How to defeat Sierra in Pokémon GO (January 2023)

A complete guide on how to defeat Leader Sierra in Pokémon GO during the month of January 2023, including Sierra’s current Pokémon line-up. Sierra is one of the Team GO Rocket Leaders available in Pokémon GO, alongside Arlo, Cliff, and Giovanni.

You can rematch Sierra if you lose the first time. Use this guide in combination with knowing Sierra’s Pokémon to ensure a victory. You will notice that some Pokémon are listed more than once as counters to show which Pokémon offer the most coverage for Sierra’s potential line-ups.

💡 Note: In Trainer Battles, counters need not always be Pokémon that do super-effective damage. We include Pokémon that are more viable to defeat Sierra, rather than those who do maximum damage.

Sierra’s Pokémon Line-Up

Sierra uses Shadow Sableye as her first Pokémon. Sierra’s second Pokémon can be Shadow Flygon, Shadow Honchkrow, or Shadow Cacturne. Her third Pokémon can be Shadow Houndoom, Shadow Cradily, or Shadow Snorlax.

How to defeat Sierra’s Sableye

Sableye

Sierra’s Shadow Sableye is a Dark and Ghost type, and it’s only weak to Fairy-type moves. You want to burn through shields as quickly as you can on the first Pokémon, so you can hit the tricker Pokémon following with charged moves.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Flygon

Flygon

Sierra’s Shadow Flygon is a Dragon and Ground type, and it’s weak to Fairy, Dragon and Ice-type moves. Counters are similar to Sableye, but include some Ice users as well.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Cacturne

Cacturne

Sierra’s Shadow Cacturne is a Dark and Grass type, and it’s weak to 2x Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ice and Poison-type moves.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Honchkrow

Honchkrow

Sierra’s Shadow Honchkrow is a Dark and Flying type, and it’s weak to Fairy, Rock, Electric, and Ice-type moves.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Cradily

Cradily

Sierra’s Shadow Cradily is a Rock and Grass type, and it’s weak to Bug, Fighting, Steel, and Ice-type moves.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Snorlax

Snorlax

Sierra’s Shadow Snorlax is a Normal type, and it’s weak to Fighting-type moves. Snorlax has an insane move pool, so it’s hard to counter it without knowing it’s fast and charge moves. Use this list as a recommendation’s list only, and use your judgment in a real fight.

Recommended counters

How to defeat Sierra’s Houndoom

Houndoom

Sierra’s Shadow Houndoom is her signature Pokémon. Houndoom counters are strong Fighting, Ground, Rock and Water types, such as Machamp, Conkeldurr and Rhyperior.

Although Houndoom can deal a lot of damage, its low bulk makes it an easy target. Tyranitar can perform exceptionally here as well.

Recommended counters

How to find Sierra in Pokémon GO?

To fight with Sierra in Pokémon GO, you need to first defeat six Team GO Rocket Grunts to collect enough Mysterious Components to build a Rocket Radar.

Activate the Rocket Radar and you will be able to see the location of a Rocket Leader. The game will not tell you which Leader you are facing, but you have a 33% chance for it to be Sierra.

Fighting Sierra is more difficult than fighting Grunts, as Leaders use higher level Pokémon than Grunts. In order to defeat Sierra, we consider using good counters mandatory. 

You can rematch if you lose, and your Rocket Radar will be consumed if you win.

Rewards for defeating Sierra

Trainers who manage to defeat Sierra – or any other Team GO Rocket Leader – will get a selection of rare rewards, including the chance to get a Team GO Rocket exclusive 12 km Strange Egg.

• Trainers receive 1,000 Stardust when defeating a Rocket Leaders,
• Trainers will receive two of the item bundles listed below when they defeat Team GO Rocket Leader like Sierra.
• Trainers have the opportunity to catch a Shadow Pokémon used by the Leader. It is always the first Pokemon used by the Leader.
• Shadow Pokémon from Rocket Leaders have a shiny chance of 1 in 64, if they are shiny eligible at the moment of defeating the Leader

Reward mechanics

Defeating one of the Team GO Rocket Leader trio earns you two item bundles. If at least one of your Egg inventory slots is open, a 12km Strange Egg is guaranteed to replace one of those two bundles.

Receiving a Strange Egg does not have an effect on which item bundle drops alongside the egg.

Guaranteed

1000x Stardust

Random drop of two of these:

As an example, a typical reward drop might contain 4 Revives and 4 Hyper Potions. Similarly, a reward drop might contain 1 Strange Egg and 2 Max Revives, or 1 Unova Stone and 1 Strange Egg.

More Team GO Rocket Guides