In Pokémon GO, trainers can take on the nefarious Team Rocket. Before taking on the big bad Giovanni, trainers must first win battles against the other three Team Rocket leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. With each new month, the leaders of Team Rocket will switch up their team of Pokémon. Those that are not well prepared can find themselves being easily beaten by Team Rocket. Here are some of the best counters to the leader Arlo during the month of December.

Pokémon GO Arlo December 2022: How to Beat

When battling one of the three Team Rocket leaders there are seven Pokémon that trainers have to factor. There will be one consistent starter and the last two phases can each have three different Pokémon.

First Pokémon: Mawile

Arlo will always start with the Steel and Fairy-type Mawile so the best counter will be a Fire or Ground-type Pokémon.

• Darmanitan - Incinerate and Overheat
• Garchomp - Mud Shot and Earth Power
• Moltres - Fire Spin and Overheat

Second Pokémon: Charizard, Salamence or Staraptor

With the exception of a scenario with Charizard, Ice-types are the best counter in the second phase of the battle. If you end up battling Arlo's Charizard, a Rock-type is the go-to move.

• Golem - Rock Throw and Stone Edge
• Glaceon - Frost Breath and Avalanche
• Mamoswine - Powder Snow and Avalanche

Third Pokémon: Dragonite, Granbull or Scizor

The last phase against Arlo will pit trainers against a Dragonite, Granbull, or Scizor. Unfortunately for this final phase, there is not a single type that will be effective against any scenario. You'll need a Fire-type for Scizor, a Poison or Steel-type for Granbull, and a Dragon, Fairy, Ice, or Rock-type for Dragonite. At this point in the battle, it is probably better to prepare for the first two phases and take your chances at the last round.

• Mamoswine - Powder Snow and Avalanche
• Darmanitan - Incinerate and Overheat
• Roserade - Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb

This article was originally published on dbltap as Pokémon GO Arlo December 2022: How to Beat.