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Giovanni is the Leader of the Viridian City Gym. He uses Ground types.

Spr FRLG Giovanni

Giovanni's FRLG battle sprite.

His team is as follows: Level 45 Rhyhorn (Take Down/Rock Blast/Scary Face/Earthquake), Level 42 Dugtrio (Slash/Sand Tomb/Mud-Slap/Earthquake), Level 44 Nidoqueen (Double Kick/Earthquake/Poison Sting/Body Slam), Level 45 Nidoking (Double Kick/Earthquake/Poison Sting/Thrash), Level 50 Rhydon(Take Down/Rock Blast/Scary Face/Earthquake). Your reward for defeating him is the Earth Badge, TM26 Earthquake, and 5,000 Poke Dollars.

Tips for Beating Giovanni[]

  • Water types are king: Every single Pokemon on Giovanni's team is weak to Water moves, and at this point in the game it's highly likely that you've got at least one trained up. That Pokemon will be your anchor for this fight.
    300px-Viridian Gym FRLG

    The Viridian Gym's FRLG layout.

  • Avoid his attacks with Flying types and Pokemon with Levitate: Ground moves don't affect Flying types and Pokemon with the Levitate Ability, so using Pokemon that meet one of those criteria will probably make your life easier. Be warned, though, Flying types are not safe against the two Rhyhorn (which both carry STAB Rock moves).
  • Grass types are also good: Grass types also have a marked advantage over Giovanni's team, with three out of five being outright weak to their STAB moves. Grass/Poison types in particular, although they lose their resistance to Earthquake, are even able to go toe-to-toe with his Nidoking and Nidoqueen; their movesets aren't exceptionally good for damaging Pokemon like Venusaur and Vileplume.

Good Pokemon to Use:[]

  • Water types: Whether it's a bulky Pokemon like Vaporeon and Blastoise or a sweeper like Starmie, a Water type Pokemon is an absolute must for this battle. Do avoid using Tentacruel, though, because it's weak to Earthquake.
  • Flying types and Levitate users: This group of Pokemon is immune to Ground moves and therefore has a leg up on Giovanni's team. Good examples of this group include Dodrio, Gyarados, and Gengar.
  • Grass types: Grass type Pokemon tend to have higher-than-average bulk, and their STAB is super effective against most of Giovanni's Pokemon. Some examples of good Grass Pokemon to use here are Venusaur, Vileplume, and Exeggutor.
  • Physical tanks: If for some reason you feel the need to take this battle on with tanking strategies instead of going in all super-effective guns blazing, you'll want to focus your efforts around physical bulk; there isn't a single special move on Giovanni's entire team. Examples of physically tanky Pokemon include Gyarados, Weezing, and Blastoise.
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