The latest set of Pokémon GO Arlo counters are fairly easy to catch and train. Defeating the cooler Team GO Rocket Leader is just one of the key tasks you'll need to complete in order to challenge Giovanni and capture your own Shadow Lugia before he goes into hiding again.
To help you through the potentially problematic battle, scroll down to find out which Pokémon are best suited to knocking out his team. The best lineup will depend on which three of his seven potential Pokémon he decides to use in your battle, so you'll need to prep a team that can handle the lot.
Besting Arlo isn't an easy undertaking. Not only is his team almost random, but it's also typically incredibly powerful. Careful timing, strategic storing of Charged Moves, and split-second shield decisions are all necessary components in clutching the win. The best Pokémon GO Arlo counters are great, but skill is what will matter in the end.
How Do I Battle Arlo in Pokémon GO?
To challenge Arlo to a battle, you'll first need to defeat six Team Rocket Grunts to collect enough Mysterious Components to build the Rocket Radar. Use that and you'll be able to see the location of a Rocket Leader.
Be warned, though. Battling a Rocket Leader is a different story to taking on their lowly Grunts. Leaders use strong, high-level monsters. Pokémon GO Alro counters are necessary to get the win, but the random nature of his potential team makes choosing your best Pokémon a real struggle.
- Further Freebies: In our Pokémon GO Promo Codes (November 2021) list
Using super-effective moves is virtually mandatory, and bringing bulky Pokémon can often be an even better idea than filling your team with powerful attackers that can't take a hit.
Team Rocket Arlo Pokémon Counters & Line-Up
| First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Gligar | Mawhile, Lapras, Cradily | Scizor, Gardeovoir, Snorlax |
For December 2021 and beyond, Alro will always kick things off with a Gligar. After that, you'll go up against either Mawile, Lapras, or Cradily. Scizor, Gardevoir, or Snorlax will fill in the final spot on his team.
click to enlarge
+ 3First Arlo Pokémon Counters
Gligar Counters
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Mamoswine | Powder Snow | Avalanche |
| Darmanitan (Galarian) | Ice Fang | Avalanche |
| Sandslash (Alolan | Powdered Snow | Ice Punch |
| Hippowdon | Ice Fang | Weather Ball |
| Glaceon | Frost Breath | Avalanche |
Shadow Gligar is easily countered with any of the meta Ice-type Pokémon from the past few generations. Mamoswine, which shined in Rayquaza raids, is the go-to here. Glaceon and Alolan Sandslash are two common counters everyone should have easy access to by now. If not, Ground-type Pokémon work as well.
click to enlarge + 3Second Alro Pokémon Counters
Mawile Counters
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Rhyperior | Mud Slap | Rock Wrecker |
| Ho-Oh | Incinerate | Earthquake |
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Surf |
A common sight in raids for many years now, Shadow Mawile is another easy counter. Rhyperior is your best bed, but Ho-Oh is another easily available counter any semi-serious player from over the years will have access to. For a tankier alternative, choose Kyogre.
Lapras
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Zekrom | Charge Beam | Wild Charge |
| Porygon-Z | Lock On | Solar Beam |
| Thundurus (Incarnate) | Thunder Shock | Thunder |
| Raikou | Volt Switch | Wild Charge |
Shadow Lapras demands bulkier Pokémon. As it is one itself, going at it with glass cannons will spell a quick end to your run. Raikou isn't the best option, but it'll work with enough careful prep, and everyone should have one or two ready to go. If you're lucky, you'll have Thundurus (Incarnate) or Zekrom to take it on. Porygon-Z makes another peculiar appearance, but its Solar Beam moveset can really work.
Cradily
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Melmetal | Thunder Shock | Rock Slide |
| Dragonite | Dragon Tail | Dragon Claw |
| Terrakion | Smack Down | Sacred Sword |
| Ho-Oh | Incinerate | Brave Bird |
Shadow Cradily counters are a little tricky to come by. Perfect ones, at least. This Grass/Rock-Type Pokémon cancels out the weaknesses of its individual typings, making only Fighting, Ice, and Steel-type moves worthy of super-effective damage.
Terrakion can help with Sacred Sword, and Melmetal will really shine, but typical Fighting-type Pokémon will quickly buckle under its bulk. If you don't have any of these, just bring your bulkiest Pokémon.
click to enlarge + 3Third Arlo Pokémon Counters
Scizor
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Reshiram | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Darmanitan | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Moltres | Fire Spin | Overheat |
While incredibly dangerous given its lightning-fast attacks, Shadow Scizor is a very brittle bug. Its dual Fire-type weakness means having any decent Fire-type Charged Move ready to rock as soon as it comes out will typically knock it out in one go. Moltres is a good answer to this, but Darmanitan (Normal) and Reshiram are two potent Pokémon as well.
Snorlax
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Machamp | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
| Darkrai | Snarl | Focus Blast |
| Obstagoon | Counter | Cross Chop |
| Conkeldurr | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
| Yveltal | Snarl | Focus Blast |
While you may think to come at Snorlax with your best Fighting-type Pokémon, that's not really the best idea. Not only are most meta Fighting-type Pokémon quite brittle, but they're also a disastrous choice is Alro's Shadow Snorlax happens to have Zen Headbutt as its Fast Move.
Because of that, Dark-type Pokémon with Fighting-type moves are generally the best. They'll resist both that and Lick while hitting hard with things like Focus Blast. Just keep your shields for this one. A charged move from Snorlax will take out nearly any Pokémon.
Gardevoir
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Nidoqueen | Poison Jab | Poison Fang |
| Melmetal | Thunder Shock | Superpower |
| Metagross | Bullet Punch | Meteor Mash |
| Tyranitar | Bite | Crunch |
| Moltres | Fire Spin | Fire Blast |
Shadow Gardevoir is a Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon. That's a potent mix. To take it on, you'll want something that can double down on its weaknesses while resisting some of its own attacks. Dark-types like Tyranitar work a treat here, but even Nidoqueen can deal great damage with its Poison-type blows.
It hits hard, though, so you'll want to bring your bulkiest offerings just to withstand its own assault. It's not that tough itself, but time really is something you want on your side.
With the Pokémon GO Season of Heritage right around the corner, the Pokémon GO Arlo counters may not be relevant for very long. The Team GO Rocket Leaders change their squads fairly often, after all. Rest assured, we'll update this guide as soon as Alro finds a new team.
Pokémon GO Team Rocket Guides - Arlo Counters | Sierra Counters | Cliff Counters | Giovanni Counters | James & Jesse Counters | Team Rocket Grunts Counters
What Are the Arlo Rocket Leader Rewards?
- 1 Strange 12km egg
- 1 Max Revive
- 1 Revive
- 1 Max Potion
- 1 Unova Stone
- 1 Sinnoh Stone
For every Team Go Rocket Leader you defeat you will earn plenty of rewards to help you on your quest of becoming the greatest Pokémon master. Players will receive 1,000 Stardust, and two of the above items when they defeat a Team Go Rocket Leader like Arlo.
Players will also have the opportunity to catch a Team Go Rocket Leader Shadow Pokémon. When defeating Arlo players will have the chance to capture Shadow Gligar, but how easy it is will largely depend on how well you perform in your battle with Arlo.
As a rule of thumb, players get 5 Premier Balls to capture the shadow Pokémon, with extra bonus balls added depending on, how many Pokémon survived and the rank of your Purifier and Hero medals.
An earlier version of this guide was published by James Wright.