So last week, I built up my Rocket Radar and finally ran into Arlo. I got caught off guard by how much his Phase 2 lineup had shifted since the last time I fought him. Pokémon GO keeps its Team GO Rocket Leaders rotating just enough to keep you on your toes, and Arlo is no exception this month.
Whether you’re grinding through Grunts in London or hunting down black PokéStops somewhere in the US, I have laid out what exactly you’re up against and how to walk away with a Shadow Tyrunt in your bag this month. And I really hope you get to this guide before Arlo’s lineup changes again.
If you’re stocking up on Poké Balls and potions before heading out, it’s worth grabbing whatever’s currently active from our list of Pokémon Go Promo Codes first.
Arlo’s Pokémon GO Lineup for July 2026
As much as my Pokémon GO friends and I have noticed, Arlo always leads with the same Pokémon, then rotates through two random slots. This is the latest lineup that I could confirm for this month:
| Phase | Pokémon Options |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Shadow Tyrunt (always) |
| Phase 2 | Shadow Slowbro, Shadow Golurk, or Shadow Steelix |
| Phase 3 | Shadow Scizor, Shadow Alakazam, or Shadow Charizard |
Since Shadow Tyrunt is guaranteed in Phase 1, that’s also the Shadow Pokémon you get the chance to catch if you win.
How to Find and Battle Arlo in Pokémon GO
If you are new to the game and still lost on where to find this badass Rocket Leader, let me put it simply for you. You can’t just walk up and challenge Arlo whenever you like. You will need to follow these exact steps to challenge him to a battle:
- Defeat six Team GO Rocket Grunts to collect Mysterious Components.
- Combine the six components into a Rocket Radar.
- Activate the Rocket Radar to reveal the location of a Rocket Leader.
- The game won’t tell you which Leader you’re getting, but you have a 33% chance of it being Arlo.
- Don’t worry if you lose. You can rematch him as many times as you need.
- Your Rocket Radar is only consumed once you win.
That last point is important to remember. It means you can send in a scouting Pokémon first, see what Arlo throws at you in Phase 2 and Phase 3, then rebuild your team accordingly before trying again.
While you’re out working through Grunts anyway, it’s a good excuse to finally sort out that pile of Silcoon and Cascoon in your box, and our guide on How To Evolve Wurmple In Pokémon GO covers the trick to getting the exact evolution you want.
Best Counters for Shadow Tyrunt (Phase 1)
Shadow Tyrunt is a Rock and Dragon type, which makes it weak to Dragon, Fairy, Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel-type moves. And so, your Steel types are especially useful here since they also take reduced damage from most of Tyrunt’s attacks.
| Pokémon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
| Crowned Sword Zacian | Metal Claw, Behemoth Blade |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Metal Claw, Sunsteel Strike |
| Crowned Shield Zamazenta | Metal Claw, Behemoth Bash |
| Black Kyurem | Dragon Tail, Freeze Shock |
| Haxorus | Dragon Tail, Breaking Swipe |
| Metagross | Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash |
| Garchomp | Dragon Tail, Breaking Swipe |
Best Counters for Phase 2 (Slowbro, Golurk, or Steelix)
Here’s where the true challenge begins. Arlo’s Phase 2 slot is genuinely unpredictable, so it helps to know all three weaknesses going in.
Shadow Slowbro is a Water and Psychic type, weak to Bug, Dark, Electric, Ghost, and Grass-type moves.
| Pokémon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
| Hydreigon | Bite, Brutal Swing |
| Darkrai | Snarl, Shadow Ball |
| Absol | Snarl, Brutal Swing |
| Houndoom | Snarl, Foul Play, Flamethrower |
| Gyarados | Bite, Crunch, Hydro Pump |
| Origin Giratina | Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball |
Since Shadow Golurk is a Ground and Ghost type, it is weak to Ice, Dark, Ghost, Grass, and Water-type moves.
If you’ve been stacking up Mega Energy on the side, our explainer on Pokémon GO Link Charges Explained: What They Are, How to Get Them, and How to Use Them is worth a read too.
| Pokémon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
| Primarina | Waterfall, Hydro Cannon |
| Mamoswine | Powder Snow, Avalanche |
| Hydreigon | Bite, Brutal Swing |
| Kyogre | Waterfall, Origin Pulse |
| Tyranitar | Bite, Brutal Swing |
| Rillaboom | Razor Leaf, Frenzy Plant |
Similarly, Shadow Steelix is a Steel and Ground type, weak to Water, Fighting, Fire, and Ground-type moves.
| Pokémon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
| Charizard | Fire Spin, Blast Burn |
| Ho-Oh | Incinerate, Sacred Fire |
| Swampert | Water Gun, Hydro Cannon |
| Kyogre | Waterfall, Origin Pulse |
| Quaquaval | Water Gun, Hydro Cannon |
| Greninja | Water Shuriken, Hydro Cannon, Night Slash |
Might be Helpful to You:
Best Counters for Phase 3 (Scizor, Alakazam, or Charizard)
Now comes the big moment! The final lineup you need to face before you can walk away with those sweet rewards.
Remember, Shadow Scizor is double weak to Fire, so there’s little reason to overthink this one. Shadow Alakazam is weak to Dark, Bug, and Ghost, though it’s worth watching for a Focus Blast if you’re not using a Ghost type. Shadow Charizard is weak to Rock, Electric, and Water.
| Counters for Scizor | Counters for Alakazam | Counters for Charizard |
|---|---|---|
| Charizard (Fire Spin, Blast Burn) | Hydreigon (Bite, Brutal Swing) | Rhyperior (Smack Down, Rock Wrecker) |
| Blaziken (Fire Spin, Blast Burn) | Darkrai (Snarl, Shadow Ball) | Rampardos (Smack Down, Rock Slide) |
| Heatran (Fire Spin, Magma Storm) | Gyarados (Bite, Crunch) | Tyranitar (Smack Down, Stone Edge) |
| Reshiram (Fire Fang, Fusion Flare) | Origin Giratina (Shadow Claw, Shadow Ball) | Swampert (Water Gun, Hydro Cannon) |
| Darmanitan (Standard) (Fire Fang, Overheat) | Houndoom (Snarl, Foul Play) | Greninja (Water Shuriken, Hydro Cannon) |
| Typhlosion (Incinerate, Blast Burn) | Dragapult (Astonish, Shadow Ball) | Gigalith (Smack Down, Meteor Beam) |
That being said, if Arlo throws Scizor at you in Phase 3, holding a Water or Ground type back from an earlier phase can be a useful backup while you switch in your Fire type.
In Case You Also Play Palworld:
How to Link Pokémon Champions to Pokémon HOME, Palworld 1.0: Every New Passive Skill and What It Actually Does?
Rewards for Beating Arlo
Rewards for defeating this Rocket Leader are always worth the hassle. Here is what the game offers you this month:
- 1,000 Stardust (guaranteed)
- Two item bundles, randomly drawn from this pool: 4x Revive, 2x Max Revive, 4x Hyper Potion, 2x Max Potion, or 1x Unova Stone
- A 12km Strange Egg, which is not part of that random pool. Instead, if you have an open Egg inventory slot, it automatically replaces one of your two item bundles
- A chance to catch Shadow Tyrunt, since it’s always Arlo’s first Pokémon
- A 1 in 64 shiny chance on that Shadow Tyrunt, if it’s shiny eligible at the time
So, basically you’ll start the catch attempt with a base of five Premier Balls, with bonus balls awarded depending on how many of your Pokémon survived the battle, along with your Purifier and Hero medal ranks.
If Arlo’s team shifts again later this month, the safest move is to scout him once with a flexible team before committing to a full counter lineup. It’s also worth keeping the rest of your calendar in mind while you’re at it. The Pokémon GO August 2026 Community Day: Nickit, Guide, Bonuses and Special Research is coming up soon.
My real advice to you is always be prepared for an unexpected encounter. If I have learned anything while playing Pokémon Go, it is that the developers love to keep us on our toes. So, just prepare for trouble and make it double, if you can!
That’s all I can tell you about beating Arlo. I will update this guide when I am able to learn the new lineup for him. Till then, Happy Gaming!
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