Pokémon GO Jessie and James counters (April 2023) - Event times, balloon spawn rates, weaknesses and how to beat fast

When the Season of Mischief was raging in Pokémon GO, Jessie and James made their return during the Secrets of the Jungle event. Luckily, battling them was largely the same, and trainers can easily prepare in Pokémon GO.

Jessie and James were added to Pokémon GO as special grunts that face players one after the other. They are clearly marked by their Meowth-shaped balloon in the sky. However, once you've found them, you need to have your Jessie and James counters prepared to get the win.

How to find Jessie and James Meowth balloon

If you want to know how to find Jessie and James Meowth balloon, then you need to make sure you keep your eyes locked on the skyline and map within the game during the Secrets of the Jungle event.

Obviously, the Meowth balloon is a little easier to spot compared to the normal Team Rocket Balloons, but you need to remain observant. The Meowth balloon spawn rate is once in every 6 hours.

• Read more: Pokémon GO Ditto disguises for February 2023

The balloons are currently not spawning in Pokémon GO, but we'll update this guide as soon as they're live.

Jessie and James line-up

Unlike other Team Go Rocket Leaders, players will actually fight Jessie and James back to back.

This isn't all too difficult with the right lineup, not least when you're able to heal during the fights as well.

To make things that little bit easier, both Jessie and James will always use the same Pokémon team, so at least you know what to expect.

Jessie's first Pokémon is Scyther, followed by Ekans and Stantler, whilst James' first Pokémon is always Pinsir, followed by Koffing and Grimer.

Players who beat Jessie and James will receive 500 Stardust and a Rocket Radar component for each victory.

Need help defeating Jessie and James? Don't worry, have a read of these counters just below:

Jessie Pokémon counters

Scyther Counters

Your best counters for Scyther are Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Rock-type Pokémon, who are strong against bug-type Pokémon like Scyther. Rock-types have an added bonus of being doubly super-effective, so we'd opt for a strong Tyranitar or Rampardos.

Ekans Counters

Ekans is weak to Ground and Psychic-type Pokémon. Since Ekans is a pretty weak Pokémon, you can probably get away with picking any of your Pokémon with the highest CP, however we'd always recommend using typings to your advantage.

Stantler Counters

Stantler is weak to Fighting-type Pokémon. Stantler is also pretty weak, but Fighting-types will tear through it no problem.

James Pokémon counters

Pinsir Counters

Your best counters for Pinsir are Fire, Flying, and Rock-type Pokémon, that are strong against Bug-type Pokémon like Pinsir. 

Koffing Counters

Koffing is weak to Ground or Psychic-type Pokémon, so utilise that Shadow Mewtwo if you have beaten Giovanni before.

Grimer Counters

Grimer is also weak to Ground or Psychic-type Pokémon, so keep your Koffing counter in battle and you should be fine.

That's everything you need to know about Jessie and James counters in Pokémon GO. Use your hard-earned Shadow Pokémon to battle the biggest raid bosses, take on other players, or just show off as your buddy.

For even more mobile guides, you're in the right place. Check out our Pokemon GO promo codes to grab freebies. We've also got a look at the raid bosses for the month, as well as some tips on how to beat Giovanni.