How To Beat Giovanni In Pokémon GO (December 2023)

To beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO in December 2023, you will have to organize a strong party capable of countering his picks. Giovanni is the head of Team GO Rocket and the strongest member in the organization’s ranks. He stands tall above Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra in Pokémon GO. Even though they are the leaders of Team GO Rocket, these NPCs are still subordinates to Giovanni himself. While the three leaders often use powerful Pokémon to face Trainers, Giovanni raises the challenge to a new level. He often employs Shadow versions of Legendary Pokémon, which can then be captured after he is defeated.

The Pokémon that Giovanni uses in two of his three rounds are subject to change and are occasionally altered after a few months. His first Pokémon never changes. Compared to the three Team GO Rocket leaders, preparing a party to counter Giovanni is much easier. This is because his first pick is always the same, and his third pick is fixed for a duration. As such, the only variable is Giovanni’s second pick – leaders have three possible picks for their second and third slots. Those who beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO last month are likely to fare well in December 2023.

How To Defeat Giovanni In Pokémon GO (December 2023)

The table below lists all of Giovanni’s Pokémon in December 2023, their types, weaknesses, and the respective best counters for each encounter:

As previously mentioned, the first Pokémon Giovanni used has never changed since his debut in Pokémon GO. Registered by Bulbapedia, Persian is Giovanni’s first choice in every battle in the game. As a Normal-type creature, Persian is weak against Fighting-type moves, so using a strong hitter like Machamp, Lucario, Terrakion, Conkeldurr, or Blaziken effectively eliminates the first threat without too much of a struggle. Like all other elite Trainers in the game, Giovanni uses shields for Charged Attacks, so make sure to use strong, Fast Attacks to get through Persian’s HP without losing your first Pokémon.

Even if Giovanni uses shields, try to use your Charged Attacks as quickly as possible, as this will make him incapable of blocking Charged Attacks once his limited two shields are spent. Things can get a little bit muddy when facing Giovanni’s second Pokémon. The head of Team GO Rocket can pick one out of three possible creatures, which makes preparing your party uncertain. Giovanni’s second pick, for now, could be Nidoking, Kingler, or Garchomp. As a dual Poison- and Ground-type, Nidoking’s weaknesses in Pokémon GO are Ground-, Water-, Psychic, and Ice-type moves. Kingler’s weaknesses, on the other hand, are limited to Electric- and Grass-type moves.

Garchomp’s weaknesses are Ice-, Dragon-, and Fairy-type. When choosing the counter for Giovanni’s second creature, the best strategy is to pick a Pokémon that covers the most ground possible. As such, an Ice-type creature could be beneficial if he uses Nidoking or Garchomp. Pokémon like Mamoswine, Weavile, and Galarian Darmanitan in Pokémon GO are good picks. While it does not cover Kingler’s weaknesses, the odds of him choosing either Nidoking or Garchomp are higher, so it is best to bet on them and prepare your team to face these creatures. If he does use Kingler, some good counters are Raikou, Zapdos, and Xurkitree.

The third Pokémon Giovanni is using in Pokémon GO right now – and should continue using throughout all of December 2023, considering how Legendaries stay in his rotation – is Regigigas. Regigigas is a Normal-type Pokémon, like Persian, which means it is weak against Fighting-type attacks. The suggested creatures you should use to face it are Machamp, Lucario, Blaziken, Conkeldurr, and Terrakion.

If your first Fighting-type Pokémon survived the battle against Persian, swap it out as soon as the cat-like creature falls. You will then face Giovanni’s second pick in Pokémon GO, beat them, and use your second counter to do as much damage as possible against Regigigas. Once they are beaten, swap over to the wounded first Fighting-type Pokémon, and use them as much as you can. After your third Pokémon comes in, Regigigas should be sufficiently wounded to be taken down quickly. Be mindful of Regigigas’ Charged Attack, which could come into action as soon as you swap in your third Pokémon.

The issue with Giovanni is the randomness of his second Pokémon. While preparing to use an Ice-type counter is the best bet, he can throw your entire strategy off if he picks Kingler. Another thing to be mindful of is knowing when to use a shield and when to sacrifice your Pokémon – the precise usage of a shield during the Regigigas battle can ensure your victory, so adapt your strategy accordingly. Having two Normal-type creatures in his lineup can be quite convenient, as you can reutilize your first pick during the last part of the Giovanni battle in Pokémon GO.