Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024: Lineup, how to beat, and counters

The best Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024 counters will let you have an easier time taking him down. October's Galarian Expedition Taken Over Event saw Giovanni reshuffle his team, with Shadow Heatran as his trump card that players need to be wary of.

As usual, you require a Super Rocket Radar to locate the boss of this nefarious outfit. Once you take him down, you get a chance to capture Shadow Heatran in Pokemon GO.

This article covers everything you need to know about Pokemon GO Giovanni's December 2024 team, its counters, and how to beat it. For those wanting to quickly get on with their battle, use the following search strings to find your best Pokemon to take down the Team GO Rocket boss:

• fighting&@fighting&cp2000-
• ground&@ground&cp2000-

You can check out the other GO Rocket Leader guides:

• Sierra: How to beat, weaknesses, and counters
• Cliff: How to beat, weaknesses, and counters
• Arlo: How to beat, weaknesses, and counters

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the author's opinions.

---

Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024 team lineup

Giovanni has the following lineup in Pokemon GO:

Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 3
Shadow Persian	Shadow Rhyperior	Shadow Heatran
	Shadow Kingdra
	Shadow Nidoking

Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024 team lineup (Image via TPC)

---

Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024 weaknesses

Giovanni's December 2024 team is weak to Ground- and Fighting-type attacks. Only Kingdra takes neutral damage from these types of moves. However, if you use high-level creatures, you can take them down easily even with neutral damage.

You can expect each of Giovanni'schoices to feature an absurdly high combat power. However, Giovanni's lineup has distinct weaknesses.

A Fighting-type user will pose a substantial threat to both his opener Persian, his Rhyperior, and even his ace, Heatran. Even Kingdra will take significant neutral damage from STAB Fighting-type attacks.

A Ground-type attacker deals super-effective damage to Rhyperior, Nidoking, and Heatran. It can also hit Kingdra neutrally, which should suffice in most situations.

Giovanni with Shadow Heatran (Image via TPC)

How to beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO (December 2024)

To defeat Giovanni in Pokemon GO, you should lead with a Fighting-type creature that has fast-charging moves. The best choices are Machamp with Karate Chop and Cross Chop or Pangoro with Karate Chop and Night Slash.

This way you can easily bait out shields from Giovanni early on in the battle. From there on, you can rain a barrage of Charged Attacks onto Giovanni's lineup to come out victorious easily.

Remember that the Giovanni battle might be a fight against the game's AI, but it still follows the PvP rules. Therefore, the best Pokemon GO Giovanni counters should consist of high-leveled Pocket Monsters with a type advantage.

Also Check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator

---

Best Pokemon GO Giovanni December 2024 counters

Pangoro and Machamp are the best Giovanni counters in December 2024 (Image via TPC)

Best Fighting-types to use against Giovanni in Pokemon GO

Here are the best Fighting-type creatures to use against Giovanni during the Galarian Expedition update:

• Pangoro with Karate Chop + Night Slash and Close Combat
• Shadow or regular Machamp with Karate Chop + Cross Chop
• Kommo-o with Dragon Tail + Close Combat and Dragon Claw (Can deal super-effective damage to Kingdra)
• Shadow Sneasler with Shadow Claw + Close Combat and Aerial Ace
• Annihilape with Counter + Night Slash and Close Combat

---

Best Ground-types to use against Pokemon GO Giovanni

Here are the best Ground-type creatures to use against Giovanni during the Galarian Expedition update:

• Shadow Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
• Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon and Earthquake
• Shadow Hippowdon with Sand Attack and Scorching Sands
• Shadow Rhyperior with Mud Slap and Earthquake
• Therian Landorus with Mud Shot and Sandsear Storm

---

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

• Ditto disguises
• Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
• Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO
• Pokemon Type Calculator