Pokemon Go Leader Giovanni counters and team (October 2023)

Do you have the best Pokemon Go Giovanni counters on hand? Defeating the top dog of the game's evil organization will depend on it, and his Shadow Regirock team that he uses is no laughing matter.

Persian, your first hurdle in this rare Pokemon Go battle, is a major point of trouble for most players. If you can push through its incredibly powerful scratches, you'll have a solid chance of taking home the prize. It's worth the effort.

Pokemon Go Leader Giovanni team (October 2023)

Giovanni will always use Persian as his first Pokemon. For Giovanni's second Pokemon, he'll bring out either Nidoking, Rhyperior, or Garchomp to soften you up for his final legendary Pokemon - Shadow Regirock.

Counters for Giovanni's first Pokemon

Persian

Persian is only weak to Fighting-types. Here's a list of Pokémon and their moves that counter Persian. We love leading with Lucario in this encounter.

While Persian can really pack a punch, once you've charged up a Power-Up Punch you can nearly stun-lock it and take out Giovanni's shields nice and early. Make sure not to use any Ghost moves, as they are resistant to Ghost-type moves.

Counters for Giovanni's second Pokemon

Nidoking

Nidoking returns from his rest, letting Nidoqueen lie down for a bit. This one is primarily bested by Psychic-type Pokemon, so Mewtwo is the go-to again, with Alakazam being a glass cannon counter. Ice, Water, and Ground will work, so consider Glaceon and Garchomp for fast counters, or Kyogre if you need a bulky option.

Rhyperior

Rhyperior can't take the spalsh of an Water-type Pokemon, but its Rock-type moveset can prove effective, too. It's all about who has the fastest finger here. Stack the Changed Attacks and come at this with Gyarados, Palkia, or Mamoswine to deal a decisive blow.

As usual, Swapert can put a good bit of work in here, too.

Garchomp

Garchomp can come at you with some very fast attacks, and it can be a tough fight. Anticipate its Dragon-type attacks and counter with Ice or Dragon. GrFairyass can work, but most of the powerful Fairy-type Pokemon will fall like blades to a lawnmower, so try a different approach.

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Counters for Giovanni's third Pokemon

Regirock

Regirock shouldn't be too difficult to deal with unless it comes packing Ancient Power to deal with some of the stronger Fire-type Pokemon out there that happen to fly in the sky. Without it, Moltres and Charizard will work wonders, with Entei and Blaziken being good secondary options.

Outside of that, common picks for this fight like Machamp and Torterra will stand their guard, punching through Regirock's metal body with nothing but raw power. Lucario should even resist a fair few of its attacks.

How do I fight Giovanni in Pokemon Go?

Fighting Giovanni means battling your way to the top by tracking down (and winning against) Rocket Grunts and Rocket Leaders. Beating Grunts cause the leaders to show up, and beating them builds up your Rocket Radar. Repeat this enough and you'll track down the head honcho himself.

• Check out: How to get Kecleon in Pokemon Go

It's not quite as easy as it sounds, though. Some Rocket Grunts will disguise themselves as Giovanni, which will obviously stop you from claiming the real prize. When you do eventually find the real big cheese, you'll want to have your best Pokemon GO Giovanni counters all leveled up and ready to go.

For more on Pokémon GO, check out our Team GO Rocket Leaders like Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra for the counters you'll need to take them on., you'll be able to track down Giovanni using the Super Rocket Radar once you do.