Pokémon Go is full of activities for players beyond just catching Pokémon. One of those activities is encountering Team Go Rocket Grunts, who since 2019 have been taking over PokéStops and trying to steal items. Nowadays, they even appear in hot air balloons in the game’s overworld.
It’s not just the drive to battle criminals in the Pokémon world that might lead a player to face a Grunt. Battling them grants players rewards, including the possibility to capture a Shadow Pokémon, which can be a powerful ally in battle. They also drop special items called the Mysterious Component, which, when combined with five others, allows the player to find one of the Team Go Rocket Leaders.
Some of these Grunts can be really tough to deal with if you’re not prepared. The best approach is not to rely on luck and know exactly what you’re going to face to choose an appropriate team. After all, the fewer Pokemon you lose in battle, the more Premier Balls you’ll have to rescue the Shadow Pokemon.
How to know what type of Grunt you will battle?
There’s only one way to know what type of Pokemon the Grunt you’re going to face will have—the last line of dialogue before you accept the challenge will give you a hint of the Grunt’s type preference. With this information, you will be able to assemble your team accordingly and it will be much easier to win the battle and rescue the Shadow Pokémon.
Here’s the list of all the lines for you to find out what kind of Pokémon you’ll face and what options to choose for battle.
Wherever there is light, there is also shadow.
This Grunt will have Dark-type Pokémon, so your best choice is to use a team of Bug, Fairy, or Fighting-type Pokémon, like Heracross, Sylveon, and Machamp.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Alolan Rattata / Purrloin
- Alolan Raticate / Skuntank
- Alolan Raticate / Cacturne / Honchkrow
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Purrloin, Stunky, Alolan Rattata, or Alolan Raticate.
Don’t tangle with us!
That’s the Grass-type Grunt, one of those with more weaknesses. You can choose a team of Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison-type Pokémon, like Pinsir, Charizard, Glaceon, and Nidoqueen.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Cacnea / Chikorita
- Cacturne
- Meganium / Cacturne / Amoongus
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Chikorita, Cacnea, or Cacturne.
These waters are treacherous!
These are the Grunts who use Water-type Pokémon, and there is a difference between the male and female Grunts. Against most part of their teams, you can use Electric or Grass-type Pokémon, like Magnezone or Venusaur. Just remember to be prepared with a Grass-type when you encounter the female Grunt since she can have a Swampert, which is also a Ground-type and doesn’t take damage from Electric moves.
The lineup for the female Grunt can be:
- Totodile / Mudkip
- Marshtomp / Croconaw
- Swampert / Feraligatr
The lineup for the male Grunt can be:
- Magikarp
- Magikarp
- Magikarp / Gyarados
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Totodile, Mudkip, Croconaw, Marshtomp, or Magikarp.
This buff physique isn’t just for show!
This Grunt only uses Fighting-type Pokémon, which are weak against Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type Pokémon, like Gardevoir and Talonflame.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Makuhita / Machop
- Hitmonchan / Hitmonlee
- Machoke / Hitmonchan / Hitmonlee
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Makuhita or Machop.
Battle against my Flying-type Pokémon!
The Flying-type Pokémon of this Grunt are weak against Electric, Ice, and Rock-type Pokémon, like Electrivire, Alolan Sanslash, and Tyranitar.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Starly / Murkrow / Ducklett
- Staravia / Golbat
- Crobat / Dragonite / Gyarados
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Starly, Ducklett, or Murkrow.
Coiled and ready to strike!
This Grunt has Poison-type Pokémon and you should be prepared with a team of Ground and Psychic-type Pokémon, like Mamoswine and Espeon.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Nidoran♂ / Zubat / Foongus
- Nidorino / Nidorina
- Weezing / Muk
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Foongus, Nidoran♂, Zubat, Nidorina, or Nidorino.
Are you scared of psychics that use unseen power?
Here we have the Psychic-type Grunt. You should be OK with a team of Bug, Dark, or Ghost-type Pokémon, like Scizor, Houndoom, and Mismagius.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Girafarig / Abra
- Girafarig / Ralts
- Metang / Alakazam / Hypno
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Girafarig or Abra.
Do you know how hot Pokémon fire breath can get?!
Here you will face a Fire-type Pokémon team. The best option is to choose Ground, Rock, or Water-type Pokémon, like Rhyperior and Swampert.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Cyndaquil / Numel
- Magmar / Quilava
- Typhlosion / Ninetales / Camerupt
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Cindaquil, Numel, Magmar, or Quilava.
Check out my cute Pokémon!
This Grunt has a team of Fairy-type Pokémon. Your best choice is a team of Poison and Steel-type Pokémon, like Skuntank and Aggron.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Snubbull / Ralts
- Snubbull / Kirlia / Granbull
- Granbull / Kirlia
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Snubbull or Ralts.
You’re gonna be frozen in your tracks.
This Grunt will use Ice-type Pokémon. Their weakness is against Fighting, Fire, Rock, and Steel-type Pokémon, like Lucario, Magmortar, and Golem.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Alolan Sandshrew / Swinub
- Alolan Sandslash / Snover
- Abomasnow / Cloyster / Lapras
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Alolan Sandshrew or Swinub.
Ke…ke…ke…ke…ke…ke!
This is the Ghost-type Pokémon Grunt. Ghost-type Pokémon are weak against Dark and Ghost-type attacks. But this Grunt can use Sableye, which has the dual-type Dark/Ghost, making it vulnerable just to Fairy attacks. So it’s recommended you bring at least one Fairy-type Pokémon for this scenario and also be careful if you choose a Ghost-type since you and your opponent will be strong against each other. Pokémon like Absol and Bisharp will be good choices.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Duskull / Misdreavus / Sableye
- Dusclops / Banette
- Dusknoir / Banette / Sableye
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Duskull, Misdreavus, or Sableye.
Go, my super bug Pokémon!
To battle a Bug-type Pokémon team, you will want to bring Fire, Flying, and Rock-type Pokémon with you, like Incineroar, Pidgeot, and Alolan Golem.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Weedle / Shuckle
- Skorupi / Beedrill
- Pinsir / Forretress / Scizor
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Weedle or Shuckle.
Get ready to be shocked!
The Electric-type Pokémon of this Grunt have just one weakness: Ground. It may seem tough, but if you have a Pokémon like Garchomp with you, it’ll be easy. Flygon and Rhyperior are also good choices.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Shinx / Mareep
- Voltorb / Electabuzz
- Electabuzz / Ampharos / Luxray
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Shinx or Mareep.
You’ll be defeated into the ground!
This Grunt has a Ground-type team. You’ll be fine with a team of Grass, Ice, and Water-type Pokémon, like Leafeon, Galarian Darmanitan, and Feraligatr.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Hippopotas / Geodude
- Hippopotas / Graveler
- Hippowdon / Camerupt / Golem
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Hippopotas or Geodude.
Normal does not mean weak
With this Grunt, you will battle a Normal-type Pokémon team. Their only weakness is Fighting-type Pokémon. This battle should be easy with Pokémon like Machamp, Lucario, and Breloom.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Rattata / Whismur / Patrat
- Raticate / Bidoof / Loudred
- Raticate / Bibarel / Ursaring
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Patrat, Rattata, Whismur, Bidoof, Raticate, or Loudred.
Let’s rock and roll!
This Grunt has a team of Rock-type Pokémon, which is another type with more weaknesses. Being weak against Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-type Pokémon, you can choose freely from Pokémon like Hariyama, Sceptile, Excadrill, Steelix, and Blastoise.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Sudowoodo / Larvitar
- Lileep / Graveler / Anorith
- Golem / Pupitar / Tyranitar
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Sudowoodo or Larvitar.
ROAR! …How’d that sound?
This is the Dragon-type Pokémon Grunt. Dragons are weak against Dragon, Fairy, and Ice-type Pokémon. The battle here is as tricky as the one against the Ghost-type Grunt because Dragons are strong against each other. Be careful choosing your team. Your best choice is Pokémon like Walrein, Gardevoir, and Dragonite.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Dratini / Alolan Exeggutor
- Alolan Exeggutor / Flygon
- Dragonite / Salamance / Flygon
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon are Dratini or Alolan Exeggutor.
Don’t bother – I’ve already won! Get ready to be defeated! Winning is for winners!
The last Grunt on the list is probably one of the hardest since there is not only one type of Pokémon on the team. Snorlax is a certainty on their team, so you should bring your best Fighting-type Pokémon, like a Machamp or Lucario. Electric-type Pokémon are also a good choice since their type can counter multiple of the opponent’s possible Pokémon. Remember you can always rematch a lost battle.
The lineup for this Grunt can be:
- Snorlax
- Poliwrath / Snorlax / Gardevoir
- Gyarados / Dragonite / Snorlax
The possible catchable Shadow Pokémon is Snorlax.
That’s all of the Team Go Rocket Grunt lineups and counters currently available in the game. We will keep this article updated with the latest information to help in your battles against Team Go Rocket in Pokémon Go.
