One of the hardest solo challenges that players can undertake in Pokemon GO is the fight against Team GO Rocket's boss, Giovanni. He is known for his powerful team of Pokemon and his defeat allowing players to attempt at rescuing a legendary Shadow Pokemon. September 2021 however is an awkward time to go at this challenge.
Giovanni can normally be encountered in Pokemon GO by obtaining a Super Rocket Radar. This cannot be normally obtained by defeating Team GO Rocket grunts and must instead by earned by specific timed research tasks or special research tasks. Because of this, it's an incredibly uncommon and valuable item to have.
After players obtain a Super Rocket Radar, Giovanni can be randomly found at certain PokeStops or in a Rocket Balloon flying nearby. This is what normally happens, but even players with this item won't be able to find Team GO Rocket's leader this month.
Where is Giovanni?
In the August 27th, 2021 announcement on the official Pokemon GO website, it was noted that Giovanni has seemed to have gone missing. Because of this, Super Rocket Radars will not serve any function for some time and can be unequipped by players that possess him.
From the looks of this, it seems that something special will be happening with Giovanni and possibly his team of Pokemon during the Season of Mischief event. It is unknown when he will make his actual return to the game, but Team GO Rocket's Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra are still able to be challenged and defeated at this time.
Giovanni's Previous Legendary Pokemon
With Giovanni being a tough battle and possibly even tougher to just reach him, the reward for defeating him has always been worth it. His sudden and mysterious disappearance likely means that a new legendary Pokemon will be offered as the final challenge and reward for Giovanni's defeat. It most likely won't be any of the legendary Pokemon that he's used in the past, so it's important to look back on the timeline of what he's used over time.
Availability Date | Legendary Shadow Pokemon |
November 2019 | Articuno |
December 2019 | Zapdos |
January 2020 | Moltres |
February 2020 | Raikou |
March 1st - July 10th, 2020 | Entei |
July 10th - October 12th, 2020 | Suicune |
October 12th, 2020 - February 27th, 2021 | Mewtwo |
February 28th - March 31st, 2021 | Articuno |
May 2021 | Moltres |
June 1st - June 16th, 2021 | Zapdos |
June 17th - September 1st, 2021 | Ho-Oh |
Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS.
Source: Pokemon GO Live