Highlights
- In Pokemon GO , players can battle powerful trainers like Team Rocket Decoy Grunts, Jessie & James, Team Mystic's Candela, Team Instinct's Spark, and Team Mystic's Blanche.
- These trainers have specific teams with varying difficulty levels, but with proper preparation and knowledge of their Pokemon choices, they can be defeated.
- The ultimate challenge is facing Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, who has a Shadow Persian, a tricky second slot with Pokemon like Nidoking, Garchomp, or Rhyperior, and a Shadow legendary Pokemon like Regirock in his third slot.
In Niantic's popular Pokemon GO mobile game, players have a plethora of ways to put their painstaking grinds in finding and training Pokemon to good use, from battling the rotating Raid bosses or defending Gyms from opposing teams to filling their Pokedex and acquiring bragging rights to showcase to their friends. For those who believe themselves to be Pokemon masters, however, there is a chance to battle some of the most powerful trainers the game has to offer.
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These trainers take many different forms. Some are the leaders of Team Mystic, Team Valor, and Team Instinct (the in-game teams that players can join in Pokemon GO) whilst others are high-ranking individuals in the villainous organization Team Rocket. Regardless of their allegiances, these trainers represent the highest level of Pokemon battling a player can access outside PvP in the game.
9 Decoy Grunts
Whilst not technically a leader in the most literal of senses, the Team Rocket Decoy Grunts can only be accessed while searching for the organization's boss Giovanni. Indeed, players can find themselves facing Decoy Grunts numerous times before getting a stab at the big boss.
Admittedly not nearly as difficult to defeat as the true leaders of Pokemon GO, the Decoy Grunt can provide an unwarranted annoyance to any unprepared trainer. Its Bellsprout, Weepinbell, and Raticate pose little threat, but there is a chance that the Decoy Grunt can throw out a Snorlax in its third slot, cutting down trainers' ace Pokemon if one becomes too content.
8 Jessie & James
In between blasting off again, Team Rocket underlings and fan-favorite frenemies Jessie & James managed to find time to enter into Pokemon GO as temporary battle opportunities for trainers. Sailing in on their trademark Meowth-shaped balloon, Jessie & James take over control of Team Rocket operations for the duration of their appearance.
The last time they graced players' battle screens, Jessie & James provided at most a small challenge. Their staple Pokemon like Koffing and Ekans provide little to stall even averagely-powered teams. That being said, trainers would do well to watch Shadow Scyther and Shadow Pinsir (possessed by Jessie and James respectively) as the opening Pokemon, as these Bug types can pack a punch, especially when underestimated.
7 Candela
The leader of Team Valor, the fiery Candela will (unsurprisingly) bring Fire types into battle with her. Although her power is nothing to be sniffed at, due to her reliance on Fire types, it is relatively simple for a prospective challenger to prepare a team to effectively counter hers.
Her Great and Ultra League teams only require a strong Water-type attacker to quell, with the majority of her Pokemon choices being pure Fire types. Even the dual-typed Combusken and Magcargo will not cause much of a speed bump. Candela's Master League team, although different, is again easy to prepare for. Her choices of Entei, Salamence, and team mascot Moltres can easily be decimated by a Rock-type attacker like Tyranitar, with Rock being super effective against the former two and 4x effective against the latter.
6 Spark
Spark is the cool and laid-back leader of Team Instinct and, as his name suggests, is a master of Electric-type Pokemon. For the most part, Spark sticks to his namesake and uses pure Electric types across his various teams. He does, however, have a tendency to throw in a curve ball or two that prospective challengers must watch out for.
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Spark pulls tricks out of his sleeve from the beginning, with his Great League team including a Water-type Castform as a sneaky counter to any Ground-type attackers one will most likely bring to the battle. His Ultra League team harbors no secrets, with a strong Ground type able to effectively decimate here. Spark once again pulls a fast one on players with his Master League team by including the Rock/Dark Tyranitar, possibly throwing a challenger's well-chosen team out of balance.
5 Blanche
Team Mystic's leader Blanche is easily the trickiest of the team leaders to defeat in battle, with her expertise lying in the training of both Water and Ice types. With this dual-type mastery, trainers have to truly consider every facet of the Pokemon they bring to battle against her.
Blanche brings a variety of dual-typed Pokemon to battle with her, including the Ice/Water Sealeo and Ice/Dark Sneasel in her Great League team and the Water/Steel Empoleon and the Ice/Ground Mamoswine in her Ultra League team, forcing players to bring a mix of typing in order to deal with her. In the Master League team, Blanche pulls out the stops, bringing team mascot Articuno along with Suicune and Metagross, creating a mix of strong types for the player to deal with.
4 Arlo
One Team Rocket leader with a score to settle with Team Valor's Candela, Arlo speaks with a self-assuredness that spills over into vanity. His extravagant eyewear and swept-back hair are proof of this, and his choice of Pokemon is not one to be taken lightly by any prospective challenger.
In his first slot, Arlo uses a Shadow Aipom. His second slot can be populated by Alakazam, Mismagius, or Sharpedo, and the third by Snorlax, Scizor, or Magnezone. Due to the typing crossover of these prospective team members, Arlo is arguably the easiest Team Rocket leader to prepare for, with a mix of Fighting, Bug, and Fire types being more than enough to counter Arlo's team configurations.
3 Cliff
The hulking Cliff is both physically imposing and zealous in his service to Team Rocket, not allowing anything to get in the way of its master plan, including any challengers. A hard nut to crack, Cliff and his teams can very quickly overpower any trainer who has neglected to learn and anticipate his picks.
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Cliff's first slot is a Shadow Aerodactyl, whose power and relentless assault can derail one's challenge before it even begins. In his second slot can be Slowking, Cradily, or Gallade and Tyranitar, Mamoswine, or Dusknoir can appear in his third. A mix of typing is essential for defeating Cliff, with top picks being Steel and Fighting types, the former dealing with the likes of Aerodactyl and Cradily and the latter being 4x effective against Tyranitar and Mamoswine.
2 Sierra
Sierra has always made a habit of being a nightmare for trainers to battle against, with her Pokemon choices spanning a plethora of types with little common weaknesses. Easily the hardest of the Team Rocket leaders to prepare for, Sierra will swat away any challenger who has not truly committed to selecting the most effective Pokemon team.
Sierra always uses Shadow Geodude in her first slot, followed by either Steelix, Gardevoir, or Sableye in the second. Her third slot can be Victreebel, Gyarados, or Houndoom. If one is to have a chance at defeating Sierra, then a trainer must either test the waters and scout out Sierra's choices or throw together a powerful team and hope that the Pokemon gods are on their side.
1 Giovanni
Ever since Pokemon Red & Blue, Team Rocket boss Giovanni has always met players with a ferocious challenge, even being the final Gym Leader in the aforementioned games. In Pokemon GO, much is the same, with Giovanni even being difficult to find, let alone battle. To do so, players must collect a Super Rocket Radar item and search high and low in Pokestops for Giovanni before they even get a chance to battle him. When that chance arrives, however, Giovanni comes at the player with all of his might.
A Shadow Persian is Giovanni's first choice, which can hold its own even against those it has a type disadvantage against like Fighting types. If a trainer defeats Persion, they will find themselves facing Giovanni's tricky second slot, which can be populated by Nidoking, Garchomp, or Rhyperior. Trainers should field their most powerful Ice-type attacker for this phase, although one must watch for any Rock-type attacks his Rhyperior may have. In his third slot, Giovanni will unleash a Shadow legendary Pokemon (presently Regirock). This powered-up legendary is the ultimate challenge for any trainer and, if defeated, will bring rich rewards.
Pokemon GO is available on iOS and Android.