What are the teams of Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra in Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover?

Team GO Rocket's takeover of Pokemon GO is underway, and trainers are lining up to battle the group's grunts, leaders, and even its boss, Giovanni.

However, before taking on the boss himself, players will need to assemble a Super Rocket Radar by defeating Rocket Leaders Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra.

Much like their counterparts in Team GO Rocket, the three leaders change their battle teams over time. Their teams have rotated once again, thanks to the current Team GO Rocket Takeover event, though trainers may still recognize a few familiar faces.

Make no mistake, the Shadow Pokemon that the three leaders employ are still as fearsome as ever, and trainers will want to prepare for them. Knowledge is power, and players will need all the knowledge they can get on Team GO Rocket's leader teams.

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Each Team GO Rocket Leader's team in Pokemon GO as of November 2022

A player encounters Cliff using the Rocket Radar (Image via Niantic)

Depending on which Rocket Leader a Pokemon GO trainer encounters, they'll have to prepare for a different set of potential Shadow Pokemon.

Each leader follows a different philosophy when it comes to their battle team. Players will want to react accordingly in order to maximize their ability to win without sustaining too much damage to their own Pokemon.

By knowing what lies ahead, trainers can effectively counter the sinister Rocket Leaders to a much higher degree.

Arlo's Current Team Lineup

• Slot One - Mawile
• Slot Two - Salamence, Staraptor, or Charizard
• Slot Three - Scizor, Granbull, or Dragonite

Sierra's Current Team Lineup

• Slot One - Sableye
• Slot Two - Honchkrow, Flygon, or Cacturne
• Slot Three - Houndoom, Snorlax, or Cradily

Cliff's Current Team Lineup

• Slot One - Machop
• Slot Two - Amoonguss, Crobat, or Pinsir
• Slot Three - Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, or Camerupt

At the moment, it is impossible to determine the percentage of a Shadow Pokemon's appearance in a given team slot.

However, as in previous instances with Team GO Rocket Leaders, certain Pokemon are highly favored to appear on each team. Specifically, these are Scizor for Arlo, Houndoom for Sierra, and Tyranitar for Cliff. This is because the three Pokemon are the companions of their respective leaders in Pokemon GO.

Once Pokemon GO trainers defeat all three Team GO Rocket Leaders, they'll be able to complete the current event's Special Research Story tasks and obtain a Super Rocket Radar. This item can be used to find Giovanni (or a decoy grunt) at a specific Pokestop.

Additionally, equipping the Super Rocket Radar in Pokemon GO can convert any Team GO Rocket members found in balloons into Giovanni or a decoy.

Once Giovanni has been sent packing to his hideout in defeat, Pokemon GO trainers will be able to complete the Ultra Beast Protection Efforts Special Research.

This will lead to a large amount of experience, Stardust, and even two Silver Pinap Berries. The berries are particularly helpful, as they vastly increase the amount of candy a trainer receives after catching a Pokemon who has eaten them.

Team GO Rocket may temporarily be sent into retreat during this Pokemon GO event, but they always return to be more dangerous and malicious than ever.

The next time a Rocket event arises, trainers may face off against the organization with entirely new battle teams.