How to Beat Team GO Rocket's Cliff in Pokémon GO

Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff is known for his tough lineups and powerful Shadow Pokémon, making each encounter a serious challenge—even for seasoned trainers. Fortunately, with the right counters and a good battle strategy, you can take him down and earn valuable rewards, including a chance to catch a rare Shadow Pokémon.

In June 2025, Cliff's lineup has changed again as part of the latest Team GO Rocket takeover. Knowing how to beat Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO starts with understanding his current lineup and preparing the best counter Pokémon to deal with each potential threat. Read on for a full breakdown of Cliff's June 2025 team and the best Pokémon to use against each of his possible choices.

Part 1: Cliff's Pokémon GO Team Lineup (June 2025)

Here's the lineup for Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO (Latest).

🧩 Cliff's Lineup (June 2025)

Lead (always): Shadow Gible (Dragon/Ground)

Slot 2 (one of):

• Honchkrow (Dark/Flying)
• Skarmory (Steel/Flying)
• Annihilape (Fighting/Ghost)

Slot 3 (one of):

• Luxray (Electric)
• Machamp (Fighting)
• Tyranitar (Dark/Rock)

Part 2: Full Tutorial to Beat Cliff in Pokémon GO

Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff is back with a refreshed, and taking him down can earn you rare rewards—including a powerful Shadow Pokémon. If you're wondering how to beat Cliff in Pokémon GO, it comes down to preparation, the right counters, and knowing what to expect from his team.

2.1 How to Defeat the First Pokémon in Cliff's Lineup – Shadow Gible

Counter Pokémon	Recommended Moves	Why It Works
Mamoswine	Powder Snow + Avalanche	Exploits double Ice weakness for massive damage
Glaceon	Ice Shard + Avalanche	Strong Ice-type spam
Baxcalibur	Ice Fang + Avalanche	High Ice-type damage output
Weavile	Ice Shard + Avalanche	Fast and powerful attacker

2.2 Second Pokémon & Best Counters

Enemy Pokémon	Type	Weaknesses	Best Counters (Suggestions)
Honchkrow	Dark / Flying	Electric, Rock, Ice, Fairy	Magnezone, Raikou, Togekiss, Rhyperior
Skarmory	Steel / Flying	Electric, Fire	Zapdos, Charizard, Heatran, Electivire
Annihilape	Fighting / Ghost	Fairy, Flying, Psychic, Ghost	Xerneas, Mewtwo, Togekiss, Mega Rayquaza

2.3 Third Pokémon & Best Counters

Enemy Pokémon	Type	Weaknesses	Best Counters (Suggestions)
Luxray	Electric	Ground	Garchomp, Rhyperior, Groudon
Machamp	Fighting	Fairy, Flying, Psychic	Mewtwo, Togekiss, Gardevoir
Tyranitar	Rock / Dark	Fighting, Water, Grass, Fairy, Steel	Machamp, Lucario, Swampert, Togekiss

💡 Tips for Beating Cliff

• Use Charged Attacks Strategically: Bait and burn Cliff's shields early with fast-charging moves.
• Cover All Types: Since Cliff's team varies, bring a balanced lineup with Ice, Fairy, and Ground types.
• Revive & Retry: If you lose the first battle, you'll know Cliff's full team—rebuild your squad accordingly for the rematch.

With the right counters and a smart team setup, defeating Cliff in Pokémon GO is very achievable. Use this guide, and you'll have no trouble adding another Shadow Pokémon to your collection.

Part 3: How to Find and Battle Cliff in Pokémon GO? (2025 Guide)

Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff is one of the three rotating Rocket bosses in Pokémon GO. Battling him requires preparation, the right items, and a strong team. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to find and battle Cliff:

🧭 Step 1: Assemble a Rocket Radar

First of all, you need a Rocket Radar to battle Cliff. Here's how to get a Rocket Radar

What to Do	How to Do It
Defeat Grunts	Battle 6 Team GO Rocket Grunts at invaded PokéStops or balloons.
Collect Components	Each Grunt drops a Mysterious Component. You need 6 to form a radar.
Craft the Radar	Once you have 6 components, they automatically build a Rocket Radar.

🗺️ Step 2: Find Cliff

Activate your Rocket Radar to uncover the hideouts of Team GO Rocket Leaders on your map. These appear at certain PokéStops.

What to Watch For	Details
Leader Icons	The PokéStop will display Cliff's face if he's stationed there.
Cycle Through Hideouts	If Cliff isn't there, exit and visit a different Rocket hideout.

⚔️ Step 3: Battle Cliff

• 1 fixed Pokémon: Shadow Gible
• 2 random Pokémon from his June 2025 lineup (e.g., Annihilape, Tyranitar, etc.)

🎯 Rewards

What You Get	Notes
Shadow Pokémon Encounter	Usually the first Pokémon in his lineup (e.g., Shadow Gible).
1,000 Stardust	Base reward for defeating a Team Leader.
1 x 12 km Strange Egg (if walking with Egg space)	Optional bonus.

Part 4: How to Quickly Beat Cliff in Pokémon GO without Walking?

If you're trying to beat Cliff in Pokémon GO, you already know that finding him can take just as much time as the battle itself. With Cliff appearing randomly at specific PokéStops or in Team GO Rocket balloons, it can be frustrating to track him down—especially during time-limited events or research tasks.

That's where location tools like TunesKit Location Changer come in handy. By helping you spoof your GPS location, TunesKit makes it easier to locate Cliff faster, build Rocket Radars more efficiently, and challenge him on your own schedule—all without the need to walk long distances.

Here are the detailed steps to use TunesKit Location Changer to battle Cliff.

Step 1 Connect Your Device

1.1 Download and install TunesKit Location Changer on your PC or Mac, then connect your iPhone or Android device via USB. Enable developer mode on your phone, and click the Start button on the main screen to begin.

1.2 Then there are two location simulation modes available to you, Game Mode and General Mode, and you can choose Game Mode to get started.

Step 2 Select a Location-changing Mode

2.1 Once you've accessed the map interface, select a location spoofing mode to get started. If you want to teleport to a new spot, you can select Jump Teleport mode, or if you would like to simulate movement in Pokemon GO, you can select two-spot movement, multi-spot movement, or joystick movement.

2.2 Use the map interface to select a location with active Rocket hideouts or PokéStops known for Cliff spawns (e.g., large parks or urban areas).

2.3 Click "Start Moving" to set your GPS location to the chosen spot. Launch Pokémon GO, and nearby Rocket stops should refresh based on your new location.

Step 3Use Your Rocket Radar & Battle Cliff

Equip a Rocket Radar, then check the marked PokéStops to see if Cliff is present. If not, teleport again until you find him. Once found, tap on the PokéStop to start the battle. Use type-effective counters to beat his lineup quickly.

Part 5. Conclusion

This guide explains how to beat Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO by breaking down his current Shadow Pokémon lineup, recommended counters, and battle tips. If you want to quickly find Cliff by spoofing your GPS location, TunesKit Location Changer can save time by allowing players to instantly teleport to Rocket Leader hideouts, locate Cliff more quickly and finish battles more efficiently—perfect for limited-time events or research tasks.