The Pokemon GO antagonists, Team GO Rocket, constantly pose a threat in the game. Players need to face several Grunts and Leaders to get a chance to encounter the Main Boss, Giovanni. Fighting the Team GO Rocket Leaders, Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra, is already hard, and Giovanni is even more powerful than them.
Giovanni has a diverse set of Shadow Monsters, and winning against them requires some strategizing. The battle comprises three phases, and the second stage is very unpredictable. Defeating Giovanni will not just reward players with Pokemon GO items but also grants chances to catch powerful Shadow Monsters. That said, here is everything one needs to know to beat Giovanni, the Team GO Rocket Boss.
Pokemon GO: How to Beat Giovanni
Giovanni has a total of five Shadow Pokemon in his battle roster. One Pokemon comes in the first phase, and one comes in the last, but there are three options he can use in the second phase. There is no saying which monster he will pick as the second phase representative, so Pokemon GO players should prepare powerful counters that work against all of them.
First Phase: Shadow Persian
Second Phase: Shadow Kingdra, Shadow Kingler, or Shadow Nidoking
Third Phase: Shadow Regice
Giovanni's First Phase Counters
The first phase of the battle is predictable since Giovanni always starts with Shadow Persian. The Normal-type Pocket Monster is vulnerable against Fighting-type attacks but can resist Ghost-type moves. So one should select Fighting-type Pokemon with STAB moves to counter the Shadow Monster.
Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charge Attack |
---|---|---|
Hariyama | Close Combat | Counter |
Conkeldurr | Dynamic Punch | Counter |
Machamp | Dynamic Punch | Counter |
Lucario | Aura Sphere | Counter |
Sirfetch’d | Close Combat | Counter |
Giovanni's Second Phase Counters
The second phase of the match is very unpredictable as Giovanni has three Shadow Monsters he can choose from. Shadow Kingler, Shadow Nidoking, or Shadow Kingdra can come as an opponent in this phase. The best strategy is to select counters that can battle all three monsters to an extent and claim victory.
Shadow Kingdra Counters
The dual Water and Dragon-type Shadow Kingdra is vulnerable to Dragon and Fairy-type moves. Talking about its resistances, it can fairly resist Steel, Fire, and Water-type moves in Pokemon GO. One must select counters with STAB Potential attacks aligning to its type weaknesses.
Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charge Attack |
---|---|---|
Dragonite | Outrage | Dragon Tail |
Rayquaza | Outrage | Dragon Tail |
Gardevoir | Dazzling Gleam | Charm |
Groudon | Precipice Blades | Dragon Tail |
Garchomp | Outrage | Dragon Tail |
Shadow Kingler Counters
Shadow Kingler is a solo Water-type monster making it weak against Electric and Grass-type attacks in Pokemon GO. It shows resistance while facing Ice, Steel, Water, and Fire-type moves. The ideal counter choices should align with the monster’s weaknesses and have STAB potential moves.
Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charge Attack |
---|---|---|
Zekrom | Wild Beam | Charge Beam |
Xurkitree | Power Whip | Thunder Shock |
Kartana | Leaf Blade | Razor Leaf |
Electivire | Wild Charge | Thunder Shock |
Raikou | Wild Charge | Thunder Shock |
Shadow Nidoking Counters
The dual Poison and Ground-type Shadow Nidoking is weak to Psychic, Water, and Ice-type attacks. That said, the Shadow Monster can resist moves of Fairy, Rock, Poison, Bug, Electric, and Fighting-type attributes. Pokemon GO players should select STAB potential counters identical to the monster’s weaknesses.
Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charge Attack |
---|---|---|
Groudon | Precipice Blades | Mud Shot |
Kyogre | Surf | Waterfall |
Mewtwo | Psystrike | Psycho Cut |
Garchomp | Earth Power | Mud Shot |
Glaceon | Avalanche | Ice Shard |
Giovanni's Third Phase Counters
The last phase of the battle comes with a legendary opponent, Shadow Regice. The Shadow Pokemon is weak to Fire, Fighting, Steel, and Rock-type moves but can fairly resist Ice-type attacks. One should select STAB potential counters that align with its type weaknesses.
Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charge Attack |
---|---|---|
Reshiram | Fusion Flare | Fire Fang |
Terrakion | Close Combat | Double Kick |
Lucario | Aura Sphere | Counter |
Chandelure | Overheat | Fire Spin |
Metagross | Meteor Mash | Bullet Punch |
Pokemon GO is available for Android and iOS.