Giovanni has returned once again in Pokemon GO, and the leader of Team Rocket has a Shadow Lugia and more on his team in March 2022. Finding and defeating Giovanni is a practice that most Pokemon GO players are used to by this point, and the strategy usually involves researching the best team and counters to bring before you jump into the battle. This month’s Giovanni counters are fairly common, so you should have at least a few of them in your collection. Here’s how to find and defeat Giovanni in Pokemon GO this month.
How to Find Giovanni in Pokemon GO
Before you can battle Giovanni in Pokemon GO, you have to find him first. That involves taking down Team Rocket Grunts and the other three Team Rocket Leaders (Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra) first. The process hasn’t changed, so here’s how you can encounter Giovanni.
- Defeat Team Rocket Grunts to obtain a Team Rocket Radar.
- Use the Team Rocket Radar to find and defeat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra.
- Complete Team Rocket-related Research to obtain a Super Rocket Radar.
- Check PokeSteps until you find Giovanni.
Remember that some Team Rocket Grunts can disguise themselves as Giovanni, so you might get bamboozled at your first few PokeStops. Once you have the Super Rocket Radar, however, it shouldn’t be long before you find the real one. This month, Giovanni’s team consists of Persian in the first slot, Kingler/Nidoking/Rhyperior in the second slot, and Shadow Lugia in the third slot. Keep reading below for the best counters to bring to the battle.
Best Persian Counters
Giovanni opens this month’s battle with his signature Persian, and it’s an easy opponent to take down. Persian is a pure Normal-type Pokemon, meaning it’s weak to Fighting-type attacks and resistant to Ghost-type moves. As such, it’s good to bring along a Pokemon with Fighting-type attacks. These are the best counters for Persian.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Lucario | Counter | Power-Up Punch |
| Melmetal | Thunder Shock | Thunderbolt |
| Machamp | Counter | Cross Chop |
| Rhyperior | Mud Slap | Stone Edge |
| Tyranitar | Smack Down | Crunch |
| Hariyama | Counter | Dynamic Punch |
Best Kingler Counters
Giovanni’s second Pokemon is a random one chosen from a group of three, and Kingler is one possibility. Kingler is a Water-type Pokemon, so you should bring along a Pokemon with Electric-type and Grass-type moves. Avoid Fire, Ice, Steel, and Water-type attacks since Kingler will resist them. These are the best Kingler counters.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Zapdos | Thunder Shock | Thunderbolt |
| Zarude | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Raikou | Volt Switch | Wild Charge |
| Torterra | Razor Leaf | Frenzy Plant |
| Magnezone | Spark | Wild Charge |
| Roserade | Razor Leaf | Solar Beam |
Best Nidoking Counters
Nidoking is another possible opponent in Giovanni’s second slot. It’s a Poison/Ground-type Pokemon, making it weak to Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water-type attacks and resistant to Bug-type and Electric-type moves. You have a lot of options when it comes to weaknesses, so here are the best Nidoking counters.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Confusion | Psystrike |
| Hoopa | Confusion | Psychic |
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Surf |
| Empoleon | Waterfall | Hydro Cannon |
| Excadrill | Mud Shot | Drill Run |
| Garchomp | Mud Shot | Earth Power |
Best Rhyperior Counters
Rhyperior is the third possible Pokemon that Giovanni can send out second, and it’s a Ground/Rock-type Pokemon that boasts several weaknesses. It is weak to Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel-type attacks, but using Grass-type and Water-type moves will be the most effective since those types target both of Rhyperior’s types. Here are some good Rhyperior counters.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Surf |
| Empoleon | Waterfall | Hydro Cannon |
| Zarude | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Swampert | Mud Shot | Hydro Cannon |
| Torterra | Razor Leaf | Frenzy Plant |
| Roserade | Razor Leaf | Solar Beam |
Best Shadow Lugia Counters
Shadow Lugia is the final Pokemon on Giovanni’s team, and it’s a powerful foe. Shadow Lugia is a dual Psychic/Flying-type Pokemon that is weak to Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. You should refrain from using Fighting-type and Ground-type moves since Shadow Lugia is incredibly resistant to those. Here are the best Shadow Lugia counters.
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Yveltal | Snarl | Dark Pulse |
| Weaville | Snarl | Avalanche |
| Tyranitar | Smack Down | Crunch |
| Zacian | Snarl | Wild Charge |
| Magnezone | Thunder Shock | Wild Charge |
| Melmetal | Thunder Shock | Rock Slide |
With Shadow Lugia out of the way, you have finally beaten Giovanni! Now that you’ve taken care of your Team Rocket-related responsibilities, you can focus on some of the other new things in Pokemon GO like the Welcome to Alola event, which celebrates the arrival of seventh-generation Pokemon alongside the Season of Alola.
If you feel like battling, then Tapu Koko is featured in Five-Star Raids at the moment. There are also plenty of Spotlight Hours planned for this month, so stay tuned to Attack of the Fanboy for all things Pokemon GO.
Pokemon GO is available now on mobile devices.
