Pokemon Go Rocket Grunt guide: Counters and lineups (December 2024)

Those pesky Team Go Rocket Grunts are the lowest-ranking opponents you’ll come across in Pokemon Go, but it’s still important to know their lineups and best counters if you want to defeat them easily.

Prepare for trouble, and make it double. While Jessie and James might not be taking to the skies, ever since 2019, Pokemon Go has been populated by Team Rocket Grunts, posing a challenge for trainers worldwide.

Grunts might be the easiest members of Team Go Rocket to defeat, but they can still prove a difficult battle if you’re not prepared. The key to success is knowing what types they use and forming a team that takes advantage of their weaknesses.

Fortunately, each Team Go Rocket Grunt will taunt you with a line of dialogue ahead of each battle, which will give you a hint as to which type of ‘mon they’ll use and the potential pool of Pokemon they’ll choose from.

Grunt lineups shown below are correct as of December 2, 2024. 

Pokemon Go Grunt counters (December 2024)

There are plenty of reasons to defeat these Grunts in Pokemon Go. As well as providing you a chance to catch and purify a Shadow Pokemon, you’ll also get a Mysterious Component part that lets you battle one of the Team Go Rocket Leaders: Arlo, Cliff, Giovanni, or Sierra.

There are currently 22 Grunts in the game, each with their own lineup. Below, you’ll find every type of Team Go Rocket Grunt based on their taunts and information on what their lineup will be and the best counters you can use to defeat them.

If a Pokemon is marked with an ‘*’ it means it can appear as Shiny.

Are you scared of psychics that use unseen power?

This Grunt will use Psychic-type Pokemon, so the best counters are strong Ghost, Dark, and Bug-types such as Tyranitar, Weavile, Houndoom, and Haunter.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Gothita	Gothorita	Gallade
Solosis	Duosion	Reuniclus
	Wobbuffet	Metagross

Battle against my Flying-type Pokemon!

As the taunt suggests, this Grunt will use Flying-type Pokemon, so the best counters are strong Rock, Electric, or Ice-types such as Tyranitar, Electivire, and Abomasnow.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Pidgey	Gligar*	Dragonite
Starly	Staravia
	Zubat*

Check out my cute Pokemon!

If you find yourself against this Grunt, they’ll be using Fairy-type Pokemon, so the best counters are Poison and Steel-types like Metagross, Roserade, Gengar, and Victreebel.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Snubull	Snubull	Granbull
Mawile*	Granbull	Alolan Ninetales
Alolan Vulpix	Kirlia	Gardevoir

Coiled and ready to strike!

This Grunt will use Poison-type Pokemon, so the best counters are strong Psychic and Ground-types such as Espeon, Mewtwo, Tyranitar, and Groudon.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Hisuian Sneasel	Nidorina	Amoonguss
Croagunk	Nidorino	Toxicroak
Koffing*		Weezing

Don’t tangle with us!

This Grunt will use Grass-type Pokemon, which means the best counters are strong Fire-types like Charizard, Moltres, Entei, or Pyroar. Bug, Ice, Flying, and Poison-types are solid backups.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Treecko	Grovyle	Cacturne
Cacnea*	Ferrothorn	Meganium
	Lileep

Do you know how hot Pokemon fire breath can get?

As you may have guessed, this Grunt will use Fire-type Pokemon. This means the best counters will be strong Water, Rock, and Ground types like Tyranitar, Blastoise, Vaporeon, and Rhydon.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Torchic	Combusken	Darmanitan
Darumaka	Houndoom	Houndoom
Vulpix	Ninetales	Typhlosion

Get ready to be shocked!

This Grunt will use Electric-type Pokemon, so the best counters are definitely strong Ground-types like Groudon, Rhyperior, Hippowdon, and Golem.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Magnemite*	Alolan Geodude	Ampharos
Blitzle	Voltorb	Luxray
Joltik	Electabuzz	Galvantula

Go, my super bug Pokemon!

As their taunt hints, this Grunt will use Bug-type Pokemon. The best counters here are strong Fire-types including Charizard, Moltres, Entei, or Pyroar. Flying and Rock-types are decent backups.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Scyther*	Karrablast	Forretress
Caterpie	Shelmet	Scizor
Venipede	Anorith*	Beedrill

Ke… ke… ke… ke… ke… ke…

This Grunt will use Ghost-type Pokemon, so the best counters are strong Dark and Ghost-types such as Weavile, Gengar, Haunter, and Darkrai.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Duskull	Dusclops	Froslass
Drifloon	Sableye*	Gengar
Golett		Alolan Marowak

Let’s rock and roll!

This Grunt will use a series of Rock-type Pokemon, which means the best counters are strong Fighting types like Machamp. Water, Grass, Ground, and Steel types can be used as a backup.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Archen	Cranidos	Archeops
Tirtouga	Shieldon	Carracosta
Roggenrola	Graveler	Golem

Normal doesn’t mean weak

It goes without saying that this Grunt will use Normal-type Pokemon. The best counters are strong Fighting types like Machamp, Conkeldurr, Sirfetch’d, and Sawk.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Stantler*	Rattata	Stantler
Bidoof	Meowth*	Ursaring
Glameow	Purugly	Exploud

ROAR! … How’d that sound?

This Grunt will use Dragon-type Pokemon, so the best counters are strong Ice-types such as Weavile or Glaceon. Fairy types like Sylveon are good backups too.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Gible	Gabite	Salamence
Dratini*	Dragonair	Dragonite
	Alolan Exeggutor

These waters are treacherous (Female)

The female version of this Grunt will use Water-type Pokemon. The best counters you can use are strong Grass or Electric types such as Sceptile, Leafeon, Raikou, and Magnezone.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Mudkip	Marshtomp	Feraligatr
Shellder	Cloyster	Carracosta
Barboach	Crawdaunt	Whiscash

These waters are treacherous (Male)

The male version of this Water-based grunt will only use Magikarp, but there’s a very small chance he could send out Gyarados as his final Pokemon. Electric types are the best counters here.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Magikarp	Magikarp	Magikarp
		Gyarados

This buff physique isn’t just for show!

This Grunt will use Fighting-type Pokemon, so the best counters you can use are strong Psychic, Flying, and Fairy-types like Alakazam, Gardevoir, Togekiss, and Lugia.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Machop*	Hitmontop	Toxicroak
Mankey	Hitmonchan	Infernape
Timburr	Gurdurr	Conkeldurr

You’ll be defeated into the ground!

This Grunt will use Ground-type Pokemon, which means the best counters are strong Water, Grass, and Ice-types like Gyarados, Venusaur, Mamoswine, and Weavile.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Rhyhorn	Rhyhorn	Whiscash
Wooper	Vibrava	Flygon
Drilbur	Graveler	Torterra

You’re no match for my iron will!

This Grunt uses Steel-type Pokemon. A strong Ground-type will be able to defeat the majority of them, but keep a Fire-type on your team as well just in case you face Scizor.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Alolan Sandshrew	Skarmory	Empoleon
Alolan Diglett

You’re gonna be frozen in your tracks

This Grunt will use Ice-type Pokemon. The best counters are strong Fighting and Rock-types such as Aggron, Machamp, and Tyranitar. Keep a Fire-type on your team for Snover and Abomansow, too.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Alolan Sandshrew	Alolan Ninetales
Snorunt	Froslass	Froslass
Sneasel*	Glalie	Glalie

Wherever there is light, there is also shadow

This Grunt will use Dark-type Pokemon, all of which are weak to Fairy-type attacks, so the best counters are strong Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Togekiss, and Gardevoir.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Alolan Rattata	Alolan Muk	Alolan Muk
Cacnea*	Alolan Raticate	Skuntank

Don’t bother, I’ve already won / Get ready to be defeated! / Winning is for winners (Female)

This female Grunt is difficult to predict, as it uses a mix of Pokemon types. We recommend a team with a Fighting type like Machamp, an Electric type like Raikou, and an Ice type like Abomasnow.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Snorlax	Snorlax	Snorlax
	Poliwrath	Gyarados
	Gardevoir	Dragonite

Don’t bother, I’ve already won / Get ready to be defeated! / Winning is for winners (Male)

This male Grunt uses a mix of Grass, Fire, and Water-type Pokemon, so the easiest way to counter them is to have a Grass-type, a Fire-type, and a Water-type on your own team.

Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Chikorita	Bayleef	Meganium
Cyndaquil	Quilava	Typhlosion
Totodile	Croconaw	Feraligatr

Fooled ya twerp (Decoy Female)

Yes, there’s also a decoy female. Here are the possible encounters:

PHASE 1	PHASE 2	PHASE 3
Bellsprout*	Raticate	Raticate
	Bellsprout	Snorlax

If you become familiar with each taunt, you can defeat any Team Go Rocket Grunt and rack up loads of Shadow Pokemon before you know it.

That’s all of the Team Go Rocket Grunt lineups for December 2024. If there are any changes made by Niantic in future Go updates, we’ll update this page with the latest information.

If you’re looking to take on the other Team Go Rocket Leaders, check out our guide to take down Arlo, Giovanni, or our guide to defeat Cliff and Sierra.