Pokemon GO Team Rocket Grunt lineups & counters in May 2024

Team GO Rocket Grunts are fairly common and weak enemies in Pokemon GO, but it's still important to know their lineups and the best counters to use if you want to defeat them.

Before you can face off against the villainous Team Go Rocket Boss Giovanni, you'll need to get past a wave of his loyal Grunts. These are low-level NPCs that take over PokeStops and battle unsuspecting Trainers with their lineup of Shadow Pokemon.

Team GO Rocket Grunt lineups & counters in Pokemon GO

When you encounter a Team GO Rocket Grunt at a PokeStop, they'll taunt you with a random catchphrase. These usually contain a hint about what type they'll use, such as "these waters are treacherous" hinting at a lineup of Water-type Pokemon.

Some of them aren't so obvious, though, and even if you do figure out what type they'll use, you won't know the specific Pokemon. In some cases, they'll use a dual-type Pokemon that doesn't have the traditional weaknesses you'd expect of them.

For this reason, I've listed every possible Team GO Rocket Grunt catchphrase below, along with details of the potential lineup they can use. I've also included some counters that can help you easily defeat them.

Are you scared of psychics that use unseen power?

With a lineup of Psychic-type Pokemon, you're going to want to focus on Bug-type, Dark-type, and Ghost-type counters like Pheromosa, Darkrai, and Gengar.

Battle against my Flying-type Pokemon!

This taunt needs no explanation; with a lineup of Flying-type Pokemon, I'd recommend using Electric-type and Rock-type counters like Zapdos, Regirock, and Magnezone.

Check out my cute Pokemon!

Although this Grunt uses Fairy-type Pokemon, some of them are dual-types with different weaknesses, so you'll want Fire-type and Poison-type counters to make sure you've covered all bases.

Coiled and ready to strike!

This Grunt uses Poison-type Pokemon, which means you should bring a team of solid Ground-type counters with you into battle, such as Garchomp, Excadrill, and Rhyperior.

Decoy Grunt

This special Grunt can appear in place of Giovanni as a decoy. With Grass-type and Normal-type Pokemon, you'll want a strong Fire-type and a Fighting-type Pokemon on your team.

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

All three of these female Grunts have the same potential lineups, which frustratingly is a mix of different types. This makes planning ahead a little more difficult than just using one specific type of Pokemon.

I'd recommend a team consisting of a Fighting-type for Snorlax, an Electric-type for Poliwrath and Gyarados, and a Steel-type for Gardevoir.

If this Grunt does send out Dragonite in its final phase, swap one of your team members for a Fairy-type instead. Remember, you can re-battle them as many times as you need!

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

The male versions of these Grunts are easy to plan for, as they use various stages of starter Pokemon from different regions. This means they'll send out a mix of Grass-types, Fire-types, and Water-types.

Because this trio of elemental types is able to counter each other, you should come armed with your own Grass-type, Fire-type, and Water-type counter. Then simply swap out for the one you need in battle.

Don’t tangle with us!

This Grunt uses a lineup of Grass-type Pokemon, so your best options are Fire-type and Ice-type counters like Charizard, Blaziken, and Galarian Darmanitan.

Do you know how hot Pokemon fire breath can get?

With a lineup of scorching Fire-type Pokemon, you should turn your attention to strong Water-type counters like Blastoise, Greninja, and Swampert to wash them all away.

Get ready to be shocked!

As their taunt suggests, this Grunt uses Electric-type Pokemon, so you'll want to focus solely on Ground-type counters like Garchomp, Excadrill, and Rhyperior.

Go, my super bug Pokemon!

With a lineup of Bug-type Pokemon, your best bet is to use a team of strong Fire-type counters like Charizard, Darmanitan, and Blaziken, as they'll make light work of this Grunt's entire lineup.

Ke… ke… ke… ke… ke… ke…

This Grunt uses a lineup of mischievous Ghost-type Pokemon, so your best option is to bring some strong Dark-type counters into battle like Darkrai, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar.

Let’s rock and roll!

As the taunt suggests, this Grunt uses a team of Rock-type Pokemon. To defeat them, you should focus on Fighting-type and Water-type counters like Machamp, Swampert, and Greninja.

Normal doesn’t mean weak

With a lineup of Normal-type Pokemon, there's just one thing you need to bring into this battle: Fighting-type counters. Some good options are Machamp, Lucario, and Conkeldurr.

ROAR! … How’d that sound?

With a team of Dragon-type Pokemon under this Grunt's belt, you'll want to bring some strong Fairy-type and Ice-type counters along like Gardevoir, Sylveon, and Galarian Darmanitan.

These waters are treacherous (Female)

The female version of this Grunt uses a mix of Water-type Pokemon, which means you'll want to focus on Electric-type and Grass-type counters like Magnezone, Electivire, and Kartana.

These waters are treacherous (Male)

Congratulations, you've found the easiest Grunt ever to defeat! This male version typically sends out three Magikarp, which can easily be defeated with Electric-type or Grass-type counters.

There is a small chance that this Grunt could send out a Gyarados in its final phase, which of course will be a little trickier to beat, but the same counters will work wonders here.

This buff physique isn’t just for show!

With a lineup full of Fighting-type Pokemon, you should come armed with strong Flying and Psychic-type counters like Espeon, Galarian Rapidash, and Honchkrow.

You’ll be defeated into the ground!

This Grunt uses Ground-type Pokemon, which means you'll want to focus on Grass-type and Water-type counters like Kartana, Blastoise, and Greninja.

You’re no match for my iron will!

With a lineup of Steel-type Pokemon, you should bring a team of Fire-type counters like Charizard, Blaziken, and Flareon to sizzle this Team GO Rocket Grunt in no time.

You’re gonna be frozen in your tracks

This Grunt uses Ice-type Pokemon. Normally, I'd recommend bringing Fire-types into battle, but some of these Pokemon can use Water-type attacks - so go with strong Fighting-type counters instead.

Wherever there is light, there is also shadow

This Grunt uses Dark-type Pokemon, but some of them are dual types. Bring a strong Fairy-type counter like Sylveon or Gardevoir, as well as a Ground-type counter like Garchomp to deal with Muk and Grimer.

Special shoutout to TheSilphRoad subreddit for help with this information!

General tips to defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts

The best thing you can do when battling Grunts in Pokemon GO is to check the weaknesses and counter suggestions above, but even then, you might have some difficulty defeating them.

Because Team GO Rocket Grunts scale in difficulty alongside your current level, it can sometimes be a better option to just bring your most powerful Pokemon into battle even if they don't specifically target your opponent's weaknesses. I do this sometimes and often find it easier to defeat them this way!

The most important thing is to avoid using Pokemon that are vulnerable to your opponent's type, as this is a surefire way to lose even if your Pokemon are strong - so don't go using Fire-types against a Water-type Grunt!

One good thing about Team GO Rocket Grunts is that they won't block your Charged Attacks with shields, unlike the Leaders and Giovanni, so you can usually get through these battles pretty quickly if you've got a Pokemon that can gather energy fast.

When you manage to defeat a Grunt, you'll be rewarded with a Shadow Shard, a Mysterious Component, and some Stardust. You'll also get the chance to capture one of their Shadow Pokemon.

That's everything you need to know about Team GO Rocket Grunts! Visit our Pokemon homepage for the latest news and guides, or take a look at the Pokemon GO events schedule to see what's on the way.