Pokemon GO Team GO Leader Cliff has several powerful Shadow Pokemon in March 2025. Cliff is among the most powerful foes in the entire franchise, only below the Team GO Rocket’s Main Boss Giovanni. Defeating Cliff gives you numerous rewards and takes you closer to locating Giovanni.
You must first find Cliff’s location by winning against multiple Team GO Rocket Grunts. Defeating them rewards you with Mysterious Components, and collecting 6 will build a Rocket Radar. This Rocket Radar helps you encounter a Team GO Rocket Leader. But you must study Cliff’s Shadow Pokemon roster for March 2025 before battling him. That said, this guide lists all of Cliff’s Shadow Pokemon and the best counters to use against them.
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Pokemon GO: Cliff Shadow Pokemon And Best Counters (March 2025)
Cliff has 7 different Shadow Pokemon in its Pokemon GO roster for the 3-round battle. While he has a fixed Pokemon for the 1’st round, the last two rounds pose a threat. The Team GO Rocket leader has 3 Shadow Pokemon choices for each of the later rounds; he can choose any representative among them.
|
Round |
Pokemon |
|---|---|
|
1st |
Shadow Cubone |
|
2nd |
|
|
3rd |
|
Cliff’s First Round Battle In Pokemon GO
Shadow Cubone
- Type: Ground
- Weakness: Grass, Ice, and Water-type moves
- Resistance: Poison, Rock, and Electric-type moves
Best Shadow Cubone Counters
- Primal Kyogre – Waterfall (Water) & Origin Pulse (Water) (Legacy)
- Mega Sceptile – Fury Cutter (Bug) & Frenzy Plant (Grass) (Legacy)
- Mega Rayquaza – Dragon Tail (Dragon) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
- White Kyurem – Ice Fang (Ice) & Ice Burn (Ice)
- Sky Forme Shaymin – Magical Leaf (Grass) & Grass Knot (Grass)
Cliff’s Second Round Battle In Pokemon GO
Shadow Machoke
- Type: Fighting
- Weakness: Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type moves
- Resistance: Bug, Dark, and Rock-type moves
Best Shadow Machoke Counters
- Mega Rayquaza – Air Slash (Flying) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
- Shadow Mewtwo – Confusion (Psychic) & Psystrike (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Mega Gardevoir – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic)
- Mega Alakazam – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Dawn Wings Necrozma – Psycho Cut (Psychic) & Moongeist Beam (Ghost)
Shadow Marowak
- Type: Ground
- Weaknesses: Grass, Ice, and Water-type moves
- Resistances: Poison, Rock, and Electric-type moves
Best Shadow Marowak Counters
- Primal Kyogre – Waterfall (Water) & Origin Pulse (Water) (Legacy)
- Mega Sceptile – Fury Cutter (Bug) & Frenzy Plant (Grass) (Legacy)
- White Kyurem – Ice Fang (Ice) & Ice Burn (Ice)
- Mega Rayquaza – Dragon Tail (Dragon) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
- Mega Swampert – Water Gun (Water) & Hydro Cannon (Water) (Legacy)
Shadow Annihilape
- Type: Fighting and Ghost
- Weakness: Fairy, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic-type moves
- Resistance: Poison, Rock, Bug, Fighting, Normal-type moves
Best Shadow Annihilape Counters
- Mega Rayquaza – Air Slash (Flying) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
- Dawn Wings Necrozma – Psycho Cut (Psychic) & Moongeist Beam (Ghost)
- Shadow Mewtwo – Confusion (Psychic) & Psystrike (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Mega Gengar – Lick (Ghost) (Legacy) & Shadow Ball (Ghost)
- Rayquaza – Air Slash (Flying) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
Cliff’s Third Round Battle In Pokemon GO
Shadow Tyranitar
- Type: Rock and Dark
- Weaknesses: Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Ground, Water, Steel, and Grass-type moves
- Resistances: Psychic, Dark, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Normal, and Poison-type
Best Shadow Tyranitar Counters
- Mega Lucario – Force Palm (Fighting) (Legacy) & Aura Sphere (Fighting)
- Terrakion – Double Kick (Fighting) & Sacred Sword (Fighting) (Legacy)
- Mega Blaziken – Counter (Fighting) & Focus Blast (Fighting)
- Keldeo (Ordinary Forme) – Low Kick (Fighting) & Sacred Sword (Fighting)
- Shadow Conkeldurr – Counter (Fighting) & Dynamic Punch (Fighting)
Shadow Machamp
- Type: Dark and Normal
- Weakness: Fighting, Bug, and Fairy-type moves
- Resistance: Dark, Psychic, and Ghost-type moves
Best Shadow Machamp Counters
- Mega Rayquaza – Air Slash (Flying) & Dragon Ascent (Flying)
- Shadow Mewtwo – Psycho Cut (Psychic) & Psystrike (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Mega Alakazam – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Mega Gallade – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic)
- Mega Gardevoir – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic)
Shadow Crobat
- Type: Poison and Flying
- Weakness: Electric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock-type moves
- Resistance: Fairy, Ground, Poison, Bug, Fighting, and Grass-type moves
Best Shadow Crobat Counters
- Shadow Mewtwo – Psycho Cut (Psychic) & Psystrike (Psychic) (Legacy)
- White Kyurem – Ice Fang (Ice) & Ice Burn (Ice)
- Shadow Rhyperior – Smack Down (Rock) & Rock Wrecker (Rock) (Legacy)
- Mega Alakazam – Confusion (Psychic) & Psychic (Psychic) (Legacy)
- Mega Tyranitar – Smack Down (Rock) (Legacy) & Stone Edge (Rock)
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Pokemon GO: Best Cliff Counter Team (March 2025)
Cliff’s March 2025 Shadow Pokemon lineup has many shared weaknesses, simplifying the battle. The best Cliff Counter Team in Pokemon GO are Mamoswine, Xerneas, and Mewtwo. These counters have the best chance to defeat all the potential choices Cliff has for the battle.
Majority of the Shadow Pokemon are weak to 2 types of moves in Pokemon GO. Your counter for the first round must exploit Cubone’s weakness to Grass, Ice, and Water-type moves. Mamoswine is a strong Ice-type option, which is also effective against Marowak and Crobat if Cliff uses them in the later rounds.
Other Shadow Pokemon in Cliff’s roster have common weaknesses to Fairy-type moves in Pokemon GO. You must have high CP Fairy-type Pokemon with powerful Fairy-type moves to inflict maximum damage against Annihilape, Machoke, Tyranitar, and Machamp. You also need a powerful Psychic-type monster like Mewtwo to defeat Annihilape, Machoke, Machamp, and Crobat.
