How to counter and beat Giovanni in August 2021

Team GO Rocket boss and Pokemon GO’s top villain Giovanni is as ruthless in battle as he is at conducting his criminal enterprise.

Though his choice of Pokemon changes on occasion, Giovanni has a fairly consistent group of Pokemon that he uses in the game.

Be that as it may, Giovanni’s battle party is still a tough one regardless of a player’s trainer level. Since his Shadow Pokemon deal significantly more damage than their normal counterparts, countering them is a great way to defeat them while minimizing the damage they can inflict.


Pokemon GO: Countering Giovanni’s current battle party

Giovanni has a total of five Pokemon at his command in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)
Giovanni has a total of five Pokemon at his command in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Though Giovanni’s battle group of Pokemon in Pokemon GO may change as the weeks go by, his current collection of Pokemon has remained the same for some time.

With a total of five Pokemon at his command, Giovanni has two of his choices set from the beginning. However, his second Pokemon can be one of three different options.

Giovanni’s Pokemon choices, along with the percentages they may appear in battle, can be found below. Keep in mind this is only for the current iteration of Giovanni’s team in Pokemon GO and may change in the future:

First Pokemon Slot

  • Persian (at the moment, Giovanni will always have Persian on his team)

Second Pokemon Slot

  • Machamp (44%)
  • Golem (44%)
  • Cloyster (11%)

Third Pokemon Slot

  • Ho-Oh (this slot has occasionally featured other Shadow Legendary Pokemon, but the pick is currently Ho-Oh until Niantic changes Team GO Rocket’s Pokemon again)

With these Pokemon in mind, counters can be formulated. In order to take down Giovanni’s Pokemon GO team quickly, trainers are advised to deal super effective damage to them. Fortunately, Giovanni’s Pokemon have plenty of elemental weaknesses, which can be found below:

  • Persian – Fighting-type moves.
  • Machamp – Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-type moves.
  • Golem – Fighting-, Grass- (2x super effectiveness), Ground-, Ice-, Steel-, and Water-type (2x super effectiveness) moves.
  • Cloyster -Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Rock-type moves.
  • Ho-Oh – Electric-, Rock- (2x super effectiveness), and Water-type moves.

These move types are important in order to center in on type advantage. In addition, selecting Pokemon that match the same elemental types as these moves will provide them with a Same Type Attribute Bonus (STAB), magnifying the damage they can deal.

There are tons of potential Pokemon and moves to counter Giovanni’s Pokemon and send them packing. Pokemon GO trainers who are looking for some ideal counters can find a place to start below:

Persian Counters

  • Conkledurr using Counter and Dynamic Punch.
  • Lucario using Counter and Aura Sphere.
  • Machamp using Counter and Dynamic Punch.
  • Blaziken using Counter and Focus Blast.
  • Sirfetch’d using Counter and Close Combat

Machamp Counters

  • Mewtwo using Psycho Cut and Psystrike.
  • Gengar using Lick and Psychic.
  • Pidgeot using Gust and Brave Bird.
  • Latios using Zen Headbutt and Psychic.
  • Alakazam using Psycho Cut and Psychic.

Golem Counters

  • Blastoise using Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.
  • Gyarados using Waterfall and Hydro Pump.
  • Venusaur using Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant.
  • Kyogre using Waterfall and Hydro Pump.
  • Swampert using Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.

Cloyster Counters

  • Manectric using Charge Beam and Wild Charge.
  • Lucario using Counter and Aura Sphere.
  • Electivire using Thunder Shock and Wild Charge.
  • Conkledurr using Counter and Dynamic Punch.
  • Magnezone using Spark and Wild Charge.

Ho-Oh Counters

  • Rampardos using Smack Down and Rock Slide.
  • Rhyperior using Smack Down and Rock Wrecker.
  • Tyranitar using Smack Down and Stone Edge.
  • Ampharos using Charge Beam and Power Gem (if Ho-Oh is using Earthquake as a Charge Move, this pick is best avoided).
  • Aerodactyl using Rock Throw and Rock Slide.

There are plenty of other counters to Giovanni’s team in Pokemon GO, but this list should set trainers on the right path to defeating the notorious kingpin. However, don’t expect Giovanni to stay away for good; he never really does.


Read More: The best moveset for Greninja in Pokemon GO

Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh


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