Recent changes have reshuffled the Pokémon teams of several Team Rocket leaders in Pokémon GO, including Arlo, whose lineup can be quite challenging. Following the Fashion Week: Taken Over event, Arlo has both lost and gained new Pokémon. With some strategic tweaks to your roster, you can effectively counter each of Arlo’s Pokémon and emerge victorious, earning some rewards in the process.
Before you can face Giovanni in Pokémon GO, you need to take down all three Team Rocket leaders—Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. You can locate these leaders using a Rocket Radar, which you can craft using Mysterious Components obtained from defeating Team Rocket grunts. Defeating six different grunts allows you to create the Radar, which will guide you to a leader, with Arlo appearing with a 33% probability.
Arlo’s Lineup & Counters (February 2025)
Learn Type Match-Ups for Regional Variants
Arlo exclusively uses Shadow Pokémon, a common feature among Team Rocket leaders. These Shadow versions are significantly more powerful than their regular counterparts, boasting higher stats and dealing more damage. Unlike typical battles, you’ll have a greater need to counter Arlo’s team effectively because of the added strength of these Pokémon.
To compete against Arlo, you’ll face three rounds of Pokémon as his team follows a distinct structure. Arlo always starts with the same Pokémon in the first round, while the second and third rounds feature one Pokémon from a set of three options. This setup makes it tough to determine the ideal counters you’ll need to prepare for every possible combination.
Similar to the Battle Leagues in Pokémon GO, having a well-rounded team is crucial when facing Arlo. Unlike the grunts, his Pokémon don’t stick to a single type. The table below lists which Pokémon Arlo may use, their types, corresponding weaknesses, and the best counters to deploy against them:
Wave |
Pokémon |
Type(s) |
Weaknesses |
Best Counters |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
(Shadow) Alolan Grimer |
Poison/Dark |
Ground |
|
2 |
(Shadow) Dugtrio |
Ground |
Grass, Ice, Water |
|
2 |
(Shadow) Gyarados |
Water/Flying |
Electric, Rock |
|
2 |
(Shadow) Slowbro |
Water/Psychic |
Bug, Dark, Electric, Ghost, Grass |
|
3 |
(Shadow) Metagross |
Steel/Psychic |
Dark, Fire, Ground, Ghost |
|
3 |
(Shadow) Scizor |
Steel/Bug |
Fire |
|
3 |
(Shadow) Alolan Muk |
Poison/Dark |
Ground |
|
To effectively tackle Arlo, consider a team that includes:
- Swampert
- Charizard
- Magnezone
Swampert’s dual Water and Ground types make it an ideal choice against Arlo, allowing it to deal significant damage to his Alolan Grimer and Muk, both of which are weak to Ground-type moves. Swampert can capitalize on this advantage, utilizing its S.T.A.B. (Same Type Attack Bonus) for added damage. Moreover, Swampert’s Water-type moves are effective against Dugtrio, making it an all-around solid choice.
Another benefit of using Swampert is its resistance to other Water-type attacks, providing a buffer against any of Arlo’s Pokémon in the second wave.
Charizard is a formidable Fire/Flying type that performs exceptionally well against Metagross compared to other Fire-types in Pokémon GO. This is largely due to Metagross’s Earthquake move, which typically has an advantage over Fire-types, but Charizard remains unaffected. It also handles Scizor without difficulty. On the other hand, Magnezone boasts powerful Electric-type moves that can take down both Gyarados and Slowbro swiftly.
Rewards for Beating Arlo (February 2025)
Earn Multiple Items Through Bundles
Upon defeating Arlo, you will instantly receive 1,000 Stardust. You’ll also get the chance to capture Arlo’s Alolan Grimer, since it’s a Shadow Pokémon. This catch happens immediately after the battle, with a 1 in 64 chance of it being a Shiny variant in Pokémon GO.
Taking on Arlo or any of the Team Rocket leaders multiple times boosts your chances of snagging a Shiny version of their Wave 1 Pokémon. Make sure to catch one quickly before their teams change in future events.
Defeating Arlo nets you two different bundles of items, which can contain various rewards. You will always receive a 12km Strange Egg, provided you have an available Egg Slot. Other possible items from these bundles might include:
- 1x Unova Stone
- 4x Revives
- 2x Max Revives
- 4x Hyper Potions
- 2x Max Potions
The better the items you receive, the more prepared you’ll be for future encounters with other Team Rocket leaders. Additionally, players who defeat Arlo in Pokémon GO in February 2025 can challenge him again, either for extra rewards or another opportunity to catch a Shiny version of his Shadow Pokémon.