When is Giovanni coming back isn't a question you need to ask right now. The game's big bad is still around and kicking well into the Season of Heritage, meaning his Shadow Lugia companion is still available for anyone looking to nab their first, second, third, or fourteenth.
Pokémon GO Team Rocket encounters are arguably one of the game's most fun new feature updates of the past few years. Though players have plenty of options to keep them busy—from battling lowly Rocket Grunts or Team Leaders like Arlo, Cliff, or Sierra—peak content right now is fighting Team Rocket Leader Giovanni.
Taking on the big boss of the game is a reward for besting those under his esteemed ranking, scooping up a bunch of powerful Shadow Pokémon in the process. Though he's been known to retreat from public view on more than one occasion and come back with a fresh, new team at the end of big events, he hasn't left us alone since his last appearance.
Where Is Giovanni In Pokémon GO?
If you're to have any hope of tracking down and challenging Giovanni before he runs away again, you'll need to obtain the Super Rocket Radar.
This can be done by defeating enough Team GO Rocket grunts, using their regular radar pieces to fashion the radar capable of finding the Team GO Rocket leaders, and besting them to obtain the Super Rocket Radar that reveals Giovanni's location.
So watch for corrupted PokéStops and Team GO Rocket balloons floating above you. Pinch to zoom out on the world map if you can't see the skies.
When Will Giovanni Leave in Pokémon GO?
Giovanni reappeared in Pokémon GO toward the end of the Season of Mischief event and was expected to vanish again as the Season of Heritage took its place. In reality, Giovanni still hasn't decided to retreat back into the shadows, and we don't know when (or if) he will again.
What Shadow Pokémon Will Pokémon GO Giovanni Have Next?
Following a brief stay with Shadow Ho-Oh, Giovanni retreated and came back with a Shadow Lugia in late 2021. Essentially putting an end to the sequence of using the legendary bird Pokémon from the first two generations of the franchise, it isn't clear what new Shadow Pokémon Giovanni will use the next time he comes back from his eventual vacation.