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Pokémon GO: Phrases and Pokémon teams from Team GO Rocket Recruits

Team GO Rocket has been an integral part of Pokémon GO for a considerable period. As the game’s main antagonists, players frequently encounter them in various scenarios. While the most exciting challenges and rewards come from battling the leaders and their boss Giovanni, players must first engage with the recruits, who are NPCs found at PokéStops or in flying balloons.

This guide aims to present the current Pokémon teams utilized by the Team GO Rocket recruits, allowing you to strategize effectively. Additionally, there’s a useful “trick” regarding the phrases they utter before battle that can aid in outsmarting them. Let’s dive into the specifics!

How to Identify Pokémon Used by Team GO Rocket Recruits

Starting from level 8, players can encounter Team GO Rocket recruits at PokéStops or by interacting with black balloons. When you approach a PokéStop or tap on a balloon, a recruit will challenge you to a duel.

While it may appear difficult to predict which Pokémon each recruit will employ, there is indeed a helpful trick. Here’s what you should know:

When you interact with a Team GO Rocket recruit, they will say a phrase before selecting their Pokémon for battle.
The phrase spoken by the recruit can provide insight into the types of Pokémon they are likely to use.
This means the recruit’s phrase reveals their specialty at that moment.
Since recruits are randomized, their gender is irrelevant; only the phrase they utter matters.

By understanding the phrases associated with various Pokémon types, you can form a team that counters them effectively. For instance, if a recruit exclaims, “These waters are treacherous!”, it suggests they will primarily use Water-type Pokémon. You can then choose Electric or Grass-types to gain the upper hand.

Current Phrases and Teams of Team GO Rocket Recruits

Here are the 19 possible phrases that Team GO Rocket recruits might say, along with the Pokémon they typically employ during battles:

Steel-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “You are no match for my iron will!”
First Pokémon: Diglett (Alolan) or Sandshrew (Alolan).
Second Pokémon: Lairon, Metang, or Skarmory.
Third Pokémon: Sandslash (Alolan), Scizor, or Empoleon.

Best Pokémon to counter Steel-types: Fire, Ground, or Fighting.

Water-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “These waters are treacherous!”
First Pokémon: Oshawott, Horsea, or Barboach.
Second Pokémon: Crawdaunt, Dewott, or Cloyster.
Third Pokémon: Whiscash, Feraligatr, or Carracosta.

Best Pokémon to counter Water-types: Electric and Grass.

Bug-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Come on, my powerful Bug-type Pokémon!”
First Pokémon: Scyther, Caterpie, or Venipede.
Second Pokémon: Anorith, Shelmet, or Karrablast.
Third Pokémon: Scizor, Forretress, or Beedrill.

Best Pokémon to counter Bug-types: Electric, Ice, and Rock.

Dragon-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “GRRR! What did you think of that?”
First Pokémon: Dratini, Bagon, or Gible.
Second Pokémon: Dragonair, Gabite, or Exeggutor (Alolan).
Third Pokémon: Dragonite, Salamence, or Garchomp.

Best Pokémon to counter Dragon-types: Ice, Dragon, and Fairy.

Electric-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Get ready to be dazzled!”
First Pokémon: Magnemite, Blitzle, or Joltik.
Second Pokémon: Geodude (Alolan), Voltorb, or Electabuzz.
Third Pokémon: Galvantula, Ampharos, or Luxray.

Best Pokémon to counter Electric-types: Ground.

Ghost-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Ha, ha, ha…”
First Pokémon: Duskull, Drifloon, or Golett.
Second Pokémon: Dusclops, Golett, or Sableye.
Third Pokémon: Gengar, Marowak (Alolan), or Froslass.

Best Pokémon to counter Ghost-types: Ghost and Dark.

Fire-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Do you know how hot a fire Pokémon’s breath can be?”
First Pokémon: Darumaka, Torchic, or Vulpix.
Second Pokémon: Houndoom, Combusken, or Ninetales.
Third Pokémon: Houndoom, Darmanitan, or Typhlosion.

Best Pokémon to counter Fire-types: Rock, Water, and Ground.

Fairy-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Look at my adorable Pokémon!”
First Pokémon: Mawile, Snubbull, or Vulpix (Alolan).
Second Pokémon: Kirlia, Snubbull, or Granbull.
Third Pokémon: Ninetales (Alolan), Gardevoir, or Granbull.

Best Pokémon to counter Fairy-types: Poison and Steel.

Ice-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “The cold can paralyze you, don’t you know?”
First Pokémon: Sneasel, Snorunt, or Sandshrew (Alolan).
Second Pokémon: Froslass, Ninetales (Alolan), or Glalie.
Third Pokémon: Abomasnow or Froslass.

Best Pokémon to counter Ice-types: Fire, Fighting, and Rock.

Fighting-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “These muscles aren’t just for show.”
First Pokémon: Machop, Mankey, or Timburr.
Second Pokémon: Gurdurr, Hitmonchan, or Hitmontop.
Third Pokémon: Conkeldurr, Toxicroak, or Infernape.

Best Pokémon to counter Fighting-types: Flying, Psychic, and Fairy.

Normal-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Normal doesn’t mean weak.”
First Pokémon: Glameow, Bidoof, or Stantler.
Second Pokémon: Purugly, Rattata, or Meowth.
Third Pokémon: Ursaring, Raticate, or Exploud.

Best Pokémon to counter Normal-types: Fighting.

Grass-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Don’t mess with us!”
First Pokémon: Sinvy or Hoppip.
Second Pokémon: Lileep, Grovyle, or Ferrothorn.
Third Pokémon: Cacturne or Vileplume.

Best Pokémon to counter Grass-types: Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug.

Psychic-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Are you scared of psychics wielding invisible power?”
First Pokémon: Gothita or Solosis.
Second Pokémon: Wobbuffet, Gothita, or Duosion.
Third Pokémon: Gallade, Metagross, or Reuniclus.

Best Pokémon to counter Psychic-types: Bug, Ghost, and Dark.

Rock-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “I am as strong as a rock!”
First Pokémon: Archen, Tirtouga, or Roggenrola.
Second Pokémon: Graveler, Cranidos, or Shieldon.
Third Pokémon: Golem, Archeops, or Carracosta.

Best Pokémon to counter Rock-types: Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel.

Dark-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “I know it’s a cliché, but… where there is light, there are shadows…”
First Pokémon: Cacnea or Rattata (Alolan).
Second Pokémon: Muk (Alolan) or Raticate (Alolan).
Third Pokémon: Muk (Alolan) or Skuntank.

Best Pokémon to counter Dark-types: Fighting, Bug, and Fairy.

Ground-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “I’ll make you eat dust!”
First Pokémon: Rhyhorn, Wooper, or Drilbur.
Second Pokémon: Rhyhorn, Vibrava, or Graveler.
Third Pokémon: Whiscash, Flygon, or Torterra.

Best Pokémon to counter Ground-types: Water, Grass, and Ice.

Poison-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “Ready and set to attack!”
First Pokémon: Croagunk, Sneasel (Hisui), or Koffing.
Second Pokémon: Nidorina or Nidorino.
Third Pokémon: Toxicroak, Weezing, or Amoonguss.

Best Pokémon to counter Poison-types: Ground and Psychic.

Flying-type Recruits

These recruits will say:

Phrase: “My bird Pokémon wants to battle you!”
First Pokémon: Pidgey or Starly.
Second Pokémon: Staravia, Gligar, or Zubat.
Third Pokémon: Dragonite.

Best Pokémon to counter Flying-types: Electric, Ice, and Rock.

Recruits without a Specific Type

Some recruits from Team GO Rocket do not specialize in any particular type, so their Pokémon can be diverse. Here are the phrases they might use and the Pokémon they could deploy during battles:

Phrase: “Prepare for defeat!”, “Winning is for winners.”, or “Don’t bother, I’ve already won.”
First Pokémon: Snorlax.
Second Pokémon: Poliwrath, Gardevoir, or Snorlax.
Third Pokémon: Snorlax, Dragonite, or Gyarados.