Pokemon Go Arlo Guide: The Best Counters For Defeating The Team Go Rocket Leader

Pokemon Go has its fair share of formidable challenges, from 5-star raids against powerful Mythical Pokemon to a Battle League filled with Trainers seeking glory in Pokemon battles. Looking in the shadows however is Team Go Rocket--the Pokemon Go version of the longtime Pokemon antagonists--and their four leaders Arlo, Cliff, Sierra, and Giovanni himself. This guide will tell you everything you need to defeat Arlo, the former Team Valor member and friend of its leader Candela.

Arlo's Pokemon

Arlo will always use Shadow Venonat in the starting position. This will not change no matter how many times you face him. Phases 2 and 3 of the battle, however, will be a different experience every time. Each phase sees Arlo choose one of three randomized Shadow Pokemon, as listed below

• Phase 1
  • Shadow Venonat (Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Psychic, Rock)
• Phase 2
  • Shadow Crobat (Weaknesses: Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock)
  • Shadow Manectric (Weaknesses: Ground)
  • Shadow Ursaring (Weaknesses: Fighting)
• Phase 3
  • Shadow Magnezone (Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, Ground)
  • Shadow Scizor (Weaknesses: Fire)
  • Shadow Vileplume (Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic)

Best Arlo Counters

Fire Pokemon are key to victory against Arlo, as both his lead Shadow Venonat and his Phase 3 Pokemon--no matter who he chooses--can't take the heat. Your most powerful Fire Pokemon will need to be ready to bookend the battle, and we have a few suggestions:

• Blaziken, equipped with Counter as its Fast Move and Flamethrower as its Charge Move
• Ho-oh, equipped with Incinerate as its Fast Move and Brave Bird as its Charged Move
• Typhlosion, equipped with Fire Spin as its Fast Move and Flame Charge as its Charge Move

With these you have not only plenty of fire-power, but also a few moves of other types that can help with other weaknesses. Putting Counter on Blaziken can give him an edge against Shadow Ursaring in a pinch, and Ho-oh's Brave Bird should be able to knock out Venonat after peppering it with Incinerate.

Phase 2 is going to give a lot of trainers fits, as two of the three Pokemon only have a single weakness. Manectric's Ground and Ursaring's Fighting weakness can be exploited, but it will take some Pokemon shuffling mid-match to pull off. It also doesn't help that Crobat, the third Phase 2 option, doesn't share either of these weaknesses. As such you'll need some varied movesets, so here's who we recommend:

• Excadrill, equipped with Mud-Slap as its main move and Rock Slide as its Charge Move
• Machamp, equipped with Counter as its main move and Stone Edge as its Charge Move
• Tyranitar, equipped with Smack Down as its main move and Stone Edgeas its Charge Move

Tyranitar is your Crobat killer, with two Rock moves that should make quick work of Arlo's flying terror. Excadrill and Machamp both have Charge Move that can deal with Crobat, but main moves that focus on one of the other two choices. No matter who comes out in Phase 2, you'll be ready.

Rewards for defeating Arlo

After Arlo is defeated, you will receive 1000 Stardust and two out of the six items listed below:

• 1 Max Potion, which can heal a non-fainted Pokemon to full health
• 1 Max Revive, which restores a fainted Pokemon to full health
• 1 Revive, which restores a fainted Pokemon to 50% health
• 1 Sinnoh Stone, which is used to evolve certain Pokemon from the Sinnoh region
• 1 Strange 12km egg, which will hatch a Pokemon after you activate an Incubator and walk 12 kilometers
• 1 Unova Stone, which is used to evolve certain Pokemon from the Unova region

Now that you know how to approach this tenacious Team Go Rocket trainer, make sure you check out the rest of our Pokemon Go guides on how to take on the rest of Team Go Rocket's top brass: Cliff, Sierra, and of course the boss Giovanni.