Giovanni is the infamous leader of Team Rocket inPokémon GOand by far the hardest member to beat. Giovanni has a stacked lineup of extremely powerful Pokémon, but this final boss has far more fixed Pokémon than the average Grunt or mini-boss. This makes the fight significantly easier to prepare for, although players still need to prepare if they want any hope of defeating Giovanni inPokémon GO.

To reach Giovanni inPokémon GO, you must first fight through Team Rocket Grunts and three mini-bosses: Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra. The three mini-bosses will all drop Mysterious Components, and with all three, you can finally match up against Giovanni. Giovanni’s fight is far less reliant on RNG than the previous three fights, but his team is still challenging to counter. Below is everything you can expect from Giovanni, including his current lineup, counters, and rewards for eventually defeating the Team Rocket leader.

Great League Remix from Pokemon GO Mandibuzz and Carbink

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All Giovanni Pokémon In Pokémon GO (June 2024)

Giovanni’s Lineup

Team Rocket members’ Pokémon lineups change every season, with Giovanni’s June 2024 Pokémon roster matching his May 2024 set inPokémon GO. This means that if you have prior experience taking on Giovanni, you should already know what to expect.

AlthoughGiovanni has more fixed Pokémon than other Team Rocket bosses, such as Arlo, a few Pokémon slots are still subject to change. Thankfully, you can exit the Giovanni fight inPokémon GOand readjust your lineup if you find your current Pokémon lacking.

Giovanni from Pokémon GO looks serious against a red-colored background with blurred Poké Balls.

Giovanni has five total Pokémon can pick from, but only three he actually plays. The first is his Persia, a Normal-type Pokémon that is signature to the character. The second wave has three possibilities: Nidoking, Rhyperior, and Garchomp. The final is the hardest to take on, as it isPokémon GO’s Shadow Legendary Groudon. Although the only change-up can occur in the second wave, this can drastically alter your lineup going into the fight. Thankfully, Giovanni’s fight can be made much easier with the right counters.

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Giovanni Dark Purple Background in Pokémon GO

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Giovanni from Pokemon GO smirks with an explosion in the background.

Best Counters For Giovanni In Pokémon GO (June 2024)

Best Pokémon Lineup Against Giovanni

As you can tell from the table above,Giovanni has many Pokémon that arevulnerable toWater-type Pokémon. His final pick, Groudon, and most of his second-wave picks are weak to any Water-types. Due to this, bringing alongGyarados, Blastoise, or Kyogrecan be massively beneficial in the mid-to-late stages of this fight.

Although Groudon, Rhyperior, and Nidoking are all weak to Water-type, Garchomp can throw a massive wrench in the plan. If you run into Garchomp, it’s best to check out the fight, heal up your Pokémon, and return with any Ice-type.

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Giovanni’s first pick, Persian, is easy to start the fight. As a Normal-type, this isn’t too mechanically demanding. Any Fighting-type likeMachamp or Lucariocan make short work of this first encounter. Finally, Giovanni’s third pick is easily the most challenging. Still, any Water- or Grass-type should make this final hurdle easier to overcome. If you aren’t using a Water-type, thenSwampert or Torterraare two top-tier picks for overcoming this final portion of the fightagainst Giovanni.

How To Find Giovanni In Pokémon GO (June 2024)

Locating Giovanni inPokémon GOis almost just as difficult as fighting him. To find Giovanni, you need totake on the quest “It’s A Rocket World.“This quest immediately gives players theSuper Rocket Radar, which allows them to find Team Rocket balloons at Pokéstops that have been overrun.

Unless you have a Rocket Radar, you will not be able to eventually find and take down Giovanni. The infamous Team Rocket leader won’t be the first enemy you fight at a Team Rocket-infested Pokéstop, as you need to take on Grunts and mini-bosses first.

Before getting to Giovanni,you mustfight six Team Rocket Grunts. Defeating a Grunt will drop a Mysterious Component. Once you have defeated six Grunts, you will summon one of three mini-bosses:Arlo, Sierra, or Cliff. Defeating all three Team Rocket mini-bosses will summon the final big bad, Giovanni.

As long as you are within the range of Pokéstop, you can battle Giovanni and his loyal minions. This is a tough fight and an absolute gauntlet to go through before you reach the final boss, so be sure to stock up on healing items in case you need to pause and heal up.

Rewards For Defeating Giovanni In Pokémon GO

Given the difficulty of defeating Giovanni, finally besting the Team Rocket leader comes with plenty of rewards. First,you will gain5,000 total Stardust, which will be used to upgrade your existing Pokémon’s stats.

Next, you will gain several randomly generated items, includingMax Potions and Max Revives. Although not guaranteed, you also have the chance to get anUnova Stone, so long as you have the inventory space. This rare item allows you to evolve any Gen 5 Pokémon.

Finally, you can alsocatch a Legendary Shadow Pokémononce you defeat Giovanni inPokémon GO. Shadow Pokémon are an extremely powerful, rare variant of normal Pokémon. Whenever you acquire a Shadow Pokémon, you can elect to either purify the creature or retain it in its Shadow Form.

If you want to be able to take down Raids fast, then it might be best to keep the Pokémon in Shadow form. Overall, taking down Giovanni inPokémon GOhas plenty of benefits.