How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (October 2024)

The Team Rocket boss, Giovanni, knows his way around the battlefield, especially with his elite ensemble of creatures. We’re here to help you defeat him in Pokémon Go by showing you the best Giovanni counters, team lineup, and strategies for October 2024.

How to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon Go

Once you activate the Super Rocket Radar, you can pinpoint Giovanni’s location at PokéStops or Team Rocket balloons. His lineup has been recently changed with the Adventure Week update, showcasing the final boss, Shadow Cresselia. Before heading into battle, it’s essential to equip the right team members. Depending on your Pokémon Go selection, here are a few ways you can decide on a group for Giovanni:

Best team lineup for Giovanni in Pokémon Go

You can equip Machamp/Lucario, Tyranitar, and Xerneas to get the best team lineup for Giovanni in Pokémon Go. The first round mandates a Fighting Type Pokémon, which is where Machamp or Lucario comes into play. Both creatures are suited for Giovanni’s Persian and Kangaskhan, who are vulnerable against their class.

Xerneas can be used for the other two second-round possibilities, with Honchkrow and Kingdra. They’re weak to its Fairy attacks, which will inflict a ton of damage in return. You can then utilize Tyranitar’s Dark powers, an ability that can withstand Shadow Cresselia’s attacks. It can also be helpful for Honchkrow, who has an additional weakness to its Rock moves.

If you don’t have any of these Pokémon in your collection, we’ll give you a few alternatives to counter Giovanni:

Best counters against Giovanni in Pokémon Go

No matter what, Persian will always be the first Pokémon shown in Giovanni’s fight. So, it’s best to take advantage of its weakness in Fighting Types. The three most popular choices amongst the community for this match are Annihilape, Machamp, and Lucario. Plus, these creatures can go against Kangaskhan, allowing you to hit two birds with one stone.

The next round could bring out Honchkrow, Kangaskhan, or Kingdra. Kangaskhan and Honchkrow share a weakness with Fairy Types like Xerneas. But since it’s pretty difficult to get a Legendary, you can opt for other Fairy creatures, such as Togekiss. Although Electric Types can be beneficial in this battle, it should be noted that Honchkrow is the only one with this particular vulnerability.

As the final boss of Pokémon Go’s Giovanni battle, Shadow Cresselia will increase the challenge even further. Use Dark, Bug, or Ghost Types to go against this formidable foe. Besides Tyranitar, Incineroar is an excellent alternative, but the others on the list can prove just as viable.