Learn how to defeat Giovanni during the month of March 2024 in Pokémon GO. Includes Giovanni’s current Pokémon lineup, best counters to use, and rewards for defeating him.
As the notorious Team GO Rocket Boss in Pokémon GO, Giovanni commands the relentless Team GO Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. Don’t miss our comprehensive Grunts Lineups and Counters Guide!
Giovanni is currently using the following Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO:
Pokemon #1 | Pokemon #2 | Pokemon #3 |
---|---|---|
Persian (Shadow) | Nidoking (Shadow) | Groudon (Shadow) |
Rhyperior (Shadow) | ||
Garchomp (Shadow) |
- Giovanni’s Current Pokémon Line-Up: Giovanni’s team includes Shadow Pokémon such as Persian, Nidoking, Garchomp, Rhyperior and the Shadow Groudon
- Best Team to Use: The recommended team to face Giovanni consists of Machamp (or another strong Fighting-type like Lucario), Swampert, or Galarian Darmanitan, and Kartana, Kyogre, or Mamoswine.
- These Pokémon are chosen for their effectiveness against Giovanni’s line-up, with Machamp and Lucario being particularly useful against Persian and getting Gio’s shields burnt quickly.
- Swampert and Galarian Darmanitan are strong against Nidoking and Garchomp, with Swampert also being strong against Rhyperior.
- End your team with a Kartana/Kyogre/Mamoswine depending on what you have powered up for the ideal counter against Groudon.
- How to find Giovanni: In order to find Giovanni, you need to complete the previous GO Rocket Research
One of the best Teams you can use against Team GO Rocket Giovanni in Pokémon GO is Machamp, Swampert, and Kartana.
- Machamp/Lucario – or any other strong Fighting-type – is a great choice against Giovanni, as Persian is weak to Fighting-type moves, and you more or less want a Fighting-type on your team.
- Swampert is an amazing Water and Ground-type that will help counter Persian, and do strong damage against Nidoking, but also can surprise against Garchomp. A combination of Ground-type fast move and Hydro Cannon as charge move is amazing.
- Kartana is a strong choice to defeat Giovanni’s Groudon. It is a glass cannon, so does need to be powered up. Can be replaced with Kyogre, or even Mamoswine, who doubles as a good counter
💡 Note: In Trainer Battles, counters need not always be Pokémon that do super-effective damage. We include Pokémon that are more viable to defeat Giovanni, rather than those who do maximum damage. Defeating Giovanni rewards 4× Shadow Shards.
Comprehensive Counters for Giovanni’s Pokémon
- Persian: Use strong Fighting or Steel-type Pokémon like Machamp, Lucario, Melmetal, or Dialga.
- Nidoking and Rhyperior: Effective counters include Ground and Water types like Rhyperior, Kyogre, Swampert, and Greninja.
- Garchomp: Ice types are most effective, along with Dragon and Fairy types like Togekiss, Sylveon, and Dialga.
- Groudon: Use Water, Ice or Grass types like Kartana, Swampert, Mamoswine, Kyogre, and Galarian Darmanitan.
Defeating Giovanni’s Persian
Persian (Shadow)Persian is a Normal-type Pokémon, weak to Fighting type moves. It takes reduced damage from Ghost type moves and has a wide move pool variety. Best counters are strong Fighters, but also Steel-typed Pokémon like Melmetal and Dialga.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Terrakion | Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Rock Slide |
Tyranitar | Smack Down, Brutal Swing, Stone Edge |
Lucario | Counter, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Ball |
Machamp | Counter, Close Combat, Stone Edge |
Melmetal | Thunder Shock, Double Iron Bash, Superpower |
Dialga | Dragon Breath, Iron Head, Draco Meteor |
Open with a strong Pokémon that can burn Giovanni’s shields efficiently – the aim is at least one. Since we are always facing Persian, we strongly recommend going with a strong Fighting type.
Best Counters for Giovanni’s Second Pokémon
Follow up with a Pokémon that is super effective against Giovanni’s pick, but be careful who you are against. Nidoking is weak to Ground and Water, Rhyperior is weak to Grass and Water, and Garchomp is double weak to Ice, so there’s quite a lot of variety.
Nidoking Counters
Nidoking (Shadow)Nidoking is a Poison and Ground-type Pokémon. It is weak to Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water type moves. It takes reduced damage from Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Rock, Electric, and Poison type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Rhyperior | Mud Slap, Rock Wrecker, Surf |
Kyogre | Waterfall, Surf, Origin Pulse |
Swampert | Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon, Earthquake |
Mamoswine | Powder Snow, Avalanche, High Horsepower |
Excadrill | Mud Shot, Rock Slide, Drill Run |
Dialga | Dragon Breath, Iron Head, Draco Meteor |
Rhyperior Counters
Rhyperior (Shadow)Rhyperior is a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon. It is weak to Ice Water Ground Fighting Steel and Grass type moves. It takes reduced damage from Fire, Electric, Poison, Flying, Normal and Rock-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Kyogre | Waterfall, Surf, Origin Pulse |
Swampert | Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon, Earthquake |
Roserade | Magical Leaf, Grass Knots |
Greninja | Water Shuriken, Hydro Cannon, Surf |
Samurott | Waterfall, Hydro Cannon, Razor Shell |
Garchomp Counters
Garchomp (Shadow)Garchomp is a Dragon and Ground-type Pokémon. It is double weak to Ice, and weak to Dragon and Fairy type moves. It takes reduced damage from Fire, Poison, Rock, and Electric type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Togekiss | Charm, Ancient Power, Aura Sphere |
Sylveon | Charm, Moonblast, Psyshock |
Dialga | Dragon Breath, Iron Head, Draco Meteor |
Palkia | Dragon Breath, Aqua Tail, Draco Meteor |
Gyarados | Dragon Breath, Aqua Tail, Crunch |
Best Pokémon to defeat Giovanni’s Groudon
Groudon (Shadow)Giovanni’s Shadow Groudon is a Ground-type Pokémon. It is weak to Grass, Water and Ice-type moves, which means you have a good set of options ahead of you.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Kartana | Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade |
Kyogre | Waterfall, Origin Pulse |
Mamoswine | Powder Snow, Avalanche |
Swampert | Water Gun, Hydro Cannon |
Zarude | Vine Whip, Power Whip |
Darmanitan (Galarian Standard) | Ice Fang, Avalanche |
Rewards for defeating Giovanni in Pokémon GO
In order to find Giovanni, you need to complete a currently active Team GO Rocket Special Research. Depending on the time you played, this can vary. Currently, Giovanni has returned with Shadow Groudon as part of the World of Wonders: Taken Over event, and the Special Research quest is called the World of Wonders: Taken Over.
Once you complete the fourth step of the current Rocket Special Research, you will get a Super Rocket Radar.
- It works like a regular Rocket Radar, but it tracks Giovanni, not GO Rocket leaders.
- The Super Rocket Radar doesn’t immediately lead you to Giovanni; it displays locations of both decoy Grunts disguised as Giovanni and Giovanni’s actual Hideout.
- You’ll need to approach each PokéStop and investigate yourself to find where Giovanni’s hiding.
- You can rematch if you lose, and your Super Rocket Radar will be consumed if you win.
Locating Giovanni: A Step-by-Step Guide
Trainers who manage to defeat Giovanni will receive selection of rare reward bundles, including the chance to get a Legendary Shadow Pokémon.
- Trainers receive 5,000 Stardust for defeating Giovanni
- Defeating Giovanni (when available) rewards three item bundles including Max Potions or Max Revives
- Trainers have the opportunity to catch the Legendary Shadow Pokémon used by Giovanni at the moment of defeating him.
- Giovanni does not drop Strange Eggs as a reward, regardless of open egg inventory slots.
Reward bundles
Guaranteed
5000× StardustRandom drop of three of these (can stack)
- 4× Revive
- 4× Max Revive
- 4× Hyper Potion
- 4× Max Potion
- 1× Unova Stone
Defeating Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni yields three item bundles, each of which has an equal chance of containing 4 Max Potions or 4 Max Revives. As an example, a typical reward drop might contain 8 Max Potions and 4 Max Revives.
Troubleshooting: Why You Might Not Have the Latest Team GO Rocket Special Research
Every single time there is a new Rocket Takeover event, we get a bunch of readers wondering why they haven’t received the new Special Research to go along with it (yet).
The most likely explanation is: You still have an unfinished Team GO Rocket research in your (right) Special Research tab.
If you have any of these Special Research stories, and you have progressed beyond the first page of it, you need to finish it, before you can receive any new Team GO Rocket Special Research:
- A Troubling Situation (This is the prerequisite research that you need to finish in order to receive any of the future Team GO Rocket Special Research storylines)
- Looming in the Shadows
- A Challenging Development
- The Take-Over Continues
- A Professor’s Work is Never Done
- The Shadowy Threat Grows
- An Inter-egg-sting Development
- The Higher They Fly…
- A Seven-Colored Shadow
- Silent Schemes
- Field Notes: Team GO Rocket
- Ultra Beast Protection Efforts
- Shadowy Skirmishes
- From the Shadows
- Showdown in the Shadows (Team GO Rocket Special Research)
- Timeless Travels Special Research.