Team GO Rocket Leader Guide: Defeating Cliff

First Pokemon - Meowth

• Machamp: Counter + Cross Chop* OR Dynamic Punch and Rock Slide
• Lucario: Counter + Power-Up Punch and Close Combat (Or Shadow Ball)
• Blaziken: Counter + Blaze Kick and Blast Burn
• Poliwrath: Mud Shot* + Power-Up Punch and Dynamic Punch

Second Pokemon

Sandslash

(Mud Shot/Metal Claw) + (Bulldoze/Earthquake/Rock Tomb)

• Gyarados: Waterfall + Crunch and Hydro Pump
• Lugia: Dragon Tail + Sky Attack and Hydro Pump
• Swampert: Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon and Earthquake

Gyarados is the safest choice here, double resisting Mud Shot and resisting Metal Claw. Its general utility means you might even have one kicking around already! Lugia is better against Mud Shot, and Swampert is better against Metal Claw. Note that Swampert uses Mud Shot over Water Gun to more easily stunlock the Sandslash! Dialga (DB/IH) and Vaporeon (WG/AT) can perform well against Metal Claw variants, but are overall riskier.

Snorlax

(Lick/Zen Headbutt) + (Heavy Slam/Earthquake/Hyper Beam/Outrage/Skull Bash)

• Tyranitar: Smack Down* + Crunch and Stone Edge
• Machamp: Cross Chop and Dynamic Punch
• Darkrai: Snarl + Focus Blast and Dark Pulse

Tyranitar and Darkrai are the safest choices here, resisting both fast moves. Machamp hits hard and can stunlock well, but doesn’t resist Lick and takes scary amounts of damage from Zen Headbutt.

Flygon

(Dragon Tail/Mud Shot) + (Dragon Claw/Earthquake/Stone Edge)

• Gyarados: Dragon Breath* + Crunch and Hydro Pump
• Togekiss: Charm + Ancient Power and Flamethrower
• Mamoswine: Powder Snow + Avalanche
• Poliwrath: Mud Shot* or Bubble + Ice Punch

Third Pokemon

Tyranitar

(Bite/Iron Tail) + (Stone Edge/Crunch/Fire Blast)

• Togekiss: Charm + Ancient Power
• Machamp: Counter + Cross Chop and Dynamic Punch
• Lucario: Counter + Power-Up Punch and Close Combat
• Swampert: Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon
• Poliwrath: Bubble + Power-Up Punch and Dynamic Punch

Note: Togekiss struggles against Iron Tail sets. Poliwrath is likely the safest choice, resisting both fast moves. 

Torterra

(Bite/Razor Leaf) + (Earthquake/Stone Edge/Solar Beam)

• Dialga: Dragon Breath + Iron Head and Draco Meteor
• Heatran: Fire Spin + Iron Head 
• Blaziken: Fire Spin OR Counter + Blaze Kick and Blast Burn
• Togekiss: Air Slash (or Hidden Power Ice) + Aerial Ace and Flamethrower

Blaziken is consistently strong but squishy. Counter and Fire Spin are both reasonable options.

Infernape

(Fire Spin/Rock Smash) + Solar Beam/Flamethrower/Close Combat)

• Lugia: Extrasensory + Sky Attack
• Moltres: Wing Attack + Sky Attack
• Togekiss: Air Slash + Aerial Ace
• Swampert: Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon
• Giratina-Altered: Shadow Claw + Dragon Claw and Ancient Power