Giovanni, the mysterious commander of the notorious Team GO Rocket, presents a unique challenge to Pokémon Go trainers. Defeating him in battle helps you to free the incredibly rare Shadow Legendary Pokémon that he has caught with his evil designs. However, bringing down Giovanni can be difficult without proper preparation and knowledge. This detailed guide will equip you with everything you need about how to defeat Giovanni the boss of Team GO Rocket confidently.
We will discuss the best Pokémon lineups, type advantages, combat techniques, what to anticipate from Giovanni’s squad, and much more. Follow these steps to win and gain an amazing Shadow Legendary to your roster.
How To Beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go? – Complete Guide
Getting Started against Giovanni
Before taking on the monster of Team GO Rocket himself, you must first complete the Team GO Rocket special research objectives, beating the three original GO Rocket commanders Arlo, Cliff, Sierra, and their lineups along the road. After defeating them, you will earn the Super Rocket Radar equipment.
When you equip the Super Rocket Radar from your inventory, Giovanni will appear at random PokéStops with the Team GO Rocket insignia floating above them. These tend to change sites every few days. When you find Giovanni, confront him in combat via the PokéStop. Now let’s look at his team and battle mechanics.
Understanding Giovanni’s Lineup
All adversary groupings in Pokémon Go follow a predetermined order. Giovanni’s team is composed of:
1) Shadow Persian: As the boss, Giovanni follows the tradition of commencing bouts with the incredibly defensive normal-type cat Pokémon Persian. As a Shadow Pokémon, it does 20% more damage.Persian’s primary techniques are Scratch and Power Gem, as well as Foul Play, which are charged. Getting through the first Pokémon is crucial.
2) Unknown Shadow Pokémon: The second slot alternates between numerous powerful shadow Pokémon with relatively excellent defenses. Steelix, Kangaskhan, Nidoking, Garchomp, Cloyster, and Kingler are among the most recent examples. You must determine how to counter based on the typing.
3) Shadow Kyogre Pokemon:
The underwater beast Kyogre, in its Shadow Pokémon guise, is one of the most dangerous raid attackers in Pokémon Go, dealing massive damage with its characteristic move Origin Pulse.
This terrifying Shadow Legendary’s Water-type Charged Attack has a 20% damage increase, allowing it to unleash a torrent against opponents weak to Water, such as Rock, Ground, and Fire-types like Heatran, Groudon, and Entei.
While extremely difficult to obtain through defeating Giovanni or trading, dedicated trainers who manage to add Shadow Kyogre to their roster and invest the Candy and Stardust to power it up will wield an absolute powerhouse that outperforms almost every other counterpart besides Shadow Mewtwo and Mega Legendaries when tackling Raids.
Carefully Examine Each Matchup
When the battle begins, Giovanni’s first Pokémon Persian will be revealed, but not his second defender or the Legendary in the final spot. You must swiftly change your combat approach whenever his mystery shadow Pokémon is exposed.
Select the appropriate counters based on its typing, attacks, and secondary move coverage.
Giovanni will also actively swap between his second and third Pokémon to reset attack timers or exploit type advantages, so switch intelligently as well.
Now, let’s look at the best Pokémon to beat his lineup.
Creating The Ideal Battle Party to Defeat Giovanni
Having a specialized fighting party is critical to defeating Giovanni. Your lineup should take advantage of type strengths and weaknesses while also preparing for his mystery Pokémon.
The following are the greatest Pokémon types to counter Giovanni’s Team:
⇒ Electric: Effective against flying and water types.
⇒ Water: Effective against rock, ground, and fire kinds.
⇒ Fighting: Strong against normal, rock, steel, ice, and dark types.
⇒ Ground: Strong against poison, rock, fire, and electric types.
⇒ Psychic: Effective against Poison and Fighting kinds.
⇒ Fairy: Excellent versus Dark, Dragon, and Fighting kinds.
To overcome Giovanni’s powerful Shadow Pokémon squad, prioritize Pokémon with solid bulk/defense as well as strong attacks. Now, let’s look at some perfect possibilities.
Fighting Type Counters
Giovanni uses several Normal, Dark, Rock, and Steel types, therefore having strong Fighting types is essential for offensive and coverage. Some popular options include:
→ Machamp: Karate Chop and Cross Chop defeat opponents.
→ Lucario: Aura Sphere and Power-up Punch deal exceptional move damage. Resistant to rock and steel.
→ Breloom can resist Ghost and Dark moves.
→ Conkeldurr has Counter and Dynamic Punch abilities, as well as a massive defense.
→ Toxicroak: Sludge Bomb Counters Fairy varieties that are resistant to fighting.
→ Blaziken: Brave Bird Counters Fighting moves are not effective on grass kinds.
→ Heracross: Rock Slide includes Fire and Flying kinds.
→ Hariyama: The bulldozer strikes Electric types, dealing standard damage.
Water Type Options
Water kinds naturally counter Ground, Rock, and Fire types, which Giovanni frequently employs. Emphasize those who add Fighting, Ground, or Ice as secondary typings.
→ Swampert: Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon/Earthquake destroys electric types.
→ Gyarados: Waterfall is a powerful Pokémon that can fly.
→ Empoleon: Waterfall + Hydro Cannon/Blizzard. It is resistant to rock and steel strikes.
→ Kingler’s triple resistance to fire is useful.
→ Gastrodon: Ground type prevents Electric vulnerability.
→ Feraligatr: Ice Fang counters Flying and Dragon kinds.
→ Poliwrath’s Dynamic Punch deals side Fighting damage.
Electric Type Forces
Due to their Legendary power, Zekrom and Raikou are the most popular Electric selections. But don’t forget Magnezone, who can withstand Flying and Steel assaults. Cradily avoids ground weaknesses by typing Grass/Rock and Thunder against aerial adversaries.
Psychic Type Warriors
Mewtwo has the most Psychic DPS, but it needs a Rare Candy expenditure. Metagross is Steel-type and resists Poison. Gallade, Gardevoir, and Slowbro are also viable possibilities.
Fairy-Type Defenders
Strong against the Fighting, Dark, and Dragon kinds. Gardevoir, Clefable, and Togekiss have solid Fairy quick moves with coverage options such as Dazzling Gleam. However, keep an eye out for ground weaknesses.
Ground-Type Assets
Ground types naturally counter Poison, Rock, Fire, and Electric types, which Giovanni may use. Rhyperior, Garchomp, Golurk, Mamoswine, Excadrill, and Groudon are excellent choices. Sand tombs and earthquakes simply crush.
Double Weakness Exploitation
A more advanced strategy against Giovanni is to stack Pokémon that can target his lineup’s double weaknesses. For example, Giovanni will almost always have Poison, Rock, Ice, or Steel types in play.
Water/Grass types such as Ludicolo, Roserade, and Venusaur deal double damage to Ground, Rock, and Poison types when they combine. Similarly, Fire/Fighting types such as Blaziken take advantage of Giovanni’s bug/grass and ice/steel double weaknesses. Cherrim, despite her small stature, has a powerful double Grass charged move!
Shield Baiting to Disable Protection
During battles, Giovanni (and all GO Rocket leaders) will activate a Protect Shield to block incoming Charged Attacks and keep his Pokémon from fainting prematurely.
However, you can only eliminate two shields. When they are broken, Giovanni absorbs all damage directly. As a result, “shield baiting” is an advanced tactic that involves firing low energy cost or weak Charged moves first to bait out his shields.
Only after his shields are down do you unleash your most powerful moves to sweep his final Pokémon. This prevents Giovanni from negating your most powerful attacks at critical moments.
Additional Things to Consider When Creating a Battle Roster
⇒ Unlock Second Charged Moves, which provides side coverage for additional enemy type weaknesses.
⇒ Ensure Type Coverage: Avoid relying too heavily on single types vulnerable to the same flaws. Mix and match different weaknesses and resistances.
⇒ Level 40 Pokémon: Every bit of combat power counts against Giovanni. Maximize your Pokémon levels.
⇒ Bulk Over Glass Cannons: Giovanni’s Shadow Pokémon are powerful and can easily faint squishier Pokémon. Value in bulk.
⇒ Boosts Over Breakpoints: Candy/Stardust should only be used to hit key damage breakpoints on attacks, rather than to randomly boost CP.
Let’s look at some specific examples of well-balanced anti-Giovanni battle teams:
Ideal Anti-Giovanni Battle Team Example #1:
1. Lucario: Aura Sphere/Power-Up Punch.
2. Kyogre: Surf/Blizzard
3. Zekrom: Charge Beam/Wild Charge.
4. Metagross – Bullet Punch / Meteor Mash
5. Excadrill: Mud Slap/Earthquake
6. Togekiss: Charm/Dazzling Gleam.
This lineup provides a blended set of Giovanni counters that checks all the boxes.
⇒ Lucario: Leads with a powerful fighting offense to counter Dark/Steel/Rock.
⇒ Kyogre: Water offense with an Ice secondary move to counter Ground/Rock/Flying.
⇒ Zekrom, an Electric Legendary with Wild Charge, can smash Flying Pokémon.
⇒ Metagross deals Psychic/Steel damage to Poison and secondary Dark/Rock types. It is poison-resistant.
⇒ Excadrill: Use ground offense to counter Poison/Fire/Electric types that pose a threat to your team.
⇒ Togekiss: Charm harasses Fighters, while Dazzling Gleam deals with Dark types.
Ideal Anti-Giovanni Battle Team Example #2:
1. Conkeldurr – Counter or Dynamic Punch
2. Rhyperior: Mud Slap/Rock Wrecker
3. Magnezone: Spark/Wild Charge
4. Swampert: Mud Shot / Hydro Cannon.
5. Gardevoir’s Charm / Dazzling Gleam
6. Machamp: Counter / Cross Chop.
This lineup, like the previous one, provides broad Giovanni-type coverage.
⇒ Conkeldurr: Fighting STAB attacks against Dark/Normal
⇒ Rhyperior: Ground offense to counter Poison, Electric, and Fire.
⇒ Magnezone: Electric damage to Flying types.
⇒ Swampert: Use water or ground to crush rock or fire types.
⇒ Gardevoir: Charm support and Fairy coverage.
⇒ Machamp: raw fighting power.
Both lineups use type offense and defense to counter the various Pokémon Giovanni may use against you.
Battle Strategies and Mechanics for defeating Giovanni
In addition to having the right Pokémon, battling Giovanni requires execution and effectively overcoming his mechanics. Here are some important battle strategy tips for achieving victory.
Exploit Type Advantages
Every time Giovanni switches Pokémon, press the type advantage. If you bring a counter Pokémon into play, you will deal 40% more damage while resisting incoming attacks.
Similarly, if Giovanni switches in something that your current Pokémon counters, use fast attacks to deal extra damage before he can withdraw it. Carry balanced teams with diverse type coverage to capitalize on any swap.
Bait and Drain Shields
It is critical that Giovanni waste both Protect Shield charges early on. Begin by baiting the shields with less charged attacks. After that, you can deliver knockout punches without hesitation.
Switch Pokémon after launching Charged Attacks to reset your own attack cooldown, then charge energy faster to drain shields more quickly. Master this mechanic!
Sac Swap to Maintain Health
If one of your Pokémon has gotten low on health, perform a sac swap by bringing in something already weakened and about to faint, and use Protect Shields if necessary to keep the Pokémon in the back healthy.
Proper Pokémon sacrifice maintains overall team health, allowing anchors in the back to sweep late in the game.
Overswap to Regain Switch Advantage
Advanced players can try to aggressively overswap Giovanni. This technique involves bringing in a counter Pokémon, landing damage, and then immediately returning to your original Pokémon to reset timer penalties, resulting in an overall energy gain and potential shield waste from Giovanni.
Time Dodge and Movesets
Giovanni fights very aggressively and deals a lot of Fast Move damage. Learn when he launches specific Charged attacks and time your dodges just before impact.
A failed dodge is devastating, so only focus on moves that will cause your Pokémon to faint if they connect. Also, memorize the durations of your own Fast Moves to avoid accidental overtap misfires.
Utilize Weather Boosts
Battles can be influenced by certain weather conditions. Rain boosts Water types, while sunny weather increases Fire attacks. Seek weather boost icons and avoid fighting when Giovanni’s lineup has an advantage. Partly Cloudy improves ground moves, so avoid those fights.
Maintain Your Focus!
Perseverance can break down any wall. When faced with Giovanni, even experienced players occasionally fail on their first try. Simply review your mistakes, re-calibrate your lineup, and battle again. Each loss teaches you how to improve your strategy for the next fight, until you win!
Catching Giovanni’s Shadow Legendary Pokémon After defeating the final Shadow Legendary bird, the critical capture phase begins! Remember that Giovanni’s Shadow Legendary still recognizes Frustration as a Charged Move that requires numerous Rare Candies to replace later on.
The only way to catch it without Frustration is in the first encounter after defeating Giovanni. So make sure to lock curveball Excellent Shots on every single attempt until success!
Use Golden Razz Berries to avoid fleeing the encounter, no matter how many Poké Balls it takes. Getting a second chance with the Super Rocket Radar will still cause the Shadow Legendary to reappear with Frustration. Take advantage of this one-time opportunity to obtain the best version possible!
A rare and valuable victory
Victory over Giovanni, the mastermind, brings enormous rewards. Few other challenges in Pokémon Go provide the opportunity to capture such rare and exclusive Shadow Legendaries with an attack bonus. Reaching the pinnacle of facing Giovanni demonstrates dedication and battle savvy.
Implement the knowledge and guidelines provided in this comprehensive guide to fully prepare your Pokémon lineup, moves, strategy, and mechanics for defeating Team GO Rocket’s boss!
Frequently Asked Questions
Giovanni’s lineup begins with his Shadow Persian, followed by a randomly selected second Shadow Pokémon from among Steelix, Kangaskhan, Nidoking, Garchomp, Cloyster, and Kingler. The third Pokémon is invariably one of the Shadow Legendary birds, either Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres.
Giovanni, a predominantly Ground/Poison type trainer, is vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ice, Psychic, and Ground type attacks. Packing Pokémon with Fighting, Fairy, or Dragon secondary typings also helps to address additional weaknesses he may utilize, like as Rock, Dark, and Steel.
Giovanni, like all Team Go Rocket commanders, receives two Protect Shield charges, allowing him to totally neutralize two incoming Charged Attacks that would cause his Pokémon to faint. He will activate these shields automatically in reaction to strikes that would normally knock out his current Pokémon.
When the Giovanni combat begins, just his lead Shadow Persian will be seen. You must pay special attention when he shifts to Persian to identify the second defender, and then adjust your fighting tactics accordingly. Observe its typing and attacks, and then switch in the necessary counters.
Catching the Shadow Legendary is incredibly difficult because it will have full health and combat strength after beating his entire lineup. Make every ball count, since it still understands the destructive Charged Move Frustration! Use Golden Razz Berries with Perfectly Timed Curveball. Excellent shots with the best odds until victory. Fleeing the confrontation means having to fight Giovanni again in another attempt.
The plan is to bait Giovanni’s Protect Shields early on with less powerful Charged Attacks in order to deplete both charges first. This hinders him from shielding critical hard hitting hits later on, when his shields are completely depleted. Quickly swapping Pokémon after charges resets your own attack timer, allowing you to generate more energy and bait shields faster.
In most cases, retaining a Shadow Legendary as a Shadow leads in better overall performance than Purifying for a Hundo (unless the IV is already very high). The 20% Shadow attack bonus surpasses the two additional IV points from Purification. Only activate the Shadow version if you absolutely require the Return move or despise the image.
Lucario, Conkeldurr, and Machamp are among the most successful Pokémon against Giovanni in terms of Fighting damage. Kyogre, Swampert, and Feraligatr are excellent water attackers. Zekrom and Raikou are the most popular Electric possibilities, while Mewtwo covers Psychic. Metagross is also resistant to poison attacks. Ensure that your squad has broad type coverage against Giovanni’s surprise Shadow Pokémon picks.
If you exhaust your restricted supply of Premier Balls by defeating Giovanni without successfully catching his Shadow Legendary, it will depart the battle. You must then equip another Super Rocket Radar and confront Giovanni again in the future in order to earn another chance at catching a different random Shadow Legendary.
The Shadow Legendary birds share the same optimum raid assault moveset: Extrasensory + Sky assault for Moltres/Articuno and Thunder Shock + Thunderbolt for Zapdos. Frustration should be replaced by a second Charged Attack if you’ve accumulated enough Rare Candy.
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