This is a historical guide to the Pokémon GO Team GO Rocket Leader rotation active from March 27 through August 7, 2024. Arlo always led with Shadow Cacnea, Cliff with Shadow Machop, and Sierra with Shadow Trapinch; each leader’s next two Pokémon varied, so a single counter team was not guaranteed to cover every battle.
April 2024 Team GO Rocket leader lineups
Each leader’s first Pokémon was fixed in this rotation. Their second and third slots were drawn from the listed options. The lineup began with the March 27, 2024 World of Wonders: Taken Over change and remained in effect through August 7, 2024, so these are not current lineup details.
| Leader | Guaranteed first Pokémon | Second-slot possibilities | Third-slot possibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlo | Shadow Cacnea | Charizard, Hypno, or Golurk | Dragonite, Scizor, or Salamence |
| Cliff | Shadow Machop | Aerodactyl, Kingdra, or Gallade | Crobat, Tyranitar, or Cradily |
| Sierra | Shadow Trapinch | Sableye, Milotic, or Honchkrow | Alakazam, Victreebel, or Houndoom |
The rotation and possible lineups are listed in the 2024 Team GO Rocket Leader changes list.
How to prepare for the variable slots
Build around the guaranteed lead
Choose a battle plan that can handle the leader’s known opener, then account for the possible Pokémon in both remaining slots. The table gives three possibilities in each slot; it does not establish which one you will face in a particular encounter.
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Keep your remaining picks flexible
Because the second and third Pokémon can differ between battles, avoid treating one fixed three-Pokémon lineup as a guaranteed answer. The available sources do not establish a ranked counter list or the strongest Pokémon and movesets for every branch. A contemporaneous April 2, 2024 video guide demonstrates a step-by-step approach using Pokémon below 2,500 CP, but that example does not make a particular team universally optimal: Bunzinga Gaming’s April 2024 leader guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to find the leaders
- Defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts to collect Mysterious Components.
- Collect six Mysterious Components to craft a Rocket Radar.
- Use the Rocket Radar to locate a Team GO Rocket Leader and challenge them.
These are the steps described by Niantic’s Team GO Rocket Leaders & Giovanni help page. Beating a leader gives you a chance to encounter a rare Shadow Pokémon.
Quick Recap
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Rank #2
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