How to beat Giovanni
This guide has been up to date with the Early 2020 update that hit before February 2020. We'll update when his team inevitably changes, but for now it should work for you. And before we dive into the best counters against Giovanni, we must also explain how to meet the nasty enemy of the game. To do this, you must follow the special research task The Take Over Continue given to you by Professor Willow. This has many stages culminating in beating Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo before leaving you to face Giovanni.
Once you've defeated all three of them, you'll earn a Super Rocket Radar that will hunt down Giovanni for you. Not completely though, as its use will highlight a few Poké Stops where Giovanni might be hiding. Head towards them and turn the stop to see if it's him or one of his growls. Once you locate him, the real battle begins, with Giovanni using a powerful team of Pokémon that will take solid markers to defeat. Here are the top scorers against Giovanni in Pokémon GO.
Best scoring against Giovanni
Giovanni's team will remain the same for his first and last Pokémon, but the second can be one of three. First of all, before forming your team, you need to know the trick of trading. Basically, whatever you want as your first Pokemon should actually go to point two or three. When the battle begins, immediately swap them out, put them into battle, and wobble Giovanni a bit, granting you free attacks. Now that you know that, let's move on to which Pokémon to use.
Giovanni always starts with a Persian who is weak for Fighting-type Pokémon, so go for one of the following: Mackogneur with Counter and Cross Chop, Bétochef with Counter and Dynamic Punch, or Lucario with Counter and Aural Sphere. Once you defeat him, you will get Crustabri, Steelix, or Hippodown as the next enemy. Here are the counters against each of them.
Crustabri: Mackogneur with Counter and Cross Chop, Bétochef with Counter and Dynamic Punch, Lucario with Counter and Aural Sphere, or Florizarre with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant.
Steelix: Rhinastoc with Mud Shot and Earthquake, Charizard with Fire Spin and Blast Burn, or Mackogneur with Counter and Cross Chop.
Hippodown: Florizarre with vine whip and frenetic plant, Kyogre with waterfall and surf, or Mammochon with powder snow and avalanche.
So if you're not sure what to stand up against, you might want to double down on your Mackogneur, or cast a Florizaur at it. But make sure they're also ready to take on the latest Pokémon in Giovanni's arsenal, which in February 2020 is Raikou, the electric legendary character. Ground-type attackers are your best bet here, so if you have a Rhinastoc on your team, trade it with him. Otherwise, here are some solid counters: Groudon with Mud Shot and Earthquake, Carchacrok with Mud Shot and Earthquake, or Exadrill with Mud Slap and Earthquake.
