The Team GO Rocket takeover event is back, which means the Team Go Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff and Sierra are invading PokéStops in Pokémon Go with a whole new line-up of Shadow Pokémon.
It’s up to you to hunt down Arlo, Cliff and Sierra by collecting Mysterious Components and a Rocket Radar in Pokémon Go.
Defeating each of these leaders will give you the chance to encounter a rare Shadow Pokémon! Currently in October 2025, Sierra has Feebas, Arlo has Wobbuffet and Cliff has Larvitar.
Facing all three is also the route to a battle against the formidable Giovanni himself – and his even more formidable Shadow Giratina – if you take them down as part of the Team GO Rocket quest.
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Below you’ll find the line up for Arlo in Pokémon Go currently running in October 2025.
Remember – the first Pokémon is always the same, and is the one you’ll be given the chance to catch if you win. The rest are randomly selected from a pool of three:
Here’s who we recommend to counter each of Arlo’s Pokémon:
Slot 1: Strongest Bug, Dark or Ghost-type. For Bug, Genesect, Vikavolt, Volcarona or your strongest Bug-types. For Dark, Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Darkrai or your strongest Dark-type. For Ghost, Dawn Wings Necrozma, Gengar (Shadow), Chandelure (Shadow) or strongest Ghost-type.Slot 2: Mamoswine. Alternatively, your strongest Fire, Bug, Ghost or Dark-type.Slot 3: Either strongest Fire or Ground-type. For Fire, Reshiram, Blacephalon, Volcarona, Moltres (Shadow) or your strongest Fire-type. For Ground, Therian Forme Landorus, Groudon, Garchomp or your strongest Ground-type. Alaternatively, anothe Bug, Dark or Ghost-type
You will most likely have to refine your lineup when actually battling Arlo. There is, thankfully, some weakness overlap between his Pokémon, but it’s pretty spread out. Crobat also really throws a crowbar in your planning by being the only Pokémon with no shared weaknesses in the group. Hopefully it won’t make an appearance though! Just keep in mind that it’s your second and third counter choices that will most likely have to change.
💡Lottie’s Pro Tip
Switching Pokémon prevents your opponents from attacking for a few extra seconds. Since these seconds could bring you victory, consider having your first counter Pokémon in Slot 2 and switching it the moment the battle begins!
Wobbuffet is weak to Bug, Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon, which is perfect for Arlo’s current lineup! This is because both Slowbro and Alakazam are also weak to all three of these types, so you can easily reuse this counter if it hasn’t fainted yet.
For your second Pokémon, I highly recommend using a Mamoswine which knows both an Ice and Ground-type move. Doing this will ensure you’re prepared to fight both Steelix and Crobat – Steelix is weak to Ground moves and Crobat is weak to Ice-type attacks. If you have to fight Arlo a second time, it may be worth changing this counter to better target the specific Pokémon’s weaknesses. (You may want another Bug, Ghost or Dark-type if he picks Slowbro, for example.) Still, Mamoswine is a strong place to start.