Pokemon Go‘s notorious Team Rocket leader, Giovanni, has made his epic return. Here’s the infamous villain’s lineup for August 2021, and the counters that Trainers can use to beat Giovanni and Shadow Ho-Oh.
Team Rocket’s Giovanni is back at it again in Pokemon Go, and knowing the best counters is vital. In March, Giovanni made his epic return to the game as part of its Seasons of Legends. The antagonists’ three-month campaign featured him battling with Kanto’s Legendary bird trio.
Now, with the debut of the Season of Discovery, the iconic character has Shadow Ho-Oh in his clutches. Below we will break down his Pokemon roster, their weaknesses, and the best counters that will have you defeating the villain in no time at all.
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Contents
- How to defeat Giovanni in Pokemon Go
- August 2021 lineup
- Giovanni weaknesses
- Best counters for Giovanni
How to beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go
To stand a chance at defeating the villainous Giovanni in Pokemon Go, you’ll need to know the counters and weaknesses to both protect your ‘mon and deliver that final attack with confidence:
Giovanni Pokemon Go August 2021 lineup
Introduced in 2019, Team Rocket’s Giovanni routinely makes his return to Go with a different lineup each month. The character’s powerful Shadow ‘mon rotates out each time he reappears.
In August 2021, players can still face off against the Fire/Flying-type Legendary, Ho-Oh. The Johto region bird packs a punch with its Shadow attack bonus, and will stick around until September 1, 2021.
The villainous boss also brings back powerful Diamond & Pearl Dragon, Garchomp, as well as Persian, Nidoking, and Kangaskhan. Below we will list his current lineup’s weaknesses.
Giovanni Pokemon Go August 2021 weaknesses
At the start of every battle, Giovanni will always throw out his signature ‘mon, Persian. The Normal-type can be brought down with Fighting-type characters. The second Pokemon he chooses is from a pool of three, and is at random.
Thankfully, Kangaskhan is also a Normal-type, and Nidoking and Garchomp can both be defeated with Ice-type moves. Plus, you can always rematch Giovanni if you lose and adjust accordingly. Lastly, Ho-Oh is extremely weak if you hit it with Rock-type attacks.
| Giovanni Weaknesses | ||
| 1st Pokemon – Persian | 
|
Weakness: Fighting |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Nidoking | 
|
Weakness: Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Kangaskhan | 
|
Weakness: Fighting |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Garchomp | 
|
Weakness: Ice, Dragon, Fairy |
| 3rd Pokemon – Shadow Ho-Oh | 
|
Weakness: Electric, Rock, Water |
Giovanni Pokemon Go counters August 2021
For Persian’s counters in Pokemon Go, we recommend Trainers use Gen IV’s Lucario. Aura Sphere is quicker than most Rock-type Charge Attacks. The Sinnoh ‘mon can also be carried over to Kangaskhan should Giovanni bring it out. A good alternative counter is Machamp using Counter and Dynamic Punch.
Should the Rocket Boss throw out Nidoking, Mewtwo will put it down instantly using its quick Confusion and Psystrike combo. Those unlucky to get Garchomp can fend it off with Ice-type ‘mon Mamoswine. Finally, Rampardos or Rhyperior will bring down Ho-Oh in no time.
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| Giovanni Counters | ||
| 1st Pokemon – Persian |
|
Counter: Lucario
Fast Move: Counter |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Nidoking |
|
Counter: Mewtwo
Fast Move: Confusion |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Kangaskhan |
|
Counter: Lucario
Fast Move: Counter |
| 2nd Pokemon (Possible) – Garchomp |
|
Counter: Mamoswine
Fast Move: Powder Snow |
| 3rd Pokemon – Shadow Ho-Oh |
|
Counter: Rampardos
Fast Move: Smack Down |
Compared to Rocket Grunts and Leaders, Giovanni packs a punch. His lineup of Shadow ‘mon will deplete your health quickly if you don’t have the right counters. Don’t panic though, as we said above you can rematch the boss immediately, and make changes to your roster.
As long as Trainers use the right ‘mon to exploit his character types, you will defeat him. If you don’t see any Pokemon that you own on the list above then simply look at the weaknesses chart and match accordingly.
If you’re looking to take on the other Team Go Rocket Leaders, check out our guide to defeating Cliff, our guide to taking down Arlo, and finally, our guide to beating Sierra.
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So, there you have it: everything you need to know about defeating Giovanni in Pokemon Go for August 2021 and the best counters to use.
For all of the best tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure to check out our other guides:
Spotlight Hour guide | Current Raid Bosses | Best ‘mon in Go: Attackers and defenders | Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | How to get free Remote Raid Passes | Sierra counters guide | How to catch Ditto | Shop: Items list, prices, box changes
