Strategies to Defeat Cliff in Pokémon GO (April 2025)

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Team GO Leader Cliff Returns in April 2025

Team GO Leader Cliff is back in Pokémon GO this April 2025, bringing with him a lineup that many trainers are already familiar with. Team GO Rocket continues to present challenges for players, featuring three leaders including Cliff, who maintains his March 2025 team configuration.

Taking on the Leaders: The Path to Giovanni

When you take on Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra throughout April 2025, defeating all three will lead you to a showdown with Team GO Boss Giovanni. Cliff serves as a significant challenge, embodying the raw strength of Team GO Rocket with his selection of potent Fighting- and Ground-type Pokémon.

Cliff’s Team Composition & Strategy (April 2025)

No Changes for April 2025

Cliff’s lineup hasn’t changed since February, which was announced during the Fashion Week event. This month, he continues to start every battle with the Ground-type Pokémon, Cubone. His second and third Pokémon will rotate among three options for each battle.

His second Pokémon might be either Cubone’s evolved form, Ground-type Marowak, Fighting-type Machoke, or Fighting- and Ghost-type Annihilape. To conclude the battle, Cliff could summon one of his final Pokémon: Poison- and Flying-type Crobat, Rock- and Dark-type Tyranitar, or Fighting-type Machamp.

Here’s how his lineup breaks down:

Wave	Pokémon and Type	Weakness	Best Counters
1	(Shadow) Cubone – Ground	Grass, Ice, Water	– Swampert
			– Kyogre
			– Mamoswine
			– Zarude
2	(Shadow) Machoke – Fighting	Fairy, Flying, Psychic	– Xerneas
			– Togekiss
			– Rayquaza
			– Mewtwo
2	(Shadow) Marowak – Ground	Grass, Ice, Water	– Swampert
			– Kyogre
			– Mamoswine
			– Zarude
2	(Shadow) Annihilape – Fighting and Ghost	Fairy, Flying, Ghost, Psychic	– Xerneas
			– Togekiss
			– Mewtwo
			– Rayquaza
3	(Shadow) Crobat – Poison and Flying	Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock	– Mamoswine
			– Mewtwo
			– Tyranitar
			– Rhydon
3	(Shadow) Tyranitar – Rock and Dark	Fighting, Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water	– Xerneas
			– Togekiss
			– Swampert
			– Machamp
3	(Shadow) Machamp – Fighting	Fairy, Flying, Psychic	– Mewtwo
			– Xerneas
			– Togekiss
			– Rayquaza

From my battles with Cliff, I recommend using Mamoswine, Xerneas, and Mewtwo to effectively counter his team. Given the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-types in his lineup, a couple of your own types can deal significant damage. Starting off with an Ice-type Pokémon, like Mamoswine, is a great strategy since it’s especially effective against Cubone, his opening Pokémon.

Utilizing a powerful Fairy-type will help counter Cliff’s other potential Pokémon. Xerneas is your best choice, but Togekiss can also be effective if needed. Both have advantages against Machoke, Annihilape, Tyranitar, and Machamp.

The Rewards for Defeating Cliff in April 2025

Once you achieve victory over Team GO Leader Cliff, you’ll be granted a variety of rewards, which include Pokémon encounters, useful items, and rare 12-kilometer eggs, making your efforts worthwhile in April 2025.

Your first reward will be an encounter with Shadow Cubone, the very Pokémon Cliff uses to start battles. Additionally, if you have room in your egg storage, a peculiar red 12 km egg will be yours. When the required distance is covered, it can hatch into some of the game’s rarest Pokémon, depending on the ongoing season in Pokémon GO.

On top of these exciting encounters, you’ll also receive a selection of items for your in-game inventory. While rewards are random, expect to receive items such as an Unova Stone, Max Potions, Max Revives, Hyper Potions, and Revives. Though many of these can be easily found at PokéStops, the Unova Stone is rare and can evolve specific Pokémon from the Unova region, making it quite a valuable find. Remember, Cliff’s team may be unchanged, but it can be taken down easily using a clever combination of Ice- and Fairy-types in Pokémon GO.