On July 6th, 2016 Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, released Pokemon Go for iOS and Android Devices. The game took the world by storm with its release and honestly, it was a great way to get people to be more active and go outside. The game was released to mixed reviews, critics praised the idea but criticized the game for its bugs and technical problems. Niantic took the criticism in stride and continued to support the release. It was one of the most used and profitable mobile apps in 2016 and now has over 147 million monthly active users. Today, players are struggling with a quest that places them against Giovanni, the leader of Team Go Rocket. By the end of this article, Giovanni should be light work no reaction.
Giovanni Got An Update On Oct.26
With the arrival of the “Showdown in the Shadows” quest, Giovanni got a new team for players to fight against. One of the new possibilities for Giovanni’s team is a battle against Regigigas. If you’re looking to catch Shadow Regigas it is best to get it done soon before it’s swapped out for a different one in the future. Don’t procrastinate and lose out!
Where to Find Giovanni
Usually, you can find Giovanni while completing Team Go Rocket Special Research. The quest as of late November 2023, is “Showdown in the Shadows.” After you beat all three Team Go Rocket leaders, you’ll receive a Super Rocket Radar, that lets you find Giovanni. He can be found in the Team Go Rocket balloons or Pokestops as long as you have the radar-equipped. Expect there to be decoy grunts to stand in your way but eventually, you’ll encounter the big man himself. Even if you lose to him here you can battle him as many times as it takes to beat him.
Giovanni’s Team
Giovanni’s lineup changes every once and a while but as of November 29th, 2023 his current team is:
- Persian
- Nidoking / Kingler / Garchomp
- Shadow Regigas
You can expect Persian at the start of every encounter. His second Pokemon will be random, it can be either Nidoking, Kingler, or Garchomp. Finally, you’ll face Shadow Regigas.
Persian Counters
Persian is a Normal-type Pokemon, meaning it’s weak against Fighting-type attacks and resistant to Ghost-type attacks. Here are some counters you can use to easily beat Persian.
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
| Terrakion | Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move) |
| Conkeldurr | Counter (Fast Move) & Focus Blast (Charge Move) |
| Hariyama | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
| Lucario | Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move) |
| Machamp | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
| Breloom | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
Nidoking Counters
Since Nidoking is a dual Poison/Ground-type Pokemon it has many weaknesses. Nidoking is weak against Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and resistant to Electric, Poison, Bug, Fairy, Fighting, and Rock-type attacks. Here are some counters:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Psycho Cut (Fast Move) & Psychic/Psystrike (Charge Move) |
| Kyogre | Waterfall (Fast Move) & Origin Pulse (Charge Move) |
| Garchomp | Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Earth Power (Charge Move) |
| Glaceon | Ice Shard (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
| Espeon | Confusion (Fast Move) & Psychic (Charge Move) |
Kingler Counters
Kingler is a Water-type Pokemon, so it is weak to Grass and Electric and is resistant to Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel. Here are some counters for Kingler:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock & Power Whip |
| Kartana | Razor Leaf & Leaf Blade |
| Mega Sceptile | Bullet Seed & Leaf Blade |
| Shadow Electivire | Thunder Shock & Wild Charge |
| Shadow Zapdos | Thunder Shock & Thunderbolt |
| Shadow Luxray | Spark & Wild Charge |
Garchomp Counters
The Dual Dragon/Ground-type Pokemon Garchomp is usually a monster on well-rounded teams. It’s weak to other Dragon, Fairy, and Ice-type Pokemon. It might be easier to focus on the Ice vulnerability. Garchomp is resistant to Electric, Fire, Poison, and Rock-type attacks.
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
| Articuno | Frost Breath (Fast Move) & Ice Breath (Charge Move) |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
| Mamoswine | Powder Snow (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
| Glaceon | Dragon Tail (Fast Move) & Outrage (Charge Move) |
| Dragonite | Dragon Tail (Fast Move) & Outrage (Charge Move) |
| Weavile | Ice Shard (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
Shadow Regigigas Counters
Regigas is a Normal-type Pokemon like Persian. It’s weak against Fighting attacks and resistant to Ghost-type just like Persian. You guessed it, you can use the same Pokemon to counter Regigas! Make sure you focus on exploiting its weaknesses with both Fast and Charged attacks.
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
| Terrakion | Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move) |
| Conkeldurr | Counter (Fast Move) & Focus Blast (Charge Move) |
| Pheromosa | Low Kick (Fast Move) & Focus Blast (Charge Move) |
| Lucario | Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move) |
| Machamp | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
| Hawlucha | Low Kick (Fast Move) & Flying Press (Charge Move) |
Giovanni is much harder than the other leaders but he isn’t impossible. Even if you don’t have any of the Pokemon listed above, you can use whatever you have that can abuse Giovanni’s weaknesses.