Shadow Persian Weakness & Counters Guide

Watching your maxed-out Machamp melt against Giovanni's Persian is a painful rite of passage. It is the most common frustration I see in the Pokemon GO community: you finally get the Super Rocket Radar, you find Giovanni, and then his very first Pokemon—a simple Persian—wipes your entire team. It feels unfair. It feels broken. But here is the truth: you aren't losing because your Pokemon are weak. You are losing because Shadow Persian plays by a different set of rules.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to exploit AI mechanics and target Persian weakness in Pokemon GO using the Pokemon you actually have—no Level 50 Legendaries required. along with a tool to help you farm Persian counters more quickly.

Part 1. Pokemon GO Persian Weakness and Stats

Before fixing your team, you need to respect the numbers. While it looks like a standard cat, Giovanni's Persian is a statistical monster. Understanding what is Persian weak against is the first step to survival.

Why It Is So Hard to Beat Shadow Persian

Most players fail because they rely solely on the Persian weakness type chart. In reality, Giovanni's Persian has two distinct "modes" based on its moveset, and they require completely different counters.

1 Fast Moves: The Pace Setters

Scratch (Normal-type): The "Shredder". It deals 4.0 Damage Per Turn (PVP). If you bring a Fighting-type that doesn't resist Normal attacks (like Shadow Machamp), *Scratch* will delete it before you can exploit the Persian weakness.

Feint Attack (Dark-type): The "Spammer". It deals less damage but generates energy incredibly fast.

2 Charged Moves: The Real Threats

It's not just the fast moves. Giovanni Persian weakness strategies must account for shield pressure:

Foul Play (Dark-type): High damage and charges fast.

Play Rough (Fairy-type): The "Fighter Killer". This move deals super-effective damage to your Fighting-type counters.

Power Gem (Rock-type): Coverage against Flying/Ice types.

Part 2. How to Beat Giovanni Persian Pokemon GO

If you take nothing else from this article, remember this: You cannot beat a high-CP Shadow Persian by trading blows. You have to stop it from attacking.

There is a mechanic in Rocket Battles often called the "Stunlock" or "Freeze Glitch". Whenever you switch Pokemon or use a Charged Move, the Rocket AI stops attacking for approximately 2 seconds (4 turns). We can abuse this to master how to beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO without taking damage.

The "Empty Slot" Strategy

Never start the battle with your Fighting-type counter in the first slot.

Step 1. Put your main Persian counter (e.g., Machamp, Lucario) in your second or third slot.

Step 2. Start the battle with a "throwaway" Pokemon or a tank.

Step 3. As soon as the battle starts, immediately switch to your Fighting-type.

Top Counters Against Persian Giovanni

You don't need rare Pokemon to win, but you do need the right ones. Here is the hierarchy of Persian counters.

The Budget & Accessible Heroes

If you are resource-poor, Melmetal is your best friend. You can get Meltan for free via Pokemon Home, and its Steel typing resists *Scratch* while *Superpower* charges fast enough to abuse the "Stunlock" mechanic.

Annihilape is another incredibly safe option. As a Ghost/Fighting type, it double resists Normal-type attacks, making it the perfect wall for the "Shredder" variant. Finally, if you just need a tank to survive hits where others fail, Hariyama is easier to find than Machop and offers massive HP.

The Elite Tier

If you want raw power, Mega Lucario is the undisputed king. It resists Scratch and hits back with the highest Fighting DPS in the game. Terrakion is a solid alternative, combining legendary tankiness with spammy moves like *Sacred Sword*.

Part 3. How to Get the Best Persian Counters Fast

Strategies like the "Empty Slot" is an ideal Persian weakness trick, but eventually, you will want the Elite Tier counters to farm Giovanni Persian efficiently. Prioritize high-ROI investments like the free Melmetal or cheap Hariyama over expensive projects like Shadow Machamp.

The best counters are often locked behind events. You can find Mega Blaziken in Mega Raids and Riolu (for Lucario) in 2km eggs during the "Precious Pals" event.

If you live in a rural area or can't walk 10km a day in the winter cold to hatch eggs, PoKeep Location Changer becomes a valuable tool to access these resources safely.

For Blaziken Raids, you can virtually travel to a major city hotspot (like Santa Monica Pier) to find full raid lobbies instantly. For the Riolu event, try using PoKeep's "Multi-spot Movement" mode to simulate a realistic walking route. This helps you hatch 2km eggs efficiently from home, giving you a legitimate shot at that high-IV Lucario before the event ends.

Part 4. Full Team Strategy to Beat Persian Giovanni

Beating the cat is only 33% of the fight. To fully master how to beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO, you need to handle his full lineup.

Weather Impact

Check the weather before you fight. Cloudy Weather is the best time to challenge Giovanni, as it boosts your Fighting moves by 20%. Conversely, avoid fighting during Partly Cloudy weather, which boosts Persian's Scratch damage to lethal levels.

Recommended Teams

For a Budget Team, place Swampert in Slot 1 to handle Giovanni's second Pokemon, but switch immediately to Melmetal (Slot 2) to target Persian. Keep Machamp in reserve for cleanup.

If you have an Elite Team, lead with Primal Kyogre for massive damage against Slot 2, and use Mega Lucario in your second slot to delete Persian. Save an Electric nuke like Zekrom or Xurkitree for the final Shadow Tornadus.

The Battle Flow

Start by using the "Empty Slot" switch to bring in your Persian counter immediately. For Giovanni's second slot (Nidoking, Rhyperior, or Kangaskhan), stay with your Fighter if it's Kangaskhan, but swap to your Water-type if it's Nidoking.

Finally, for Shadow Tornadus, remember that this Legendary is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. Save your Melmetal's *Thunder Shock* to finish the fight.

Part 5. FAQs about Persian Weakness