So, you think you’ve got what it takes to challenge the leader of Team GO Rocket and rescue a Shadow Legendary from Giovanni in Pokemon GO? The executive Pokemon trainer is a formidable foe, but there’s still hope for even the least skilled players.
How To Battle Giovanni in Pokemon GO
Players can encounter Giovanni in Pokemon GO after they’ve acquired a Super Rocket Radar. These are special items given to players who complete Timed Research and Special Research. These are usually given to players around the time a Team GO Rocket Takeover happens.
They start by requiring you to battle a few Rocket Grunts. Then, players will have to fight each of the Team GO Rocket Leaders. This step normally awards players with a Super Rocket Radar in order to complete the next step in the quest, which is to take on Giovanni and catch his Shadow Legendary.
Once you have a Super Rocket Radar equipped, you can tap on the radar icon to locate Giovanni on your map and challenge him to a Pokemon Battle.
Can You Purchase Super Rocket Radars?
No, you cannot purchase Super Rocket Radars as individual items or as a part of a bundle. Super Rocket Radars are only given to players once they complete Special or Timed Research quests.
Giovanni’s Pokemon GO Team (October 2024)
Giovanni is as difficult as ever with his iconic Persian, a slew of high-tier heavy hitters, and a Shadow Legendary ready to wipe a trainer’s team. While most of his team remains similar, Giovanni has switched out Garchomp for Kingdra and, of course, changed up his Legendary Shadow Pokemon.
Here is Giovanni’s line-up in Pokemon GO for October 2024:
| First Pokemon | Second Pokemon | Third Pokemon |
|---|---|---|
 Persian Normal Type |  Nidoking Ground/Poison |  Heatran Fire/Steel |
 Kingdra Dragon/Water | ||
 Rhyperior Ground/Rock |
Best Counters For Beating Giovanni in Pokemon GO
While Giovanni starts with Persian (Normal) and ends with Heatran (Fire/Steel), his second Pokemon could cause some problems. He’ll likely choose a dual Ground type, but Kingdra throws a slight wrench in that probability. We’ll lean on Water types here for their effectiveness against Ground and Fire, but you’ll want a Fairy-type Pokemon in your back pocket if that Kingdra makes an appearance.
- Types To Bring: Fighting, Fairy, Water
- Types To Avoid: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel, Ground
Here are a few of our top picks for taking on Giovanni in Pokemon GO:
| Pokemon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Kyogre | Waterfall Origin Pulse |
 Lucario | Counter Aura Sphere |
 Swampert | Water Gun Hydro Cannon |
 Sylveon | Charm Moonblast |
 Primarina | Waterfall Hydro Cannon |
Current Shadow Legendary in Pokemon GO (October 2024)
In early October 2024, Team GO Rocket returned for another takeover, and at that time, Giovanni added Shadow Heatran to his team. This marks the debut of Shadow Heatran in Pokemon GO. The only way to catch Shadow Heatran as of now is to defeat Giovanni during the Taken Over event.
Like most Shadow Legendaries, it cannot be Shiny.
Pokemon GO is available now on mobile devices.
The above article was updated on 10/8/2024 by Amanda Kay Oaks to include Giovanni’s October 2024 team
Published: Oct 8, 2024 08:32 am