Beating Arlo in Pokémon GO during April 2023 is quite easy if players build a proper team to counter his possible lineup. Arlo is one of the three Team GO Rocket Leaders that can be encountered in the popular mobile game with a Rocket Radar, along with Cliff and Sierra. Much like the Team GO Rocket Boss, Giovanni himself, their team lineups change frequently, so a team a player used to take him down in January, for example, may no longer be viable to counter his chosen Pokémon this month.

In April 2023, Pokémon GO’s Arlo is the most complicated of all three leaders due to his possible lineup. All leaders have a fixed initial Pokémon, but their second and third can be one of three distinct ones. Due to how variable his team can be, players may end up missing one of his weaknesses in Pokémon GO and ultimately fail the challenge, having to battle him once again, now with the proper team. Nonetheless, with proper preparation, it is possible to beat Arlo on the first attempt.

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Pokémon GO: Arlo’s Team In April 2023 & Counters

Some of Arlo's possible team members in Pokémon GO in April 2023, including Nidoran, Crobat, and Charizard. In the background is an image of the  game's map.

Arlo’s possible team in Pokémon GO during April 2023 is a flexible one, which can be countered with many different options. His first creature this month is a Nidoran ♂. His second Pokémon, however, can be a Crobat, a Steelix, or a Cradily. Arlo’s third creature can be a Charizard, a Scizor, or an Armaldo.

To beat him, players will need to prepare a team with the widest possible coverage, choosing counters for multiple different Pokémon. Luckily, there is no shortage of good Pokémon of different types in Pokémon GO to choose from. Below is a list of the best possible counters for each creature Arlo may use this month.

Arlo's Pokémon

Weaknesses

Best Counters

1 - Nidoran ♂

Ground- and Psychic-type

  • Groudon / Primal Groudon
  • Mewtwo / Shadow Mewtwo
  • Garchomp
  • Alakazam
  • Excadrill
  • Espeon

2A - Crobat

Ice-, Psychic-, Rock-, and Electric-type

  • Mewtwo / Shadow Mewtwo
  • Alakazam
  • Espeon
  • Mamoswine
  • Galarian Darmanitan
  • Rhyperior / Shadow Rhyperior

2B - Steelix

Fighting-, Fire-, Ground-, and Water-type

  • Groudon / Primal Groudon
  • Garchomp
  • Reshiram
  • Machamp / Shadow Machamp
  • Kyogre / Primal Kyogre
  • Swampert / Mega Swampert

2C - Cradily

Bug-, Fighting-, Ice-, and Steel-type

3A - Charizard

Rock-, Water- and Electric-type

  • Kyogre / Primal Kyogre
  • Swampert / Mega Swampert
  • Rhyperior / Shadow Rhyperior
  • Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar
  • Zekrom
  • Aerodactyl / Mega Aerodactyl

3B - Scizor

Fire-type

  • Charizard / Mega Charizard
  • Blaziken / Mega Blaziken
  • Reshiram
  • Heatran
  • Shadow Moltres
  • Mega Houndoom

3C - Armaldo

Rock-, Steel-, and Water-type

  • Kyogre / Primal Kyogre
  • Swampert / Mega Swampert
  • Metagross
  • Lucario
  • Rhyperior / Shadow Rhyperior
  • Aerodactyl / Mega Aerodactyl

Looking to get the best possible coverage against most of Arlo’s options in Pokémon GO in April 2023, players should build their team based on the most recurrent creatures on the list. Despite being relatively weaker than its teammates, Nidoran ♂ still needs to be countered, so either Groudon or Mewtwo should be the player’s first choice.

If they can use Primal Groudon or Shadow Mewtwo in Pokémon GO, it is even better due to the enhanced damage output. These can counter additional Pokémon, such as Crobat and Steelix. Their second Pokémon should be one that appears more than once as well, like Kyogre, Swampert, or Rhyperior.

The third option should also be one that appears in multiple instances, like Mamoswine or Machamp. Of course, this does not guarantee that all ends will be covered in the battle against Pokémon GO’s Arlo in April 2023. He could very well use a Pokémon for which players did not prepare counters – when looking for the amplest type coverage, players can end up missing a spot, such as counters for Scizor in Pokémon GO, and have a hard time beating the Bug- and Steel-type creature. If this happens and players ultimately lose the fight, they should not give up.

After being prompted into a battle, Pokémon GO’s Arlo will not change his lineup, so players can issue the challenge once again, now preparing counters for anything they previously missed. This type of detailed team-building after a defeat is quite often in the mobile game, be that against stronger Team GO Rocket Grunts or their leaders. Once Arlo is defeated, players will be able to capture his Shadow Nidoran ♂. Despite not being as good as Sierra’s Shadow Beldum in Pokémon GO, it can also be a strong ally in case its overall stats are not too bad.

More: How To Connect Pokémon GO to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

  • Pokemon Go Poster
    Pokemon GO
    Released:
    2016-07-06
    Developer:
    The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, Niantic
    Genre:
    Augmented Reality, RPG
    Platform:
    Android, iOS
    Publisher:
    Niantic, Nintendo
    ESRB:
    E
    Franchise:
    Pokemon