How To Defeat Giovanni In Pokemon Go. The addition of Hoopa to ‘s Season of Mischief has, as expected, had some interesting effects on the hit mobile game. Most notably, Team Rocket boss Giovanni has gone missing over the last few months. Giovanni, who is usually a tough opponent for trainers with a Super Rocket Radar, has gone missing from Pokemon GO, according to Niantic. While there hasn’t been an update on what he’s up to or when he’ll return, Niantic has only hinted that he’s up to no good.
The news will most likely disappoint Pokemon GO players hoping to catch a new legendary Pokemon. Traditionally, the reward for defeating Giovanni has been well worth it because the leader usually has the upper hand.
Unfortunately, there is very little information to go on in the absence of an official statement from Niantic. So, until his official return, the best strategy would be to stick to what players used to defeat Team Rocket leader Shadow Ho-Oh in September 2021, when Shadow Ho-Oh was the featured Pokemon GO reward. If and when Giovanni returns, this page will be updated with the most up-to-date information, but for the time being, here’s what to do assuming the core team remains the same.
Table of Contents
Persian is Giovanni’s first Pokemon.
Naturally, Giovanni frequently employs Persian in whatever team he employs against players. Although Persian is a normal-type Pokemon, it is vulnerable to fighting types, which will undoubtedly defeat it.
Best Persian Counters
Thankfully, the game has a wealth of strong fighting type Pokemon already, but here are some recommended ones players should consider leading off the battle with.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Lucario | Counter | Power-Up Punch or Aura Sphere |
| Conkeldurr | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
| Breloom | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
| Machamp | Counter | Cross Chop |
| Blaziken | Counter | Focus Blast |
| Hariyama | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
Cloyster, Golem, or Machamp as Giovanni’s second Pokemon
The second phase is usually the most difficult because Giovanni, like the other Team GO Rocket Leaders Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra, can summon a variety of Pokemon here. Unfortunately, they’re all quite different in terms of typing, so there’s no way of knowing which one Giovanni has until players can battle to this point to confirm. As a result, Pokemon GO players must be prepared for a variety of scenarios.
Cloyster Counters at Their Finest
Cloyster, the evolved form of Shellder, is the first of the bunch. It is a dual Water/Ice type, which causes problems for Grass types such as Venusaur because it is strong against Water but weak against Ice.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Lucario | Counter | Aura Sphere |
| Zekrom | Charge Beam | Wild Charge |
| Rampardos | Smack Down | Rock Slide |
| Attack Form Deoxys | Zen Headbutt | Zap Cannon |
| Therian Thundurus | Volt Switch or Thunder Shock | Thunderbolt |
| Electivire | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
Best Counters for Golems
The Golem, a dual Rock and Ground type Pokemon, could be the next option. Because of its dual-typing, it is vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ground, Ice, Steel, and Fighting type moves, which is ideal for those who still have a Fighting type from the first round against Persian. Pokemon with Normal, Rock, Flying, Fire, Electric, and Poison-type moves should be avoided because Golem resists them.
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| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Kingler | Bubble | Crab Hammer |
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump |
| Roserade | Razor Leaf | Solar Beam |
| Sceptile | Bullet Seed | Frenzy Plant |
| Breloom | Bullet Seed | Grass Knot |
| Tangrowth | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
Machamp Counters at Their Finest
Machamp, a pure fighting type Pokemon, is the final option. Players should bring Pokemon with Fairy, Flying, and Psychic moves while avoiding Pokemon with Bug, Rock, and Dark moves.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Yveltal | Gust | Hurricane |
| Rayquaza | Air Slash | Hurricane |
| Staraptor | Wing Attack | Brave Bird |
| Therian Tornadus | Gust | Hurricane |
| Mewtwo | Confusion | Psystrike |
| Celebi | Confusion | Psychic |
| Metagross | Zen Headbutt | Psychic |
| Latios | Zen Headbutt | Psychic |
Shadow Ho-Oh is Giovanni’s third Pokemon.
While Giovanni’s third encounter will most likely be with a different legendary when he returns, his previous appearance involved the Johto region’s very own Ho-Oh. The Rainbow Bird is a dual type that covers both Fire and Flying, giving players not only more options, but also a variety of strengths to consider when putting together a team. Ground, Fire, Steel, Fighting, Fairy, Grass, and Bug-type moves should be avoided because Ho-Oh resists them.
Top Ho-Oh Counters
During this phase of the battle, players can use Water and Electric type Pokemon, but Rock types fare much better against Ho-Oh.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
| Hippowdon | Thunder Fang | Weather Ball (Rock) |
| Manectric | Charge Beam | Wild Charge |
| Rampardos | Smack Down | Rock Slide |
| Landorus | Rock Throw | Rock Slide |
| Tyranitar | Smack Down | Stone Edge |
| Terrakion | Smack Down | Rock Slide |
