals, the Shadow Pokemon you can receive from defeating them in battle is going to be marginally better than those received from taking down the standard Team GO Rocket grunt.

So what can you expect if you find yourself going up against the leader, Sierra? Since the battle will typically be three-on-three — something players have come to expect from Pokemon GO's battle system — a certain strategy regarding what counters a trainer should use has been provided below.

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Best counters for Sierra in Pokemon GO

Official artwork for Beldum used throughout the franchise (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The main attraction of this fight, the first round of the battle, puts players against their reward: a Shadow Beldum. Known for evolving into one of Pokemon GO's best creatures, the Pocket Monster can do very little in combat on its own. As such, you should have very little to worry about when it comes to this part of the fight.

For this stage, as well as some possible candidates in the next two stages, you may want to consider using a Fighting or Bug-type to help take Beldum out. Though it may not seem like a good idea to bring a creature of that type in against a Psychic Pokemon Beldum, the latter's lack of good stats and Psychic attacks in its move pool makes sure the entity is not a threat.

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Lapras/Sharpedo/Flygon

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

The second stage of this fight is where things may get a bit dicey. Having the choice between Sharpedo, Lapras, and Flygon, you will want to go against either Sharpedo or Lapras. This is thanks to their weakness to Fighting-type attacks. This means creatures that can use such moves as Lucario, Machamp, or Pheromosa will be invaluable here. Flygon, however, can present a few issues, given that its typing makes it the black sheep of Sierra's entire roster in Pokemon GO.

It may be worth bringing an Ice-type just in case that Pocket Monster makes an appearance. Moreover, having such a Pokemon on your team will also come in handy against one of Sierra's potential party members in the final stage.

Weavile is another great option to use against Flygon, as its secondary Dark type provides coverage against Beldum as well as Alakazam, who appears in the last stage as well.

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Alakazam/Houndoom/Shiftry

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

This fight's final stage has the potential to be the hardest. If you find yourself against Alakazam, it could very well take a turn for the worse, especially if you loaded your team with Fighting-type Pokemon. However, Houndoom and Shiftry are rather frail, making it easy to take them down with a couple of charged attacks.

As such, a Bug-type Pokemon like Scizor or Pheromosa are some of the best choices you can bring to this stage. Overall, you should have a relatively balanced team featuring one creature of Ice, Bug, and Fighting typings. Good choices for this battle in Pokemon GO would be Weavile, Scizor, and Lucario.