Pokemon GO Giovanni guide (September 2022): How to find the Team Rocket boss in-game

In Pokemon GO, the villainous Team Rocket has taken on the persona of Team GO Rocket to fit the mobile title better. As is the case with the mainline series, Team GO Rocket is led by the sinister crime boss Giovanni.

To repel this vicious mastermind, Pokemon GO trainers must first find him. The process is relatively straightforward but may not be immediately apparent to newer players or those who have yet to battle Giovanni.

Despite needing to fight his underlings to draw him out of hiding, players should be able to find the villainous criminal fairly easily. Pokemon GO trainers can find a quick guide on how to find and battle Giovanni below.

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Finding Giovanni in Pokemon GO as of September 2022

Giovanni won't appear unless trainers hunt for him (Image via Niantic)

To find Giovanni in Pokemon GO, trainers will need the assistance of a particular item. This item is known as the Super Rocket Radar and must be assembled through a Special Research questline. As of Summer 2022, this questline is named "Field Notes: Team GO Rocket."

If done outside the questline, players can only create standard Rocket Radars, which only draws out Giovanni's lieutenants. These are the Team GO Rocket bosses Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. However, with the Special Research story available, players should be able to defeat the bosses and confront Giovanni himself.

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Taking on Giovanni in Pokemon GO

Listed below is a detailed walkthrough of the battle and what players need to do to emerge victorious:

1. Trainers must begin by defeating Team GO Rocket grunts. These foes occasionally appear on the world map in Team GO Rocket balloons overhead. Furthermore, grunts can occasionally be found at Pokestops. Players can tell if a Pokestop is taken over by its coloration, changing from blue to black.
2. As trainers defeat grunts, they'll receive items called Mysterious Components. After collecting six components, they can be assembled into a standard Rocket Radar.
3. Players must now equip the Rocket Radar. When used, this item will scan nearby Pokestops in an attempt to find one of the Team GO Rocket bosses. Furthermore, if a player has the radar equipped and taps on a Rocket balloon, the grunt inside will be replaced by one of the bosses.
4. In the Special Research requirements, trainers must create three Rocket Radars and defeat all three of the Team GO Rocket bosses. Once they have been defeated, the research story should reward trainers with a Super Rocket Radar.
5. Trainers must now equip the Super Rocket Radar. The item operates just like a standard radar, but it will search out Giovanni instead of Team GO Rocket bosses.
6. Players should now be able to take on Giovanni via a Pokestop or Team GO Rocket balloon. However, on occasion, a Team GO Rocket decoy grunt will appear and battle the trainer instead. This won't expend the trainer's Super Rocket Radar, but they'll need to defeat the decoy grunt to advance to Giovanni.

Compared to grunts and Team GO Rocket bosses in Pokemon GO, Giovanni is a formidable foe. Much like his underlings, his team of shadow Pokemon changes periodically, and he always keeps a shadow Legendary Pokemon as his final combatant. However, once Pokemon GO trainers defeat Giovanni's team, they'll receive a rare opportunity to capture the shadow Legendary for themselves.