Giovanni is back in November 2024, ready to pose a significant challenge for trainers in Pokémon GO with another powerful Legendary Pokémon on his team. As the leader of Team GO Rocket, he remains the toughest AI opponent in the game, boasting high CP Pokémon that make him a formidable adversary for players of all skill levels. All of his Pokémon are Shadow variants, which enhances their strength and makes battles even tougher.
Giovanni’s Lineup & Counters (November 2024)
To take on Giovanni, you’ll first need to defeat several Team GO Rocket operatives. Specifically, you must overcome six Rocket grunts, followed by the three GO Rocket Leaders: Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo. Once successful, you’ll earn a super rocket radar, which allows you to find Giovanni on your Pokémon GO map. He can appear by spinning PokéStops or in Rocket Balloons. While there may be decoys, you will ultimately face him in one of the game’s most challenging encounters.
November’s Lineup Changes
This month, Giovanni’s lineup has been refreshed. He will select three Pokémon out of five options, always starting and finishing with the same Pokémon. As usual, he leads with his signature Normal-type Persian from the show. For November, his second Pokémon may include either Nidoking (Poison and Ground type), Rhyperior (Ground and Rock type), or Kingdra (Water and Dragon type). In a notable change, Giovanni finishes the battle with the Legendary Shadow Fire and Steel-type Heatran.
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Wave |
Giovanni’s Pokémon and Types |
Weaknesses |
Counters |
|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Persian (Shadow) – Normal |
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2 |
Rhyperior (Shadow) – Ground and Rock |
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2 |
Nidoking (Shadow) – Poison and Ground |
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2 |
Kingdra (Shadow) – Water and Dragon |
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3 |
Heatran (Shadow) – Fire and Steel |
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Three Pokémon on Giovanni’s team share the same weaknesses, which simplifies this month’s battle compared to previous months. Since Giovanni always opens with Persian, you should begin with a Fighting-type character that excels against it. Pokémon like Machamp or Lucario can make quick work of this Gen One classic, easily breaking through the boss’s shields and being effective against his final Pokémon.
To secure victory, prioritize using Water-type Pokémon, as they are highly effective against three of his five potential Pokémon.
Giovanni has several Pokémon susceptible to Water-type attacks, including Nidoking, Heatran, and Rhyperior, who is double weak to Water. Swampert and Kyogre are top choices, but any high CP Water-type will suffice. For your third Pokémon, consider using another Water-type or a Pokémon that’s strong against Giovanni’s variable, Kingdra, which only has weaknesses to Fairy-type or Dragon-type moves. Togekiss, a powerful Fairy-type, can excel against Kingdra if it’s part of the lineup.
Rewards for Defeating Rocket Leader Giovanni (November 2024)
A Legendary Prize Awaits
The greatest reward for defeating Giovanni is the chance to catch the last Pokémon he uses in battle, which this month is the Legendary Shadow Heatran. With its unique typing and immense power, it’s definitely a Pokémon worth catching. After your battle, you’ll have the opportunity to do so; using Golden Raspberries can increase your catch rate.
In addition to the Legendary Pokemon, you’ll receive a selection of items for each victory over Giovanni this month. Expect to earn three out of five items randomly chosen from Revives, Max Revives, Hyper Potions, Regular Potions, or an Unova Stone. You’ll also gain 5,000 Stardust, a valuable resource for powering up any caught Pokémon, essential for tackling new Gigantamax battles this month. Although Giovanni remains the toughest opponent in Pokémon GO, with the right strategy and Pokémon counters, you can take him down this month.
