Master Guide: Defeating Giovanni in Pokémon Go

Giovanni may be a real pain, but the rewards for defeating him are undeniably tempting, especially the guaranteed Shadow Legendary Pokémon you can snatch up if you manage to take him down. His three-tiered team, culminating in a challenging Shadow Legendary showdown, will put your battle skills to the test. But like any Pokémon team in the game, Giovanni’s lineup has weaknesses that can be exploited.

In this guide, you’ll learn about Giovanni’s current team composition and their weaknesses. Plus, you will discover the best Pokemon Go to counter his lineup and how to catch the powerful Shadow Legendary he leaves behind once you defeat him. And even discover a tool that can help you collect top counters, ensuring you’re well prepared to face Giovanni.

Part 1: Things you should know about Giovani

Giovanni is a master tactician, and very selective about when and where he appears, and his team composition changes with each appearance too. However, once you understand Giovanni’s patterns and weaknesses — you can defeat him — but with a strategy. First, here’s what you have to know about Giovanni:

• He’s Not Always Available: Giovanni only appears during specific Team GO Rocket events, typically lasting around two weeks and makes his appearance in the game roughly every three months. The most recent event, “World of Wonders: Taken Over,” began on May 15, 2024, and will conclude on June 1, 2024. The next Team Go Rocket event featuring Giovanni will be announced by Niantic.  
• Team Composition: If you have faced Giovanni in the past, you would know that his team composition changes with each Team Go Rocket event. In fact, it is because of the element of surprise that requires you to prepare a strategy to defeat Giovanni. Still, However, his first Pokémon is always Persian, which is considered his signature companion. For the second phase, Giovanni often chooses from a pool of three possibilities, and his final Pokémon has always been a Shadow Legendary.

Giovanni’s Current Team (as of May 2024):

To access Giovanni, you must first complete the Special Research questline associated with the current Team GO Rocket event. And once you obtain the Super Rocket Radar, you can track him down and challenge his current team:

Giovanni Pokemon Go Weakness

Knowing Giovanni’s team composition in itself is enough for you to strategize your counters. For instance:

• Persian — Normal-type — is weak to Fighting-type attacks.
• The second phase will require you to adapt your strategy depending on the Pokemon that Giovanni chooses.
• Shadow Groudon, given the current choice for Shadow legendary of Giovanni — is vulnerable to Grass, Water, and Ice-type attacks.

Part 2: Top Counters for Giovani’s Encounter in Pokemon Go

Knowing Giovanni’s composition and their weakness, experienced trainers might already have a good idea of which Pokemon to choose. Still, here’s a breakdown of some top counters for each phase to ensure you’re well prepared for Giovanni.

First Round: Persian

As mentioned earlier, Persian is a Normal-type Pokémon, making it weak to Fighting-type attacks. So, you can unleash your powerful Fighting-type Pokémon to easily crush down Giovanni’s first line of defense. Here are some excellent choices:

Pokémon	Pic	Type	Recommended Moveset
Lucario		Fighting/Steel	Counter, Aura Sphere
Machamp		Fighting	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Conkeldurr		Fighting	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Breloom		Grass/Fighting	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Hariyama		Fighting	Counter, Close Combat

Second Round

The second round of your battle against Giovanni presents a challenge, as his choice of Pokémon can vary. He might unleash Nidoking, Rhyperior, or Garchomp — and each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you will have to prepare accordingly.

Here’s how to prepare to be ready for any surprise in the Giovanni’s second line of defense:

Giovanni’s Pokémon	Pic	Type	Weaknesses	Recommended Counters
Nidoking		Poison/Ground	Psychic, Water, Ground, Ice	Mewtwo, Alakazam, Espeon, Kyogre, Swampert
Rhyperior		Ground/Rock	Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel, Ice	Kyogre, Swampert, Zarude, Lucario, Metagross, Mamoswine
Garchomp		Dragon/Ground	Ice, Dragon, Fairy	Mamoswine, Glaceon, Weavile, Dragonite, Salamence, Togekiss

Given, Giovanni’s second Pokémon will be a surprise, it’s crucial that you have a flexible team prepared. Ensure to bring Pokémon that can cover multiple types and weaknesses, so you can adapt your strategy on the fly. As indicated in the above table, a versatile team means you should include a combination of Psychic, Water, Grass, Fighting, Ice, Dragon, and Fairy types.

Third Round: Shadow Groudon

Giovanni in his final showdown pits against a formidable Shadow legendary. And this time, it is the Shadow Groudon — a Ground-type Legendary Pokemon with immense power. This means, to defeat, you will need a team that will allow you to exploit Groundon’s weakness to Grass, Water, and Ice-type attacks.  

Here are some top counters to consider:

Pokémon	Pic	Type	Recommended Moveset
Primal Kyogre		Water	Waterfall, Origin Pulse
Mega Swampert		Water/Ground	Water Gun, Hydro Cannon
Mega Sceptile		Grass	Fury Cutter, Frenzy Plant
Zarude		Dark/Grass	Vine Whip, Power Whip
Mamoswine		Ice/Ground	Powder Snow, Avalanche
Kyogre		Water	Waterfall, Surf/Hydro Pump
Gyarados		Water/Flying	Waterfall, Hydro Pump
Kingler		Water	Bubble, Crabhammer
Exeggutor (Alolan)		Grass/Dragon	Bullet Seed, Solar Beam

Part 3: How to Beat Giovanni Pokemon Go

Having faced Giovanni numerous times since his first appearance in the summer of 2019 (yes, it’s been that long!), I’ve learned a thing or two about how to take him down. Of course, these tips aren’t solely my own; gratitude goes to the active Pokemon Go community on Reddit. Drama aside, here are some hardcore guaranteed tips to help you emerge victorious against the Team Go Rocket leader:

• Master the Art of the Delay: You’ll see brief pauses in the battle, usually after Pokémon switches, charged attacks, and even when one of your Pokémon faints. Just ensure to seize these moments to unleash a few extra attacks before Giovanni can react.
• Start Strong Against Persian: It is First round, but don’t waste a second! As soon as the battle begins, swap out your starting Pokémon and bring in your Fighting-type powerhouse to counter Persian.
• Unleash Mega Power: When it comes to Round 3 against Shadow Groudon —use Mega Evolution, Mega Swampert and Mega Sceptile if you have access to these. Their boosted stats and powerful attacks will make quick work of this Ground-type titan.
• Weather Boost: Pay attention to the in-game weather, as it can amplify the damage of certain types. Sunny/Clear weather will boost Groudon’s Ground-type attacks, while Rainy weather will empower your Water-type counters.

Part 4: How to Catch More Pokemon?

While these Pokémon are your best bet against Giovanni, some of them, like the regional exclusives Farfetch’d (Galarian) or Heracross, can be notoriously difficult to obtain. You might not have enough time to trade or wait for special events to get your hands on them before Giovanni disappears again. That’s where a location spoofer like iWhere comes in to level the field. Here’s what you have to know:

iWhere iPhone Location Changer

iWhere iPhone Location Changer is a powerful location spoofer designed to help you catch rare Pokémon, collect valuable resources, and achieve your in-game goals in Pokémon Go. Its one-click “Modify Location” feature allows you to instantly teleport to any location in the world and pretend you’re actually there. Once you’ve virtually arrived at your destination, you can use the Joystick to move around at a custom speed – whether it’s cycling, driving, or walking – and even trigger realistic fluctuations to make your movements appear natural.

Besides that, iWhere offers other intuitive options, like the One-Stop mode helps you plan the most efficient route between two points. And the Multi-stop mode allows you to strategically visit PokéStops and gyms in a new city. You can even import GPX route maps from communities on Reddit and Discord, guiding you to rare Pokémon locations that might otherwise take hours to discover.

Key Features of iWhere iPhone Location Changer:

• Teleport to Any Location: Instantly change your location in Pokémon Go with one click.
• GPX Import: Use community-made route maps to discover rare Pokémon.
• One-Stop Mode: Optimize a route between two points.
• Multi-Stop Mode: Plan strategic routes with multiple PokéStop and gym stops.
• Historical Routes: Review past routes and revisit successful spots.
• Different Movement Speeds: Choose from cycling (15-20 km/h), driving (40-60 km/h), or walking (3-5 km/h) speeds.

Here’s How to Use iWhere to Teleport Anywhere in the Pokemon Go world:

Step 1: Connect your iOS device to PC using a lightning cable.

Step 2: Click “Modify Location” on the main interface.

• Pinpoint the desired location on the map or enter coordinates.

Step 3: Click “Confirm Modify” to teleport. Open the Pokemon Go app, and you will be in the new chosen location.

Conclusion

Defeating Giovanni in Pokemon Go is a challenge worth considering — given it will allow you to catch the legendary Shadow Groudon. And now that you are equipped with the knowledge of Giovanni’s team weaknesses, the right counters, and battle strategies — you can easily claim the victory. Remember, preparation and having the counters is key when it comes to taking down Giovanni’s team of lineups. And with iWhere, you can ensure you have access to all the best counters, no matter where you are in the world.