Giovanni is back with another group of shadow Pokémon for the month of September, all of which must be defeated. And we have all the details surrounding how to do so in Pokémon Go, including what counters to use.

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For those new to taking on Giovanni, a Team Go Rocket Special Research quest must be completed alongside the unlocking of a Super Rocket Radar before you can begin the battle. If done successfully, plenty of rewards are pushed your way such as revives, stardust and most notably, a chance to catch the legendary Pokémon, Cresselia.

A big change to the line-up of Pokémon in Giovanni's team means a big change in strategy to beat him for good. We've outlined everything you need to know along with the best Pokémon to choose to offer the highest chances of success.

How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: September 2024 counters

Cresselia in Pokemon Go
Cresselia in Pokemon Go. Niantic

A battle with Giovanni last three rounds, like most major encounters in Pokémon Go. The Team Rocket head honcho always uses the same first and last Pokémon, but there are three options he might choose in between.

As of September 2024, this is what you can expect to go up against, and what Pokémon types you'll want in each round:

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First round:

  • Persian (a Normal-type Pokémon, weak against Fighting-type attacks)

Second round:

  • Kingdra (a water/dragon-type Pokémon, weak against fairy and dragon-type attacks
  • Kangaskhan (a normal type Pokémon, weak against fighting-type attacks
  • Honchkrow (a dark/flying type Pokémon, weak against electric and rock-type attacks)

Third round:

  • Cresselia (a legendary psychic Pokémon, weak against bug, ghost and dark-type attacks).

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Looking at Giovanni's team, a team that consists of fighting and fairy Pokémon best sets you up for success. We'd recommend a team of Mega Tyranitar (or regular Tyranitar if not), Gardevoir and Machamp.

Tyranitar's dark moves are ideal for taking down Cresselia and still pretty useful against Persian and Kangaskhan too. Gardevoir or Mega Gardevoir's fairy moves like Dazzling Gleam can then be super effective against Honchkrow and Kingdra, while Machamp can finish off the rest. The move Dynamic Punch is particularly strong against Kangaskhan and Persian, for instance.

It’s worth noting that if Giovanni defeats you once, you can demand a rematch at the same location. He will then send out the same team, which should help you better prepare.

Best Persian counters in Pokémon Go

Persian is always the first Pokémon that Giovanni throws into battle. Being a Normal-type Pokémon, Persian is very weak against Fighting-type attacks. Any Fighting-type move that you dish out should do 160 per cent extra damage.

With this in mind, something like Machamp or Lucario would be a strong counter-attack choice! Lucario's Power-Up Punch or Machamp's Cross Chop would both be solid attacks to use against Persian.

One thing you will not want to use is a Ghost-type Pokémon. Persian has a resistance to these ghoulish creatures, with their attacks doing 39 per cent less damage to Persian. So don't use any of those!

Best Kingdra counters in Pokémon Go

Plenty of Pokémon can take down Kingdra, but it's best to look at ones that can utilise either fairy or dragon-type attacks.

Gardevoir or Mega Gardevoir's charge move, Dazzling Glem, is very powerful while the likes of Outrage and Dragon Claw from Mega Salamence and Dragonite, respectively, can get the job done too.

Aside from water and ice moves, it's worth keeping an eye out for Kingdra's Rock Slide move, too.

Best Kangaskhan counters in Pokémon Go

The normal-type Pokémon Kangaskhan is one of three that can appear in the second round with Giovanni.

Its only weakness is fighting-type moves, so making sure a Pokémon with at least one of those attacks is a must.

Machamp or Conkeldurr both have Dynamic Punch, which works well. If not, bring back Lucario from the Persian fight with Power-Punch and Aura Sphere being its most effective.

Best Honchkrow counters in Pokémon Go

Honchkrow typically has a fast flying-type attack in Peck or a charge dark-type attack in Snarl that can continuously whittle health down.

While electric and rock-type Pokémon like Zapdos and Machamp both strategically can do well here, so can ice Pokémon. This is because they are resistant to a lot of Honchkrow's moves. That's why an Alolan Sandslash can be a useful alternative if you are struggling to progress.

Best Cresselia counters in Pokémon Go

The legendary Pokémon Cresselia, which originally stems from the Sinnoh region, is the final encounter from Giovanni.

Most commonly, Cresselia will use the psychic-type moves Confusion and Psychic. With that, you want a Pokémon that won't be weak to these types of moves with bug, ghost and dark types the most effective.

This is why the likes of Mega Tyraniat with its Smackdown and Crunch attacks are the go-to choices. Guzzlord, likewise, has a similar set of attacks as an alternative but if not, we're big fans of Mega Absol and Darkrai too.

We'd recommend you bring along the likes of Machamp, Mega Tyranitar and Mega Gardevoir or any other powerful bug, dark or fighting-type Pokémon.

Just remember to heal when needed and focus on special attacks that hone in on the opposition Pokémon's weaknesses. Do this and Giovanni will be defeated in no time.

Pokémon Go is available to download on iOS and Android devices.

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