Cliff is one of the three leaders of Team Rocket you can face in Pokémon GO, and he offers impressive rewards for those who can defeat him in January 2025. While Cliff’s team might look familiar as you enter the new year, there are even more effective strategies to take down his Pokémon. By carefully studying his lineup of strong pocket monsters, you can consistently find a way to defeat this cunning Team Rocket commander.
In Pokémon GO, Cliff can only be encountered when you create a Rocket Radar. To make this item, you’ll need to defeat Team Rocket Grunts and collect six Mysterious Components, after which the Radar will lead you to one of the three Team Rocket leaders. However, since the leader you meet is chosen at random, you only have a one-in-three chance of running into Cliff.
Cliff’s Team and Counter Strategies (January 2025)
The battle against Cliff, like other Team Rocket confrontations, is split into three phases or "waves." The first wave will always consist of the same Pokémon, but the second and third waves can feature one of three different Pokémon each time. This variability makes predicting which counters you’ll need a bit of a challenge, as you may face unexpected Pokémon.
Although Cliff has a tendency to favor Dark-type Pokémon, he has a range of options that can counter your attempts to battle Dark-types alone. Unlike the simpler Team Rocket Grunts, Cliff is a much more strategic opponent.
Every Pokémon on Cliff’s team is a Shadow variant, which means each of his monsters has increased health and stronger attacks to challenge you with.
Here’s a table summarizing the potential Pokémon Cliff might use during the battle, along with the best counters for each:
| Wave | Pokémon | Type(s) | Weaknesses | Best Counters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Shadow) Galarian Zigzagoon | Dark/Normal | Fighting, Bug, Fairy | Lucario, Machamp, Gardevoir, Heracross, Terrakion |
| 2 | (Shadow) Venusaur | Grass/Poison | Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic | Charizard, Salamence, Heatran, Metagross, Blaziken |
| 2 | (Shadow) Marowak | Ground | Grass, Ice, Water | Sceptile, Swampert, Blastoise, Mamoswine, Torterra |
| 2 | (Shadow) Aerodactyl | Rock/Flying | Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel, Water | Various potential counters |
| 3 | (Shadow) Crobat | Poison/Flying | Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock | Electivire, Metagross, Magnezone, Tyranitar, Rhyperior |
| 3 | (Shadow) Tyranitar | Rock/Dark | Fighting, Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water | Lucario, Heracross, Poliwrath, Torterra, Gardevoir |
| 3 | (Shadow) Obstagoon | Dark/Normal | Fighting, Bug, Fairy | Lucario, Machamp, Gardevoir, Heracross, Terrakion |
A strong team to consider for countering Cliff would be Heracross, Torterra, and Metagross. This group of Pokémon delivers effective damage to all of Cliff’s monsters, allowing for a swift takedown. For example, Heracross (a Bug/Fighting-type) can easily handle Cliff’s Shadow Tyranitar, Obstagoon, and Zigzagoon. Torterra can also take on Marowak and Tyranitar, while offering bulkiness for your team. Meanwhile, Metagross has solid defensive capabilities against Crobat, and it can also deal significant damage to Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, and Venusaur. Even though the specific Pokémon you face in the last two waves are uncertain, this team offers a versatile approach to counter whatever Cliff throws at you.
Rewards for Defeating Cliff (January 2025)
Upon defeating Cliff, you will instantly earn 1,000 Stardust, which is useful for crafting and powering up your Pokémon. Additionally, you will receive two different item bundles out of a possible six, which can enhance your inventory for future battles. Examples of the items you might receive include:
- 4x Revives
- 2x Max Revives
- 4x Hyper Potions
- 2x Max Potions
- 1x Unova Stone
- 1x 12km Strange Egg
The Strange Egg is one of the more exciting rewards, as you may hatch a strong Pokémon that can aid your team in upcoming battles.
Another exciting reward is the chance to catch Cliff’s Shadow Galarian Zigzagoon after the fight. Following the battle, you will encounter this Shadow Pokémon, which has a 1 in 64 chance of being a Shiny variant. Engaging Cliff multiple times will increase your odds of encountering a Shiny, making the pursuit even more thrilling.
By defeating Cliff, you will progress in your Special Rocket Research, bringing you closer to a final confrontation with Giovanni. Those who best Cliff in Pokémon GO throughout January 2025 should utilize the rewards from this battle to participate in various events, Raids, or Max battles coming in the new year.
