Pokemon Go Arlo counters September 2023: Best Pokemon to use & weaknesses

Pokemon Go Team Rocket Arlo CountersNiantic

Like all members of Team Go Rocket, Arlo is a difficult opponent to beat in Pokemon Go. We’ve put together details of his lineup, their weaknesses, and the best counters to help you defeat him.

One of the most exciting features of Pokemon Go is the battles you can enter against Team Go Rocket. These troublemakers invade PokeStops around the game’s overworld and use their Shadow Pokemon to battle anyone who interacts with them.

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If you win these battles, you’ll get the chance to capture one of their Shadow Pokemon, which can either be ‘purified’ for a CP boost or left as a Shadow Pokemon with higher attack stats if you’re competitive-minded or looking to master Raid battles.

In this guide, you’ll find Arlo’s current lineup of Pokemon, their weaknesses, and the best counters you can use on your team to defeat them.


Contents


Artwork of Team Go Rocket and Shadow Snorlax in Pokemon GoNiantic
Arlo is one of the hardest Team Go Rocket Leaders.

Arlo Pokemon Go lineup (September 2023)

Arlo’s lineup changed as part of the Team Go Rocket Takeover event that launched on June 21, 2023. Here is his current lineup in Pokemon Go:

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  • Phase 1: Aipom
  • Phase 2: Alakazam / Mismagius / Sharpedo
  • Phase 3: Snorlax / Scizor / Magnezone

Arlo’s lineup changes every time there’s a Team Go Rocket Takeover. We don’t know when the next one will take place, but we’ll update this page as soon as it happens.

How to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go

If you defeat enough Team Go Rocket Grunts at PokeStops, you’ll be able to piece together a Rocket Radar, which will allow you to locate and battle either Arlo, Cliff, or Sierra at random.

Let’s take a look at all the Pokemon that Arlo can send out into battle, their weaknesses, and the best counters you can use to defeat each one.

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Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 1

Aipom in Arlo's lineup in Pokemon GoNiantic / The Pokemon Company
Arlo will always send out Aipom at the start of a battle.

Aipom counters

Aipom is a Normal-type Pokemon, which means its only weakness is Fighting-type attacks. It’s also resistant to Ghost-type attacks, so don’t use those.

Here are some of the best Aipom counters:

Aipom Counters
Terrakion Terrakion

Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move)

Buzzwole in Pokemon Go Raids Buzzwole

Counter (Fast Move) & Superpower (Charge Move)

Conkeldurr Conkeldurr

Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move)

Lucario Lucario

Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move)

Breloom Pokenon Go Breloom

Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move)

Machamp Machamp

Counter (Fast Move) & Close Combat (Charge Move)

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Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 2

Arlo's Phase Two Pokemon lineupNiantic / The Pokemon Company
Arlo will send out either Alakazam, Mismagius, or Sharpedo in phase two.

Alakazam counters

Alakazam is a Psychic-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Bug, Dark, and Ghost-type attacks but resistant to Fighting and Psychic-type attacks.

Here are some of the best counters to defeat Alakazam:

Alakazam Counters
Darkrai Darkrai

Snarl (Fast Move) & Dark Pulse (Charge Move)

Hoopa Hoopa

Astonish (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move)

Gengar Gengar

Hex (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move)

Chandelure Chandelure

Hex (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move)

Absol in Pokemon GO Raids Absol

Snarl (Fast Move) & Pay Back (Charge Move)

Pheromosa Pheromosa

Bug Bite (Fast Move) & Bug Buzz (Charge Move)

Mismagius counters

Mismagius is a Ghost-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Dark and Ghost-type attacks. On the other hand, it’s resistant to Bug, Fighting, Normal, and Poison-type attacks.

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Here are some of the best counters to take down Mismagius:

Mismagius Counters
Yveltal Yveltal Snarl (Fast Move) & Dark Pulse (Charge Move)
Gengar Gengar Shadow Claw (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move)
Chandelure Chandelure Hex (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move)
Hydreigon Hydreigon Bite (Fast Move) & Brutal Swing (Charge Move)
Zarude Zarude
Bite (Fast Move) & Dark Pulse (Charge Move)
Absol in Pokemon GO Raids Absol Snarl (Fast Move) & Pay Back (Charge Move)

Sharpedo counters

Sharpedo is a Water/Dark-type Pokemon, which makes it weak against Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Grass-type attacks. It’s resistant to Dark, Fire, Ghost, Ice, Psychic, Steel, and Water-type moves.

Here are some of the best counters to use against Sharpedo:

Sharpedo Counters
Zekrom Pokemon Go Zekrom

Charge Beam (Fast Move) & Fusion Bolt (Charge Move)

Pheromosa Pheromosa

Bug Bite (Fast Move) & Bug Buzz (Charge Move)

Lucario Lucario

Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move)

Electivire Electivire

Thunder Shock (Fast Move) & Wild Charge (Charge Move)

Terrakion Terrakion

Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move)

Roserade Roserade

Razor Leaf (Fast Move) & Grass Knot (Charge Move)

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Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 3

Arlo's Phase Three Pokemon lineupNiantic / The Pokemon Company
Arlo’s phase three Pokemon will be Snorlax, Scizor, or Magnezone.

Snorlax counters

Snorlax is a Normal-type Pokemon which means its only weakness is Fighting-type attacks. and it’s also resistant to Ghost-type attacks.

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Here are some of the top Snorlax counters you can use:

Snorlax Counters
Terrakion Terrakion

Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move)

Buzzwole in Pokemon Go Raids Buzzwole

Counter (Fast Move) & Superpower (Charge Move)

Conkeldurr Conkeldurr

Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move)

Lucario Lucario

Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move)

Breloom Pokenon Go Breloom

Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move)

Machamp Machamp

Counter (Fast Move) & Close Combat (Charge Move)

Scizor counters

Scizor is a dual Bug/Steel-type Pokemon, which means its only weakness is Fire-type moves. It has loads of resistances, in particular Grass and Poison, so avoid those.

Here are some of the best Scizor counters you can use:

Scizor Counters
Blaziken Pokemon Go Blaziken

Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Blast Burn (Charge Move)

Charizard Charizard

Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Blast Burn (Charge Move)

Darmanitan Pokemon Go Darmanitan

Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move)

Entei Pokemon Go Entei

Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move)

Heatran Pokemon Go Heatran

Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Fire Blast (Charge Move)

Reshiram counter Reshiram

Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move)

Magnezone counters

Magnezone is a Steel/Electric-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Fighting and Fire-type attacks and especially vulnerable to Ground-type attacks.

Here are some of the best Magnezone counters for your team:

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Magnezone Counters
Pokemon Go Groudon Groudon

Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Precipice Blades (Charge Move)

Therian Forme Landorus Landorus

Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Earthquake (Charge Move)

Garchomp Garchomp

Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Earth Power (Charge Move)

Excadrill Pokemon Go Excadrill

Mud-Slap (Fast Move) & Earthquake (Charge Move)

Blaziken Pokemon Go Blaziken

Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Blast Burn (Charge Move)

Terrakion Terrakion

Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move)

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Best team to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go

Hydreigon, Terrakion, and Blaziken appearing in the best team to defeat Arlo in Pokemon GoNiantic / The Pokemon Company
Defeating Arlo will be much easier with the right team.

One of the best teams you can take into battle against Arlo in Pokemon Go right now is Terrakion, Hydreigon, and Blaziken.

A solid Fighting-type Pokemon like Terrakion is a great option for Aipom, which is Arlo’s guaranteed first team member. While the adorable Aipom might not seem like much of a threat, it does only have one weakness (Fighting-type attacks) which is why it’s important to target that.

The great thing about Terrakion is that it can also be used to target Sharpedo, Snorlax, and Magnezone if Arlo sends them out, as they’re all weak to Fighting-type attacks. This means a strong Fighting-type will be one of the most important members of your team.

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Next up, you’ll want a powerful Dark-type like Hydreigon to take out Alakazam and Mismagius if they are featured in Arlo’s lineup. Finally, a strong Fire-type like Blaziken is important to counter Scizor. Your Fire-type Pokemon can also be used against Magnezone if needed.

Remember that you can rematch Arlo as often as you like until you defeat him, so if you do find yourself struggling, you’ll be able to leave and switch up your team before you go back in for the win.

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How to beat Team Rocket Leaders in Pokemon Go

Alongside Arlo, you’ll also be able to go head to head with a few other Team Go Rocket Leaders, so check out our guides to defeat Cliff and Sierra. Their boss Giovanni is also still around for September 2023.


So, there you have it. All you need to know about defeating Arlo in Pokemon Go, and the best counters to use along the way!

For more tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure to check out our other guides:

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Spotlight Hour schedule | Current Raid Bosses | Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters | How to get Remote Raid Passes | Sierra counters guide | How to catch Ditto | Pokemon Go shop| Best Shiny Pokemon in Go | Rocket Grunt counters guide

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