Pokemon Go’s notorious Team Rocket leader, Giovanni, is nowhere to be seen in October 2021. The iconic villain usually can be beaten with the best counters and lineup, but where has he disappeared to?
Team Rocket’s Giovanni is usually tough competition in Pokemon Go, and knowing the best counters is vital. Back in March 2021, 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 beginning of the Season of Mischief, the iconic character has vanished from sight. As details on his return, Pokemon roster, weaknesses, and the best counters to use remain shrouded in mystery, let’s break down what we know so far.
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Additional reporting by Ava Thompson-Powell.
Contents
- Where is Giovanni in Pokemon Go?
- Giovanni Pokemon Go counters (October 2021)
- How to beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go
- Persian counters
- Cloyster counters
- Golem counters
- Machamp counters
- Shadow Ho-Oh counters
- How to find Giovanni
- How to beat Team Rocket Leaders
Where is Giovanni in Pokemon Go? (October 2021)
While Giovanni usually can be found by obtaining a Super Rocket Radar, things are slightly different in October 2021, as the iconic villain has disappeared from the game!
There’s no indication yet as to when he’ll return, with Niantic only stating that “we hope he’s not planning something in the shadows!”
The information below is based on Giovanni’s most recent lineup before he disappeared. When he returns, we’ll update this page if any changes occur.
Giovanni Pokemon Go counters (October 2021)
Before September 1, 2021, Trainers were able to face off against Shadow Ho-oh, alongside Persian and three other potential ’mon encounters to take down. Giovanni’s lineup of Pokemon was previously:
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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.
- Read More: Best attackers and defenders
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 completely random.
Persian counters
As a Normal-type Pokemon, Persian is weakest to Fighting-types, making it a lot easier to know exactly which ‘mon to utilize due to no dual-typing.
Use these counters against Giovanni in Pokemon Go to stand the best chance of winning:
Cloyster counters
As a dual Water and Ice-type Pokemon, Cloyster is best attacked with Electric, Fighting, Grass, and Rock move.
Be wary, though, as while Grass moves are strong against Water, it’s super susceptible to Ice.
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Golem counters
Golem is a dual Rock and Ground-type Pokemon, making it particularly susceptible to both a whole host of type attacks, from Grass, Ground, Ice, Fighting, Steel, and Water moves.
That being said, you’ll find the most success utilizing Grass and Water-type attacks.
Machamp counters
Machamp is a Fighting-type Pokemon, making it weakest to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type moves and attacks.
As with Persian, as it’s not a dual-type ‘mon, it’s much easier to choose the best attackers and counters to take down Giovanni quickly in Pokemon Go.
Shadow Ho-Oh counters
Giovanni’s Shadow Ho-Oh is a dual Fire and Flying-type, best countered with the likes of Electric, Rock, and Water-type moves.
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Despite this, you’ll get much better results by utilizing Rock-type moves where possible.
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 you can rematch the boss immediately, and make changes to your roster as needed to beat him.
- Read More: The best Eevee evolution in Pokemon Go
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 our weaknesses chart and match accordingly to what you have.
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How to find Giovanni in Pokemon Go
Before you can attempt to track down Giovanni, you’ll first need to complete some steps:
- Defeat Team Rocket Grunts at PokeStops to earn six Mysterious Components and obtain a Team Rocket Radar.
- Equip the Radar, and take down the three other Team GO Rocket Leaders, Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra (you’ll find these hovering above the ground in hot air balloons marked with the Rocket logo.
- Make sure that you complete Special Research tasks such as taking down the other leaders, defeating Grunts, and other Team Rocket tasks until you receive a Super Rocker Radar.
- Equip it, and you’ll have to check out different PokeStops to rule out any potential decoy Giovannis until you encounter the real one.
How to beat Team Leaders in Pokemon Go
If you’re looking to take on the other Team Go Rocket Leaders, check out our guide to take down Arlo, defeat Cliff, and finally, our guide to beat Sierra.
So, there you have it, everything you need to know about the best counters to beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go for October 2021.
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
