To defeat Team Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO, you will need to counter the Shadow Pokemon he uses with some powerful Pokemon of your own.
However, this is easier said than done, as the second and third Pokemon he uses in his battle team is a random choice of three.
Luckily, we’ve got a list of every Pokemon that Cliff can use, as well as the best counters to defeat them with ease!
But first, find out how to complete the From the Shadows Research in Pokemon GO, as you’ll need to defeat Cliff to finish it!
Every Pokemon Cliff Can Use in Pokemon GO
Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff always uses Shadow Larvitar as his first Pokemon. The second and third Pokemon he uses are chosen randomly out of a possible 3.
These are all of the Pokemon that Cliff can use:
- Pokemon 1
- Pokemon 2
- Pokemon 3
Regardless of which Pokemon Cliff chooses, you need powerful Pokemon to beat them in battle. Here’s the fastest way to earn Candy in Pokemon GO to power up your Pokemon!
| Pokemon 1 | Pokemon 2 | Pokemon 3 |
|---|---|---|
Shadow Larvitar | Shadow Sceptile | Shadow Tyranitar |
Shadow Kingdra | Shadow Swampert | |
Shadow Skarmory | Shadow Gyarados |
Best Counters to Defeat Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff
Shadow Larvitar Counters
The best counters to beat Cliff’s Shadow Larvitar in Pokemon GO include Zarude, Kartana, and Torterra.
It is weak to Grass, Water, Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel, but we have opted for Grass-type counters as they could also help defeat Shadow Swampert later!
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zarude |  | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Kartana |  | Razor Leaf | Leaf Blade |
| Torterra |  | Razor Leaf | Frenzy Plant |
Shadow Sceptile Counters
The best Pokemon to counter Shadow Sceptile include Reshiram, Darmanitan, and Chandelure.
It is vulnerable to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison-type Pokemon, making it quite simple to counter in Pokemon GO.
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reshiram |  | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Darmanitan |  | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Chandelure |  | Incinerate | Overheat |
Shadow Kingdra Counters
To counter Cliff’s Shadow Kingdra in Pokemon GO, we suggest using Garchomp, Rayquaza, or Salamence, as they all have powerful Dragon-type attacks to exploit one of its weaknesses.
The only other weakness that Shadow Kingdra has is Fairy.
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garchomp |  | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Rayquaza |  | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Salamence |  | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
Shadow Skarmory Counters
The best Pokemon to counter Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff’s Shadow Skarmory include Xurkitree, Reshiram, and Darmanitan.
Shadow Skaromory is weak to just two different types of attacks in Pokemon GO – only Fire and Electric-type attacks deal additional damage to it.
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xurkitree |  | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
| Reshiram | | Fire Fang | Overheat |
| Darmanitan | | Fire Fang | Overheat |
Shadow Swampert Counters
The best counters to beat Cliff’s Shadow Swampert in Pokemon GO include Kartana, Zarude, and Torterra.
Grass is Shadow Swampert’s only weakness in Pokemon GO, so it is integral to counter it!
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartana | | Razor Leaf | Leaf Blade |
| Zarude | | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Torterra | | Razor Leaf | Frenzy Plant |
Shadow Gyarados Counters
Xurkitree, Zekrom, and Electivire are the best Pokemon to counter Cliff’s Shadow Gyarados. These all have strong Electric-type attacks, which Shadow Gyarados is double weak to.
Gyarados has just one other weakness in Pokemon GO – Rock-type attacks – making it tough to counter.
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xurkitree | | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
| Zekrom |  | Charge Beam | Fusion Bolt |
| Electivire |  | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
Shadow Tyranitar Counters
The best counters for Cliff’s Shadow Tyranitar in Pokemon GO are Conkeldurr, Lucario, and Machamp. This is because it has a double weakness to Fighting-type attacks.
Shadow Tyranitar is also weak to Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water attacks.
| Pokemon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conkeldurr |  | Counter | Power-Up Punch |
| Lucario |  | Counter | Power-Up Punch |
| Machamp |  | Counter | Cross Chop |
Now that you know how to beat Cliff, there are two more Team GO Rocket Leaders to defeat:
How to Find Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO
You can find Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO by using a Rocket Radar.
After you have used a Rocket Radar, spinning PokeStops or tapping on Team GO Rocket Ballons has a chance of giving you a battle with Cliff.
- Obtain a Rocket Radar.
- Rocket Radars are made after collecting 6 Mysterious Components – you get one Mysterious Component every time you beat a Team GO Rocket Grunt.
- Use the Rocket Radar.
- After you have collected 6 Mysterious Components, you will be prompted to use the Rocket Radar or can activate it from your Bag.
- Spin Team GO Rocket PokeStops or tap on Team GO Rocket Balloons – Cliff could be the Team GO Rocket member who appears.
- If you encounter Arlo or Sierra instead, you can back out and try again later – Cliff will appear using this method eventually.
After defeating all three of the Team GO Rocket Leaders, there is still the boss to track down. Here’s how to find and defeat Giovanni in Pokemon GO!
What Pokemon Do You Get for Beating Cliff in Pokemon GO?
You always get an encounter with Shadow Larvitar for beating Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO.
This is the first Pokemon that Cliff uses on his team in every battle following the March 2023 Team GO Rocket Takeover event.
When Cliff updates which team he uses, the Pokemon which you can catch after defeating him will change too.
Rewards For Beating Team Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO
After you beat Team Leader Cliff in Pokemon GO, you will get an encounter with Shadow Larvitar as well as 1000 Stardust and two random items.
- Shadow Larvitar Encounter
- 1000 Stardust
- 2 of these rewards:
- 4 Revives
- 2 Max Revives
- 4 Hyper Potions
- 2 Max Potions
- Unova Stone
- 12km Egg
Of course, the best reward is the 12km Egg. Here’s every Pokemon that can hatch from 12km Strange Eggs in Pokemon GO!
