As anyone who has dealt with Team Rocket could have predicted, Giovanni is the one giving out commands for Team Go Rocket in Pok?mon Go–though it is never explicitly stated until you are able to confront him.
Whether it be dealing with a Go Rocket Takeover and an increased number of Rocket Balloons floating above the overworld or simply hunting down the Big Boss yourself using your Rocket Radars, you should be ready to clash with the powerful Shadow Pok?mon Giovanni is known for using.?
You can encounter Giovanni by completing various pieces of special Go Rocket-themed research, typically given out by Professor Willow. There are other, ways to encounter Giovanni through the use of other research or items you can collect too.
Where and how to find Giovanni in Pok?mon Go
Giovanni is not an easy person to find in Pok?mon Go, and that is clearly by design considering he is a crime boss working from the shadows.
Related: All A Shadowy Disturbance Team Go Rocket Special Research tasks and rewards in Pok?mon Go
Typically, you will need to complete the following tasks in order to encounter Giovanni, but occasionally there will be other research tasks that allow you to skip around a few of the steps. But here is how you can encounter Boss Rocket in Pok?mon Go.
- Collect six Mysterious Components from Team Rocket Grunts and unlock the Team Rocket Radar.
- Once you equip the radar, you’ll be able to find three other Rocket Leaders.
- After beating the leaders you found, complete the Team Rocket-related Special Research tasks.
- You’ll get the Super Rocket Radar when you’re done with all the encounters and challenges.
- Equip the Super Rocket Radar radar and start visiting Pok?Stops to find Giovanni.
You can’t find Giovanni without the Super Rocket Radar, meaning completing the necessary steps will be a must if you want to take him down. Players may also find a Rocket Grunt disguised as Giovanni as they search for the Team Go Rocket Boss, which will not use up the Super Rocket Radar.
How to beat Giovanni in Pok?mon Go
Players will need to prepare a strong squad of Pok?mon for the encounter to beat Giovanni as fast as possible in Pok?mon Go.
Giovanni generally uses the same lineup during each encounter for a set period of time before it eventually gets updated as part of a new event or larger patch. The main change typically involves the middle part of his team and the Shadow Pok?mon he is using as his ace–almost always a corrupted Legendary Pok?mon.
Related: How to beat Sierra in Pok?mon Go
You will want to build up your own team of Pok?mon based on Giovanni’s roster to ensure you have your best chance to take him down. Here is what you will be facing if you challenge him throughout March.
Giovanni’s Pok?mon’s lineup in Pok?mon Go
First Pok?mon
Persian
Giovanni always starts off the battle with his trusty Persian, a Normal-type Pok?mon, who has become synonymous with the villainous leader since his debut in the anime. Persian is weak against Fighting-type moves, so you’ll want to feature Fighting-type Pok?mon in your lineup to counter Persian.
Machamp, Breloom, and Lucario will be strong enough to bring down Persian, in most cases. If you have another strong Fighting-type Pok?mon in your Pok?dex, you can also use them.
Second Pok?mon
Much like the Team Go Rocket leaders that serve under him, Giovanni possesses three unique options for the second slot in his party, almost always varying whenever his team is updated. These tend to include powerful Pok?mon that Giovanni has either used at some point in the main series titles or anime, or are simply strong ways to counter players that prepare solely for Giovanni’s last Pok?mon.
Nidoking
Nidoking returns once more to Giovanni’s team as an option for the Pok?mon that will appear after players defeat Persian. Unfortunately, its dual Poison/Ground-typing makes it resist damage from the Fighting-type moves that bested the foe right before it, so players will need to prepare moves that do super-effective damage to Nidoking–or else they’ll succumb to a rapid onslaught of damage.
Options here include Water-type Pok?mon like Gyarados, Swampert, Poliwrath, and Milotic, or Psychic-type Pok?mon like Mewtwo, Alakazam, and Slowbro. However, players should be wary on what Psychic-type Pok?mon they opt to bring, as most are rather frail and will not be able to take many hits from Nidoking.
Rhyperior
Barring Persian, I think you can see a theme here. Since Regirock is the big, bad, Shadow boss this time around, the Rocket Boss is focused on using mostly Rock and Ground-type Pok?mon.
Rhyperior has serious weaknesses to Water and Grass-type attacks, being quad weak to both. Recycling your Swampert or Slowbro should you bring them is great here, or you can rely on other strong options like Kyogre, Tangrowth, and Chesnaught that can tank hits and blast right back.
Garchomp
Giovanni is packing a Dragon-type again this time around, but keeping with the Rock and Ground-type theme he swapped out his Kingdra for a Garchomp.
Ice-types are your best friend against this powerhouse, and you will likely want to avoid bringing any Dragons of your own since they won’t want to take many hits here. Most veteran players should have a decent Glaceon lying around to take up the challenge, but Beartic, Mamoswine, and Legendaries like Kyogre or Mewtwo with an Ice-type attack will get the job done.
Even some options for the previous two Pok?mon Giovanni could potentially bring can challenge Garchomp, but you likely won’t be hitting it for super effective damage.
Third Pok?mon
Regirock
Giovanni has completed his Shadow conversion of the Hoenn region’s Regi trio and added Shadow Regirock to his collection.
Regirock will have access to several strong Rock-type moves, along with Zap Cannon, Focus Blast, and Earthquake. Based on the other Pok?mon on Giovanni’s team, you shouldn’t fear much out of this pure Rock-type.
Regirock’s high defense makes it a bit of a pain to deal with, but the usual Water, Grass, or Fighting-types will work wonders here. Machamp, Gallade, Hariyama, Poliwrath, Swampert, Tangrowth, Kyogre, and many more can counter Regirock and basically every other Pok?mon Giovanni can bring.
Upon defeating Regirock, players will have the opportunity to catch it and add it to their parties. As of right now, it is unclear when Regirock will leave Giovanni’s rotation, so for those that want this Shadow Legendary Pok?mon, be sure to act quickly.
