Finding the Boss Rocket Giovanni in Pokémon Go takes preparation, as you need to defeat many Go Rocket Grunts and all three leaders first. This usually means finishing special Rocket research during certain events. Players should first win against Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra to initiate the battle with Giovanni. Before battling, one must study Giovanni’s battle.
Team Go Rocket has many roles in Pokémon Go, from being bosses during special events to sending Grunts to challenge you in Field Research tasks. No matter the purpose, Giovanni is the one calling the shots and you’ll need to put in some effort to track him down.
Finding the Boss Rocket Giovanni in Pokémon Go takes preparation, as you need to defeat many Go Rocket Grunts and all three leaders first. This usually means finishing special Rocket research during certain events. If you want to challenge Giovanni, make sure to build a powerful team that can handle his rotating group of Shadow Pokémon which now features a Shadow Kyogre.
Pokémon Go Giovanni lineup for March 2024
| Phase | Pokémon | Typing |
| Phase One: Persian |  | Normal |
| Phase Two: Nidoking |  | Poison/Ground-type |
| Phase Two: Ryhperior |  | Ground/Rock-type |
| Phase Two: Garchomp |  | Dragon/Ground-type |
| Phase Three: Kyogre |  | Water-type |
Giovanni has 3 parts to his battle if you want to save his special Shadow Pokémon. He will start with Shadow Persian. Then you face either Shadow Nidoking, Shadow Rhyperior or Shadow Garchomp for the second part. If you win that battle, the final part is against Shadow Kyogre. Beat Shadow Kyogre and you have a chance to catch it. The other Rocket Leaders have 3 battle parts too. Just like them, you must complete each part of Giovanni’s battle to rescue his Legendary Shadow Pokémon from the team Rocket boss.
Giovanni often changes up the Pokémon on his team outside of his main Persian. Niantic usually changes around some of his Pokémon every few months, often when special Rocket events happen. Typically a new powerful Shadow Pokémon leads his team during these times. And some Groundtype Pokémon get added in too for variety in the middle spot. This lets Giovanni challenge trainers with different teams over time.
Best team to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go for March 2024
Giovanni uses Pokémon with different strengths and weaknesses in his team. So there is no single team that can beat him easily. You need to make your own group of Pokémon carefully chosen to beat each of his options. Here is a team that can handle anything Giovanni may use:
| Pokémon | Moves | Use | |
 | Machamp | Fast Move: Counter Charged Move: Dynamic Punch | Quickly beat Persian and get Giovanni to waste a shield. |
 | Gyarados | Fast Move: Dragon Breath Charged Move: Aqua Tail | Covers the potential loss of Gyarados and high damage output against Kyogre. |
 | Roserade | Fast Move: Magical Leaf Charged Move: Grass Knot | Covers potential loss of Gyarados and high damage output against Kyogre. |
Beginning with a Fighting type Pokémon is a good choice against Giovanni since you may force him to use a shield on his Persian. Persian is Giovanni’s least threatening Pokémon overall. Machamp is likely the best option here because many players will have access to one and it can withstand some attacks later in the Rocket Boss‘ lineup too. You could also bring a strong Steel type Pokémon.
The second slot requires countering two common Giovanni choices Nidoking and Rhyperior that both share weaknesses to Ground and Water types. However, Garchomp adds complexity with its Dragon typing. Therefore, Gyarados presents a sturdy selection thanks to its ability to combat all three using Dragon Breath and Aqua Tail. Its dual Water/Flying typing provides resistances to Ground and Water while dealing with Dragon as well, making it a strategic pick for versatility.
This decision comes down to if your second Pokémon can handle whatever Giovanni sends out next. Electric types are best against Shadow Kyogre, but Grass types cover weaknesses overall on the boss’s team. Roserade is a great pick since it’s the strongest regular Grass Pokémon at this point. It isn’t Mega or Legendary, which makes it perfect for facing Giovanni’s challenges.
This team should be able to deal with most any Pokémon Giovanni uses. But if you want some extra help, here are suggestions specifically for each of his Pokémon.
How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go
First phase: Persian counters
Persian is a normal type Pokémon that is only weak against fighting moves. In Pokémon Go, unlike the main games, it also resists attacks from ghost type Pokémon. However, this resistance won’t provide much help in battles since ghost type attacks are rarely used.
| Pokémon | Moves | |
 | Terrakion | Fast Move: Double Kick Charged Move: Sacred Sword |
 | Hariyama | Fast Move: Counter Charged Move: Dynamic Punch |
 | Lucario | Fast Move: Counter Charged Move: Aura Sphere |
Second phase: Nidoking counters
Nidoking, a Poison/Ground Pokémon, can take damage from Grass, Water, Ground and Ice attacks. However, it does not receive very much damage from Bug, Electric, Rock, Fighting, Poison or Fairy type moves. So you need to think about this if your first Pokémon was meant to battle against Persian. Your starting Pokémon might get hurt more by Nidoking’s attacks.
| Pokémon | Moves | |
 | Swampert/Mega Swampert | Fast Move: Mud Shot Charged Move: Hydro Cannon |
| Kyogre | Fast Move: Waterfall Charged Move: Origin Pulse/Surf |
 | Mewtwo | Fast Move: Psycho Cut Charged Move: Psystrike |
Second phase: Rhyperior counters
Rhyperior has weaknesses that can be exploited since it is vulnerable to Grass, Water, Ground, Fighting, Steel, and Ice attacks. This means it has shared weaknesses with both Nidoking and Garchomp, reducing its threat. While it can resist Fire, Electric, Flying, Poison, Normal, and Rock moves, your team may not rely heavily on these attack types anyway. Overall, Rhyperior presents opportunities to gain an advantage through its types.
| Pokémon | Moves | |
| Swampert/Mega Swampert | Fast Move: Mud Shot Charged Move: Hydro Cannon |
| Kyogre | Fast Move: Waterfall Charged Move: Origin Pulse/Surf |
 | Garchomp/Mega Garchomp | Fast Move: Mud Shot Charged Move: Earth Power |
Second phase: Garchomp counters
Garchomp can be tricky to face late in battle due to its strength and varied resistances. It only fears Dragon, Ice and Fairy attacks while withstanding Fire, Poison, Rock and Electric ones. An Ice technique will certainly make it fall, but fitting that into your team composition is key.
| Pokémon | Moves | |
| Mewtwo | Fast Move: Psycho Cut Charged Move: Ice Beam |
 | Mamoswine | Fast Move: Powder Snow Charged Move: Avalanche |
 | Glaceon | Fast Move: Frost Breath Charged Move: Avalanche |
Third phase: Kyogre counters
Kyogre can be tough to beat, but don’t give up! While its resistances may weaken some of your usual Pokémon, there are effective strategies. One approach is using a third Pokémon specially trained to handle Kyogre. Look for types it doesn’t resist like Grass or Electric. Aim for super effective moves to score big damage. You’ve got this with some problem solving, any Legendary can be defeated. Stay determined!
| Pokémon | Moves | |
 | Zekrom | Fast Move: Charge Beam Charged Move: Wild Charge |
 | Electivire | Fast Move: Thunder Shock Charged Move: Wild Charge |
 | Sceptile/Mega Sceptile | Fast Move: Fury Cutter Charged Move: Frenzy Plant |
Where and how to find Giovanni in Pokémon Go
Giovanni tends to keep a low profile in Pokémon Go, as one would expect from a criminal mastermind operating behind the scenes. His goal is to avoid detection as he carries out covert plans from the shadows. Players will need to search carefully if they hope to encounter this elusive boss.
Complete the monthly Special Research questlines that feature Team GO Rocket. These questlines will task you with defeating various Rocket Grunts and Leaders. As you progress, you’ll earn Rocket Radars needed to find Giovanni’s hiding spot. Once the questline is done, use your Super Radar to search for Giovanni.Defeat the three Team GO Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sirra who can be found at PokéStops with Rocket Balloons. Each Leader will drop components for making a Super Radar after
✧ Collect six Mysterious Components from Team Rocket Grunts and unlock the Rocket Radar.
✧ Once you equip the radar, you’ll be able to find three other Rocket Leaders.
✧ After beating the leaders you found, complete the Team Rocket related Special Research tasks.
✧ You’ll get the Super Rocket Radar when you’re done with all the encounters and challenges.
✧ Equip the Super Rocket Radar and start visiting PokéStops to find Giovanni.
Tracking down Giovanni will require following some important steps first, as the Super Rocket Radar is needed to locate him. Players should be aware that a regular Rocket Grunt may also be disguised as the Team GO Rocket Boss during the search. However, encountering this decoy will not consume a use of the Super Rocket Radar, so remaining determined is key to finding the real Giovanni.
