Five years after its original release, Pokemon GO continues to evolve and grow along with its many fans. Niantic's genre-defining ARPG has had quite the journey since its 2016 launch, and the game now is very different to the original version. One of the most popular additions to Pokemon GO are the Team GO Rocket Leaders, powerful bosses that players can battle for the chance to gain Shadow Pokemon.
2022 has arrived, but Team GO Rocket are still up to their old tricks. The triumphant return of boss Giovanni last year changed up the rosters of all his lieutenants, including "bighearted ruffian" Cliff. Cliff is feared for his strength and his temper, but his loyalty to Team GO Rocket is his most defining feature. In order to take down his team, players will need to bring the right Pokemon for the job.
Cliff's First Pokemon - Grimer
Like all the Team GO Rocket trainers, Cliff always starts a battle with the same Pokemon. In his case this is his signature Grimer, a pure Poison-type with a long list of resistances. Grimer resists Fighting, Poison, Bug, Grass, and Fairy-type moves, and is only weak to Ground and Psychic.
The best way to counter Grimer is with a strong Psychic Pokemon. Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike, Alakazam with Psycho Cut and Future Sight, or Exeguttor with Extrasensory and Psychic are all good choices. Players can also go the Ground route with a Pokemon like Groudown with Mud Shot and Earthquake.
Cliff's Second Pokemon - Venusaur, Crobat, or Machamp
Cliff's second Pokemon will be either Venusaur, Crobat, or Machamp, three high tier Pokemon that can be quite difficult to overcome. Venusaur is a Grass/Poison-type Pokemon that is weak to Flying, Fire, Psychic, and Ice-type moves. Crobat is a Poison/Flying-type Pokemon, making it weak to damage from Rock, Electric, Psychic, and Ice-type moves. Machamp is a pure Fighting-type Pokemon that is weak to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves.
Eagle-eyed players should be able to spot the common weakness between these three, and handily its the same as Grimer's weakness. A good Psychic Pokemon like Mewtwo, Alakazam, and Exeguttor will easily be able to overcome both Grimer and any of Cliff's second Pokemon.
Cliff's Final Pokemon - Tyranitar, Charizard, or Arcanine
The final Pokemon that Cliff will use in his battles represents yet another spike in difficulty. He can either use Tyranitar, Charizard, or Arcanine, all final evolution Pokemon that will require a strong team to overcome. Tyranitar is a Rock/Dark-type Pokemon that is weak to Fighting, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, and Fairy-type moves. Charizard is a Fire/Flying-type Pokemon that is weak to Rock, Water, and Electric-type moves. Arcanine is a pure Fire-type Pokemon, making it weak to Ground, Rock, and Water-type moves.
There are no easy answers for countering Cliff's final Pokemon, but that doesn't mean there aren't smart picks. A tough Rock-type Pokemon like Rampardos, Rhyperior, or Therian Landorus will have an easy time against Charizard and Arcanine. Similarly, Tyranitar takes much higher damage from Fighting than from its other weaknesses, making Fighting-types like Lucario, Machamp, and Conkeldurr the perfect choices for taking it down.
Pokemon GO is available now for Android and iOS devices.